Sri Lanka Revisited – December 2015
Trip report by Mike and Denise Hunter - Darlington, UK

Introduction

I visited Sri Lanka in 1995 with brilliant birder Malcolm Roxby, his partner Dawn Ross, and Chris Bell. Then there were 23 officially recognised endemics, with an additional three birds widely regarded as likely splits. Between us we saw all 26 species in just eight days; a remarkable feat back then.

What a difference 20 years makes, as there are now 33 officially recognised endemics, all but one from splits. Black-rumped Flameback is additionally expected to be split from its Southern Indian relative, which would take the total to 34.

Even that is unlikely to be an end to the taxonomic revolution and, like many islands globally, you almost need to see every moderately distinctive subspecies to avoid repeat trips. Jungle Prinia, Jungle Owlet, Indian Blackbird, Black-throated Munia, Square-tailed Black Bulbul and Hill Swallow are saidto differ vocally and may be worth seeing.

My wife had long wanted to visit Sri Lanka for its cultural attractions and so began the planning for a 22 night trip, split into birding and cultural halves.

When to visit

The majority of birding sites are in the southern half of Sri Lanka when it is bestto visit between November and early-Aprilfor winter migrants such as the highly desirable Pied Thrushand Kasmir Flycatcher, with almost the entire world population wintering in the country.This period is sometimes confusingly referred to as the ‘dry season’ but due to overlapping monsoons this is something of a misnomer. Based on my last visit I was expecting it to be relatively dry but we experienced alot of precipitation. Amila, our guide,confirmed 2015 was a year of erratic weather,perhaps linked to the particularly strong El Ninophenomenon.

Target birds

Having birded in Sri Lanka previously, I wanted the focus of this trip to be on those 21 species I’d missed, both in Sri Lanka and elsewhere onthe Indian sub-continent:
Sri Lanka Spurfowl; Legge’s Hawk-eagle; Slaty-legged Crake; Pin-tailed Snipe; Small Pratincole; Sri Lanka Green-pigeon; Sirkeer Malkoha; Blue-faced Malkoha; Banded Bay Cuckoo; Serendib Scops Owl; Sri Lanka Bay Owl; Spot-bellied Eagle-owl; Brown Fish-owl; Brown Hawk-owl; Indian Nightjar; White-naped Woodpecker; Oriental DwarfKingfisher; Sri Lanka Woodshrike; Marshall’s Iora; Sri Lanka Thrush; and Baya Weaver.

Sri Lanka Bay Owl was the only ‘target’ bird we missed but we hada less than 1% chance anyway. This species is genuinely rare and is one of the hardest birds to see in the world. Our guide had only seen this bird three times ever, and one of those when a breeding pair was found at Sinharaja in 2007 and was twitched by most of the Sri Lankan birders and guides. Ceylon Bird Club refers to a total of about 20 sightings ever though I suspect this might now be an under-estimate.

Guides

The last time we used a local guide was something of a disaster. So it was with some trepidation we sought the advice of birders for this trip. Recommended by a trusted birding friend, we opted for Amila Salgado , owner of Birdwing Nature Holidays.Amila proved the perfect choice, very responsive to emails, excellent English, great choice of hotels,and crucially, a fantastic birding brain with incredible eyes anda number of good local contacts and back-up sites.

I've written a number of reports following trips in the past, but never have I said that a particular guide should be birders' guide of choice –but I have no hesitationin recommending himon this basis. Not only that, but Amila focussed on my 21 targets, never once favouring endemics for self-promotion. Yet, he was that good hesucceeded in us seeing all 33 (or soon to be 34?) endemics, plus all but the mythical one from my target list.

He carries a telescope (Swarovski ATM-80HD) withhim everywhere and his enthusiasm to get us the best views of birds he possibly could never waned. We bumped into two other Sri Lankan bird guides during the trip and neither of them used telescopes for their respective groups. Amila's contact details are:

Website: http://www.birdwingnature.com
Emails: amila@birdwingnature.com or Gallicissa@gmail.com or balanophis@yahoo.com
Tel: 00 94 777 591155

Amila has a good network of local contacts through which he organised searches for White-naped Woodpecker, Sri Lanka Bay Owl and Spot-bellied eagle-owlusing his mobile; we were ultimately rewarded with great views of two of these three.

Books and literature

Having visited before we only took Rasmussen and Anderton’s Volume 1: Birds of South Asia, The Ripley Guide with us which was adequate.

Outline itineraryand brief daily log

Day 1 - Arrive Colombo International Airport following our Emirates Airline flight from Newcastle Airport. Picked up efficiently by Amila, and drive to Kitulgala, but not before we have soaked up great views of four day-roosting Brown Hawk-Owlsin Amila's garden where this scarce-in-Sri Lanka bird breeds. Forest edge birding late afternoon, with an unproductive night-bird session to see out a long day.

Day 2 - Excellent birding in Kitulgala, starting off with great views of hunting Chestnut-backed Owlets, a species we struggled to see on my 1995 trip. Sri Lanka Green-pigeon and my bogey bird of Banded Bay Cuckoosoon followed. Whilst Amila looks unsuccessfully for roosting Serendib Scops Owls, I check the sky and am rewarded with decent views of Legge's Hawk-eagle. Stellar views of Slaty-legged Crakeis the afternoon's pick of birds which Amila informs us is also a breeding resident based on a single breeding record at Sinharaja.

Day 3 – Our final morning at Kitulgala and this time Amila strikes gold locating a roosting Serendib Scops Owl, a species only first seen as recently as 2001 and described to science three years' later. Outrageous views of a male Sri Lanka Spurfowlon the walk backto complete a memorable morning. Drive to Sinharaja for another unproductive night bird session, somewhat ominously with little vocalising.

Day 4 – Pre-dawn owling finally delivers a nightbird the hard way, a Brown Fish-owlenroute to Sinharaja. All day birding on the forest trails above the famous Martin's Lodge, and after much effort, great views of Sri Lanka Thrush. Despite wrong information from the forest tracker twice, and congested trails from two other birding groups threatening to derail our efforts, Amila goes back to his favoured area. With just the two of us he sets up a pincer movement on what appears to bean ordinary patch of tangled bushes. But up pops a Sri Lankan Thrush where I’m able to absorb every detail for over a minute. Having worked so hard to see this bird Amila then pronounces he wasn't that worried as he has a stakeout back-up site in the mountains! Slower birding in the afternoon but a flock heralds the arrival of amazing Red-faced Malkohas. Stunning views of Malabar Trogon, Sri Lanka Frogmouthand Green-billed Coucal end a fabulous day.

Day 5 - Morning forest edge birding at Sinharaja with incredible views of Green-billed Coucalfeeding out in the open in someone's garden, and Sri Lanka Blue Magpie eating a large insect just metres away. Uneventful drive to Udawalawe with excellent mid to late afternoon birding in thorn scrub adjacent to the national park. A number of my dry zone targets quickly fall including Marshall's Iora, Sri Lanka Woodshrike, Baya Weaverand Indian Nightjar, amongst a total of 106 species of birds seen today.

Day 6 - Excellent morning safari at Udawalawe National Park seeing both Sirkeerand Blue-faced Malkohas, the latter the one realistic bird of my target list that can be missed as it as it is skulking and does not vocalise much and so was a slight concern for Amila. In the event we need not have worried seeing three well. Other 'Cuckoos' were also well represented with Lesser, Grey-belliedand Jacobin. Drive to Tissaramahama via a patch of woodland, searching unsuccessfully for Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher. Birding around the Tissa wet lands in the afternoon enjoying what is now a rare natural history spectacle anywhere in Asia with thousands of wader birds and trees surrounding the lake dripping with Indian Flying Foxes. Five Water cock represented only my second sighting anywhere, but even better was a pairof displaying Greater Painted-snipe, the female bobbing and wing flapping in front of the male. A chance encounter with a Jungle Cat completed a fantastic day, just a whisker short of 100 species of birds.

Day 7 - Excellent morning safari at Bundala National Park finally seeing Small Pratincole and Pin-tailed Snipe, two of my Asian bogey birds. Plenty of other birds excite and we spend time grilling Paddy field and Blyth's Pipits, and I store up the features of Oriental Skylarkfor hopeful future deployment in the UK! The saltpans provided an enjoyable hour looking unsuccessfully for something rare amongst the many waders and tern flocks. Exploiting his local contacts over lunch for recent White-naped Woodpecker sightings, it's not long before we are soaking up fabulous views of this impressive bird feeding on a dead tree in the middle of a palm plantation. Indian Scops Owlat a well-known day roost closes another bird-filled enjoyable day.

Day 8 - A forgettable morning safari at Yala National Park where we miss both Leopard and Sloth Bear. Pick of the birding: Brahminy Starling, Blue-faced Malkoha, Malabar Pied Hornbills and our only Chestnut-headed Bee-eaters of the trip amongst a trio of bee-eater species seen. In the afternoon one of Amila's contacts delivers news of roosting Spot-bellied Eagle-owls, and we race to the location where we are taken through gardens adjoining riverine forest before looking up at this monster bird in Amila's scope. I'm always on the lookout for educational birds when abroad but our efforts to find Hume's Whitethroat in the last couple of hours of daylight near Bundala fail - much to Amila's surprise, who says they are usually easy in the area. We do however see a number of scarce-in-Sri Lanka Sand Martinswhich gets Amila momentarily excited!

Day 9 - A near all-day drive to Nuwara Eliya punctuated by birding stops, successfully for Cotton Pygmy Gooseat Pannegamuwa Lake, the exquisite Oriental Dwarf King fisher at Kaduwela, Streak-throated Woodpecker at Ella and Hill Swallowat a tea factory not far from Kandy. A late afternoon stop at Surrey Estate, an island of forest in tea plantations preserved by a forward thinking naturalist, delivers brilliant views of a roosting Brown Wood Owl, though a flyover Sri Lanka Woodpigeon ismuch less cooperative. Dull-blue Flycatcher and Indian Blue Robinare both scrutinised at very close range in the bird bath!

Day 10 - NuwaraEliya's Victoria Park delivers stellar views of Pied Thrushand Indian Pitta, but no Kashmir Flycatcher. A Syke's Warbler's habit of twitching its tail upwards – very like the Shetland bird I twitched in 1993 – is etched into the memory hopefully for future reference! Stake out Amila's best site for Sri Lanka Whistling-thrushby sitting in bushes for an hour before conceding defeat. Excellent forest birding above Nuwara Eliya as we soak up a trio of Sri Lankan endemics – Thrush, Bush-warbler and Woodpigeon – before returning to the whistling-thrush site this time with spectacular results. We draw another Kashmir Flycatcher blank at Victoria Park to end the day.

Day 11 - Birding around Nuwara Eliya in the morning with good views of a female Kashmir Flycatcheranda pair of Indian Blackbird. Our third visit to Victoria Park produces yet another Kashmir Flycatcher fail, though we do connect with Eye-browed Thrush, only Amila's second sighting in Sri Lanka. Without really trying over the past ten days we find we have just one endemic left to see – so we search long and hard for Crimson-backed Flameback stopping at every dead tree before admitting defeat. This is Amila's sixth tour that this tricky endemic has been the last to fall. But fall it does at one of Amila's best sites at Kandy later in the afternoon.

On the cultural leg we visited Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya, Galle and Mirissa (whale cruise) using public transport. Some good jungle at Sigiriya where we finally see Purple-faced Leaf-monkey, and new birds included Fork-tailed Drongo-cuckoo and we heard Indian Cuckoo. Best of all was a Blue-eared Kingfisher along a forest stream which is something of a rarity in Sri Lanka (though it has been seen before at Sigiriya). We also searched unsuccessfully for Jerdon's Nightjar, Jungle Owlet and Orange-headed Thrush. We have added in the sightings from our cultural leg below. We would recommend Sigiriya as both a birding and cultural location.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about a future birding trip to Sri Lanka.

Mike and Denise Hunter
Darlington, UK
mikee_deedee@yahoo.co.uk

List of 248 birds seen (includes two birds heard only)

 

KEY
KAD = Kaduwela	K = Kitulgala		S = Sinharaja		U = Udawalawe
L = Lunugamvehera	T = Tissamaharama		W = Wirawila Reservoir
PAN = Pannegamuwa Lake	E = Ella		SE = Surrey Estate
NE = Nuwara Eliya	KY = Kandy		A = Anuradhapura		G = Galle
P = Polonnaruwa	SIG = Sigiriya		COL = Colombo		M = Mirissa
B = Bundala	Y = Yala
[ ] = heard only at location		- = seen between the two locations

 

Black-crowned Night Heron	Nycticorax nycticorax	TBPSIG
Striated Heron	Butorides striata	M
Indian Pond Heron	Ardeola grayii	Common
Eastern Cattle Egret	Bubulcus coromandus	Common
Grey Heron	Ardea cinerea	U B W
Purple Heron	Ardea purpurea	T B
Great Egret	Ardea alba	UTBY
Intermediate Egret	Egretta intermedia	U Y B
Little Egret	Egretta garzetta	UTBM
Spot-billed Pelican	Pelecanus philippensis	UTY-TWP
Little Cormorant	Microcarbo niger	KY P SIG
Indian Cormorant	Phalacrocorax fuscicollis	KUTB
Great Cormorant	Phalacrocorax carbo	T U
Oriental Darter	Anhinga melanogaster	T B Y
Black-winged Kite	Elanus caeruleus	U
Crested Honey Buzzard	Pernis ptilorhynchus	KSUB
Crested Serpent Eagle	Spilornis cheela	KSUTENEKYPSIG
Changeable Hawk-Eagle	Nisaetus cirrhatus	KSUBY
Legge's Hawk-Eagle	Nisaetus kelaarti	K
Rufous-bellied Hawk-Eagle	Lophotriorchis kienerii	S
Black Eagle	Ictinaetus malaiensis	K S
Booted Eagle	Hieraaetus pennatus	U
Crested Goshawk	Accipiter trivirgatus	K
Shikra	Accipiter badius	B T A
Besra	Accipiter virgatus	K
Peregrine (Shaheen) Falcon	Falco peregrinus peregrinator	KTSIG
Brahminy Kite	Haliastur indus	KUBTYKYPSIG
White-bellied Sea Eagle	Haliaeetus leucogaster	UBPM
Grey-headed Fish Eagle	Haliaeetus ichthyaetus	U
Slaty-legged Crake	Rallina eurizonoides	K
White-breasted Waterhen	Amaurornis phoenicurus	KTBWPAN
Watercock	Gallicrex cinerea	T B
Grey-headed Swamphen	Porphyrio poliocephalus	TBSIG
Common Moorhen	Gallinula chloropus	B
Barred Buttonquail	Turnix suscitator	U
Indian Stone-curlew	Burhinus indicus	U B
Great Stone-curlew	Esacus recurvirostris	B Y
Black-winged Stilt	Himantopus himantopus	U T B
Yellow-wattled Lapwing	Vanellus malabaricus	U B
Red-wattled Lapwing	Vanellus indicus	UTBYAPG
Pacific Golden Plover	Pluvialis fulva	B
Grey Plover	Pluvialis squatarola	B
Common Ringed Plover	Charadrius hiaticula	B
Little Ringed Plover	Charadrius dubius	U B
Kentish Plover	Charadrius alexandrines	B
Lesser Sand Plover	Charadrius mongolus	B Y
Greater Sand Plover	Charadrius leschenaultia	B
Greater Painted-snipe	Rostratula benghalensis	T
Pheasant-tailed Jacana	Hydrophasianus chirurgus	TBYPANPSIG
Pin-tailed Snipe	Gallinago stenura	B T Y
Common Redshank	Tringa tetanus	T
Marsh Sandpiper	Tringa stagnatilis	U T B
Common Greenshank	Tringa nebularia	B
Wood Sandpiper	Tringa glareola	U Y
Common Sandpiper	Actitis hypoleucos	UBYNE
Ruddy Turnstone	Arenaria interpres	B
Little Stint	Calidris minuta	B
Curlew Sandpiper	Calidris ferruginea	B
Small Pratincole	Glareola lacteal	B
Brown-headed Gull	Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus	B
Gull-billed Tern	Gelochelidon nilotica	B G
Caspian Tern	Hydroprogne caspia	B
Greater Crested Tern	Thalasseus bergii	B M
Lesser Crested Tern	Thalasseus bengalensis	B M
Saunders's Tern	Sternula saundersi	B Y
Common Tern	Sterna hirundo	M
Whiskered Tern	Chlidonias hybrid	UTBYPGW
White-winged Tern	Chlidonias leucopterus	T G
Rock Dove	Columba livia	Fairly common
Sri Lanka Wood Pigeon	Columba torringtoniae	SE NE
Eurasian Collared Dove	Streptopelia decaocto	B
Spotted Dove	Spilopelia chinensis	Common
Common Emerald Dove	Chalcophaps indica	K
Orange-breasted Green Pigeon	Treron bicinctus	U B Y
Sri Lanka Green Pigeon	Treron pompadora	KSTSIG
Green Imperial Pigeon	Ducula aenea	Fairly common
Green-billed Coucal	Centropus chlororhynchos	[K] S
Greater Coucal	Centropus sinensis	[K] [T] Y B NE P SIG
Sirkeer Malkoha	Taccocua leschenaultia	U
Red-faced Malkoha	Phaenicophaeus pyrrhocephalus	S
Blue-faced Malkoha	Phaenicophaeus viridirostris	U Y
Jacobin Cuckoo	Clamator jacobinus	U Y
Asian Koel	Eudynamys scolopaceus	Fairly common
Banded Bay Cuckoo	Cacomantis sonneratii	K
Grey-bellied Cuckoo	Cacomantis passerines	U
Fork-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo	Surniculus dicruroides	SIG
Common Hawk-Cuckoo	Hierococcyx varius	[S] [KY]
Lesser (small) Cuckoo	Cuculus poliocephalus	U
Indian Cuckoo	Cuculus micropterus	[A] [P] [SIG]
Serendib Scops Owl	Otus thilohoffmanni	K
Indian Scops Owl	Otus bakkamoena	T
Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl	Bubo nipalensis	T
Brown Fish Owl	Ketupa zeylonensis	S
Brown Wood Owl	Strix leptogrammica	SE
Chestnut-backed Owlet	Glaucidium castanotum	K
Brown Hawk-Owl	Ninox scutulata	KAD
Sri Lanka Frogmouth	Batrachostomus moniliger	K S
Indian Nightjar	Caprimulgus asiaticus	U
Crested Treeswift	Hemiprocne coronate	SUTY
Indian Swiftlet	Aerodramus unicolor	Fairly common
Brown-backed Needletail	Hirundapus giganteus	S
Asian Palm Swift	Cypsiurus balasiensis	KKYASIG
Alpine Swift	Tachymarptis melba	U
Little Swift	Apus affinis	TYSIG
Malabar Trogon	Harpactes fasciatus	K S
Indian Roller	Coracias benghalensis	U P
Stork-billed Kingfisher	Pelargopsis capensis	T
White-throated Kingfisher	Halcyon smyrnensis	Common
Blue-eared Kingfisher	Alcedo meninting	SIG
Common Kingfisher	Alcedo atthis	KYSIG
Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher	Ceyx erithaca	L
Pied Kingfisher	Ceryle rudis	T B Y
Green Bee-eater	Merops orientalis	KUTBYSIG
Blue-tailed Bee-eater	Merops philippinus	KSUTBYEAWPSIGGM
Chestnut-headed Bee-eater	Merops leschenaultia	Y
Eurasian Hoopoe	Upupa epops	Y
Malabar Pied Hornbill	Anthracoceros coronatus	UYL-E
Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill	Ocyceros gingalensis	KSLKY
Brown-headed Barbet	Psilopogon zeylanicus	KADKULT[KY]SIGG
Yellow-fronted Barbet	Psilopogon flavifrons	S KY
Crimson-fronted Barbet	Psilopogon rubricapillus	KY SIG
Coppersmith Barbet	Psilopogon haemacephalus	UTSIG
Yellow-crowned Woodpecker	Dendrocopos mahrattensis	B
Lesser Yellownape	Picus chlorolophus	K S
Streak-throated Woodpecker	Picus xanthopygaeus	E
Black-rumped Flameback	Dinopium benghalense	KUTKYSIG
Crimson-backed Flameback	Chrysocolaptes stricklandi	[S] KY
White-naped Woodpecker	Chrysocolaptes festivus	T
Plum-headed Parakeet	Psittacula cyanocephala	S
Layard's Parakeet	Psittacula calthrapae	K S
Alexandrine Parakeet	Psittacula eupatria	K U
Rose-ringed Parakeet	Psittacula krameri	Common
Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot	Loriculus beryllinus	KSKY
Indian Pitta	Pitta brachyuran	K [S] U [B] [T] [Y] NE [SIG]
Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike	Hemipus picatus	K L
Sri Lanka Woodshrike	Tephrodornis affinis	ULSIG
Black-headed Cuckooshrike	Coracina melanoptera	SUSIG
Small Minivet	Pericrocotus cinnamomeus	UTKYA
Orange Minivet	Pericrocotus flammeus	KSLKY
Brown Shrike	Lanius cristatus cristatus	KSUBKYNE
	L c lucionensis	U Y
Black-hooded Oriole	Oriolus xanthornus	K S
Ashy Drongo	Dicrurus leucophaeus	Y
White-bellied Drongo	Dicrurus caerulescens	Common
Sri Lanka Drongo	Dicrurus lophorinus	K S
White-browed Fantail	Rhipidura aureola	UBLSIG
Black-naped Monarch	Hypothymis azurea	KSSIG
Indian Paradise Flycatcher	Terpsiphone paradise	KSULTSIG
Sri Lanka Blue Magpie	Urocissa ornate	K NE
House Crow	Corvus splendens	Common
Indian Jungle Crow	Corvus culminates	Fairly common
Grey-headed Flycatcher	Culicicapa ceylonensis	NE
Cinereous Tit	Parus cinereus	L
Jerdon's Bush Lark	Mirafra affinis	U B
Oriental Skylark	Alauda gulgula	B
Black-capped Bulbul	Pycnonotus melanicterus	K S
Red-vented Bulbul	Pycnonotus cafer	Common
Yellow-eared Bulbul	Pycnonotus penicillatus	NE
White-browed Bulbul	Pycnonotus luteolus	SULSIG
Yellow-browed Bulbul	Acritillas indica	K S U
Square-tailed Black Bulbul	Hypsipetes ganeesa	K
Sand Martin	Riparia riparia	B
Barn Swallow	Hirundo rustica	Common
Hill Swallow	Hirundo domicola	KY
Sri Lanka Swallow	Cecropis hyperythra	K S U
Green Warbler	Phylloscopus nitidus	Common
Large-billed Leaf Warbler	Phylloscopus magnirostris	K [S] L NE [P] [SIG]
Clamorous Reed Warbler	Acrocephalus stentoreus	T B
Blyth's Reed Warbler	Acrocephalus dumetorum	UBENE
Sykes's Warbler	Iduna rama	NE
Sri Lanka Bush Warbler	Elaphrornis palliseri	NE
Zitting Cisticola	Cisticola juncidis	T B
Grey-breasted Prinia	Prinia hodgsonii	U
Jungle Prinia	Prinia sylvatica	U B
Ashy Prinia	Prinia socialis	UTNE
Plain Prinia	Prinia inornata	UTBSIG
Common Tailorbird	Orthotomus sutorius	[K]ULENEM
Sri Lanka Scimitar Babbler	Pomatorhinus melanurus	[S] SE NE
Tawny-bellied Babbler	Dumetia hyperythra	U
Dark-fronted Babbler	Rhopocichla atriceps	KLNESIG
Brown-capped Babbler	Pellorneum fuscocapillus	K
Orange-billed Babbler	Turdoides rufescens	K S
Yellow-billed Babbler	Turdoides affinis	Common
Ashy-headed Laughingthrush	Garrulax cinereifrons	S
Yellow-eyed Babbler	Chrysomma sinense	U
Oriental White-eye	Zosterops palpebrosus	K
Sri Lanka White-eye	Zosterops ceylonensis	NE
Velvet-fronted Nuthatch	Sitta frontalis	S
Sri Lanka Hill Myna	Gracula ptilogenys	S
Southern Hill Myna	Gracula indica	K
Common Myna	Acridotheres tristis	Common
Brahminy Starling	Sturnia pagodarum	Y
White-faced Starling	Sturnornis albofrontatus	S
Rosy Starling	Pastor roseus	U B Y
Pied Thrush	Geokichla wardii	NE
Spot-winged Thrush	Geokichla spiloptera	K S [NE]
Sri Lanka Thrush	Zoothera imbricate	S NE
Indian Blackbird	Turdus simillimus	NE
Eyebrowed Thrush	Turdus obscurus	NE
Indian Robin	Copsychus fulicatus	UBYL-EAPSIG
Oriental Magpie-Robin	Copsychus saularis	Fairly common
White-rumped Shama	Copsychus malabaricus	L
Asian Brown Flycatcher	Muscicapa dauurica	SKYPSIG
Brown-breasted Flycatcher	Muscicapa muttui	K S
Tickell's Blue Flycatcher	Cyornis tickelliae	K SE
Dull-blue Flycatcher	Eumyias sordidus	SE NE
Indian Blue Robin	Larvivora brunnea	SSENE
Sri Lanka Whistling Thrush	Myophonus blighi	NE
Kashmir Flycatcher	Ficedula subrubra	NE
Pied Bush Chat	Saxicola caprata	NE
Jerdon's Leafbird	Chloropsis jerdoni	U A
Golden-fronted Leafbird	Chloropsis aurifrons	K SIG
Common Iora	Aegithina tiphia	K U
Marshall’s Iora	Aegithina nigrolutea	U
Agile Flowerpecker	Dicaeum agile	T
Legge's Flowerpecker	Dicaeum vincens	S
Pale-billed Flowerpecker	Dicaeum erythrorhynchos	SUTNEKYSIG
Purple-rumped Sunbird	Leptocoma zeylonica	Common
Purple Sunbird	Cinnyris asiaticus	B
Loten's Sunbird	Cinnyris lotenius	U NE
House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	SBNEG
Streaked Weaver	Ploceus manyar	T
Baya Weaver	Ploceus philippinus	U T
Indian Silverbill	Euodice malabarica	Y
White-rumped Munia	Lonchura striata	K U T
Scaly-breasted Munia	Lonchura punctulata	U T Y
Black-throated Munia	Lonchura kelaarti	NE
Tricolored Munia	Lonchura Malacca	U T B
Forest Wagtail	Dendronanthus indicus	LBNE
Western Yellow Wagtail	Motacilla flava thunbergi	U
Grey Wagtail	Motacilla cinerea	K NE
White Wagtail	Motacilla alba	U
Paddyfield Pipit	Anthus rufulus	UBNE
Blyth's Pipit	Anthus godlewskii	U

 

List of mammals and reptiles seen

Indian elephant	Elephas maximus	U B P
Toque Macaque	Macaca sinica	S T PAN KY A P SIG
Tufted Grey Langue	Presbytes priam	T B Y A
Purple-faced Leaf Monkey	Trachypithecus vetulus	[K] [S] [NE] SIG
Indian Jungle Cat	Felis chaus	U [Amila – should I add this in?]
Indian Palm Squirrel	Funambulus palmarum	Common
Sri Lanka Giant Squirrel	Ratufa macroura	K NE
Black-naped Hare	Lepus nigricollis	B
Indian Flying Fox	Pteropus giganteus	Common
Ruddy Mongoose	Herpestes smithii	U Y
Indian Grey Mongoose	Herpestes edwardsii	U
Wild Boar	Sus scrofa	Y
Water Buffalo	Bubalus bubalis	Y
Spotted Deer	Axis axis	U Y
Common Green Forest Lizard	Calotes calotes	K
Sri Lanka Kangaroo Lizard	Otocryptis wiegmanni	K
Mugger Crocodile	Crocodylus palustris	U T B SIG
Bengal Monitor	Varanus bengalensis
Water Monitor	Varanus salvator
Barnes’ Cat Snake	Boiga barnesii	S
Sri Lanka Blossom Krait	Balanophis ceylonensis	S
Flapshell Turtle	Lissemys punctata	U
Bryde’s Whale	Balaenoptera edeni	M
Fin Whale	Balaenoptera physalus	M
*Bottlenose Dolphin (sp)	Tursiops sp	M