Monday, May 1, 2017

TICKELL'S BLUE FLYCATCHER

Subspecies jerdoni, photographed March 2017
1075               TICKELL'S BLUE FLYCATCHER                Cyornis tickelliae

SRI LANKA            75

Found in forest and wooded areas. 14 cm. Rather uncommon breeding resident locally in lowlands up to mid hills.




COPPERSMITH BARBET

Subspecies indica, photographed March 2017
 (*   827)                         COPPERSMITH BARBET               Megalaima haemacephala 

SRI LANKA                  74

Found in forest and open wooded country. 17 cm. Fairly common from dry lowlands up to drier mid hills; and local in wet zone including up to mid hills.


                                                                                                       


















YELLOW-FRONTED BARBET

Photographed March 2017
1074                     YELLOW-FRONTED BARBET             Megalaima flavifrons

SRI LANKA                 73

Found in  forests, and well-wooded gardens; prefers dense forest. 21 cm. Endemic, fairly common locally from wet lowlands up to mid hills; rather uncommon in drier areas of eastern foothills and in higher hills.




BARRED BUTTONQUAIL

Subspecies leggei, photographed March 2017
1073               BARRED BUTTONQUAIL               Turnix suscitator

SRI LANKA             72

Found in grasslands, scrubland, paddy fields and tea plantations. 15 cm. Fairly common breeding resident from lowlands to mid hills, more common in dry zone.





BLUE-TAILED BEE-EATER

Subspecies javanicus, photographed March 2017
(*  837)                 BLUE-TAILED BEE-EATER                Merops philippinus

SRI LANKA               71

Found in open areas and forests. 23-26 cm. Fairly common winter migrants throughout Sri Lanka, also small flocks breed in eastern dry lowlands.



EMERALD DOVE

Subspecies robinsoni, photographed March 2017
(*   643)            EMERALD DOVE            Chalcophaps indica

SRI LANKA              70

Found in forests and well wooded areas. 27 cm. Uncommon breeding resident throughout Sri Lanka, up to highest hills.





BROWN WOOD OWL

Subspecies ochrogenys, photographed March 2017
1072                   BROWN WOOD OWL                    Strix leptogrammica  

SRI LANKA                 69

Found in forests and well wooded areas. 47-53 cm. Uncommon breeding resident throughout Sri Lanka.





CHESTNUT-HEADED BEE-EATER

Subspecies leschenaulti, photographed March 2017
(*  839)               CHESTNUT-HEADED BEE-EATER                Merops leschenaulti 

SRI LANKA               68

Found in forests, thinly wooded areas and open country with trees. 18-20 cm. Rather uncommon breeding resident locally from lowlands to mid hills.     




GREAT EGRET

Subspecies modestus, photographed March 2017
(*  214)                    GREAT EGRET                Casmerodius albus

SRI LANKA                    67

Found on the margins of lagoons, tanks, paddy fields and marshes. 65-72 cm. Fairly common breeding resident in lowlands, and occasionally ascends to hills.


STORK-BILLED KINGFISHER

Subspecies capensis, photographed March 2017
(*  916)                     STORK-BILLED KINGFISHER             Pelargopsis capensis

SRI LANKA             66

Found on forested banks of rivers and streams, lakes and paddy fields adjoining wooded areas. 38 cm. Uncommon breeding resident from lowlands up to lower hills.



GREY-HEADED FISH EAGLE

Photographed March 2017
(*  932)               GREY-HEADED FISH EAGLE                Icthyophaga icthyaetus 

SRI LANKA                65     

Found on wooded edges of rivers, tanks and lakes. 69-74 cm. Uncommon breeding resident in dry lowlands and occasionally in adjoining wet zone areas.



LITTLE GREBE

Subspecies albescens, hotographed March 2017
1071               LITTLE GREBE               Tachybaptus ruficollis 

SRI LANKA                 64

Found on tanks, lakes and marshes. 25-29 cm. Rather common breeding resident in lowlands, and rare breeding resident in high hills.




GREY HERON

Subspecies cinerea, photographed March 2017
(*   370)                  GREY HERON                   Ardea cinerea 

SRI LANKA                   63   

Found in coastal lagoons, marshes, estuaries and tanks. 90-98 cm. Fairly common breeding resident in dry lowlands, rare in wet lowlands, and occasional visitor to the high hills.


COMMON SNIPE

Subspecies gallinago, photographed March 2017
(*  894)                   COMMON SNIPE                    Gallinago gallinago  

SRI LANKA                   62

Found in marshes, wet paddy fields and vegetation at tank edges. 25-27 cm. Fairly rare but regular winter visitor to the lowlands.





LITTLE SWIFT

Subspecies singalensis, photographed March 2017
1242            LITTLE SWIFT                    Apus affinis

SRI LANKA                61    

Often found near large rocky outcrops. 15 cm. Fairly common breeding resident rather locally from from lowlands up to high hills. 







COMMON GREENSHANK

Photographed March 2017
(*  417)                    COMMON GREENSHANK                Tringa nebularia

SRI LANKA                    60

Found in almost all types of wetlands. 30-34 cm. Rather common winter migrant to the lowlands, more in dry zone.



BLACK-WINGED STILT

Subspecies himantopus, photographed March 2017
(*   22)             BLACK-WINGED STILT                Himantopus himantopus 

SRI LANKA                       59

Found on freshwater and brackish shallow waters in marshes, lagoons and tanks. 35-40 cm. Fairly common breeding resident in dry lowlands; a few birds breed in wet lowlands, large numbers of winter migrants occur in lowlands.




WOOLLY-NECKED STORK

Subspecies episcopes, photographed March 2017
(*  383)                   WOOLLY-NECKED STORK              Ciconia episcopus

SRI LANKA                 58

Found in marshes, tank edges, water holes and paddy fields, usually in pairs or small groups. 75-92 cm. Uncommon breeding resident in dry lowlands.