Birds

Sri Lanka is a paradise for birds providing home to more than 400 bird species. During various periods very year, August to April in particular, several species of foreign birds visit Sri Lanka. Winter migrants arrive from distant Siberia and western Europe. They migrate from freezing lands to sunny climate of Sri Lanka. Lakes, lagoons, river sides and forests attract large number of species. Sri Lanka has 26 endemic bird species most of which live in wet zone.


Famous bird-watching locations of Sri Lanka are Sinharaja Rain Forest, Udawatta Kale, Bellanwila, Muthurajawela, Minneriya, Kitulgala and Minipe. Kumana on eastern coast and Kalamatiya on southern coast are also visited by bird species. Bundala National Park is famous for varied birdlife.

Ceylon Wood Pigeon
Behaviour	Lives in forests. Likes to live in pairs. The creature feeds on small jungle fruits and berries. Breeding season February to May, and August to October.
Location	Lives in hill forests. Usual range is from 3,000 feet upwards to the highest elevations.
Ceylon Wood Pigeon
Behaviour	Lives in forests. Likes to live in pairs. The creature feeds on small jungle fruits and berries. Breeding season February to May, and August to October.
Location	Lives in hill forests. Usual range is from 3,000 feet upwards to the highest elevations.
Ceylon Blue Magpie
Behaviour	The bird flies in small flocks. An energetic and agile bird, it spends most of its time in seaarching for food which are insects, lizards and tree-frogs. The breeding season is in the first quarter of the year
Location	The bird lives in the deep forests of the mountains and wet-zone foot hills.
Red-Faced Malkoha
Behaviour	A shy and restless creature, it lives in tree canopy. Lives either solitary, in pairs, or in small flocks. Breeding season in first half of year.
Location	Residence of Sinharaja and other rain forests. Also found in scattered riverine habitats.
Green Billed Coucal
Behaviour	Its head has sheen and neck is purple. This shy and elusive bird lives in wet-zone forests. Its numbers are rapidly deteriorating.
Location	Lives in the forests of the wet zone, west, south-west and south of the main mountain massif.
Chestnut-Backed Owlet
Behaviour	This shy creature sits on the tall trees on steep hillsides. Hunts and calls in day. Breeding season from March to May.
Location	Several places in Southern island, particular in hills and wet-zone low country.
Ceylon Grey Hornbill
Behaviour	Likes to live in small flocks. Sits quietly among foliage, and searches for food. Usually lives in medium levels of tall forest, using hanging creepers for hiding.
Location	Found in all low-country forested areas, both wet and dry zone. Sometimes it ascends the hills.
Yellow-Fronted Barbet
Behaviour	This creature with resounding calls feeds itself on numerous kinds of berries, wild figs, and fruits. First breeding season is from February to May, with a secondary season in August-September.
Location	A hill-bird which ascends to ascends to at least 6,500 feet. Lives in many parts of the low-country wet zone
Yellow-Eared Bulbul
Behaviour	It likes to live in the neighborhood of fruiting trees. After eating they like to sit on the top branches and indulge in vocal music. Breeding season is from January to June.
Location	A common bird in openly-wooded country in whole of wet zone upto 4000 feet.
Black-capped Bulbul
Behaviour	It likes to live in pairs or small groups. Its nest is a cup, composed of small twigs, rootlets, etc., rather flimsily built, and line scantily with fibres.
Location	It is found all over the hills, up to at least 4,000 feet. It also lives in scattered colonies in the dry zone.
Ceylon Whistling -Thrust
Behaviour	This shy bird prefers to live in thick vegetation. It preys on creatures like insects and geckos. Breeding season is from March to May. Both male and female do the feeding.
Location	They quietly live in places at the elevation of about 3000 feet.
Spotted-Winged Thrush
Behaviour	This shy creature likes to perch in the lower branches of tree-canopy. It eats insects and berries. Two breeding seasons are in March-April and August-November.
Location	It lives in the hills, to the elevation of 7000 feet. It can also be found in low-country wet zone.
Dusky-Blue Flycatcher
Behaviour	The bird feeds on flying insects, beetles, caterpillars and the like, but also eats berries. Breeding season is in the first half of the year, March and April being the favourite months.
Location	It is found in the locations higher than 2000 feet. It lives in forests or well-wooded ravines.
Brown-Capped Babbler
Behaviour	This shy bird likes to live in pairs. The nest is a domed structure made of dead leaves, skeleton leaves, dry grass etc. These are always located in deep forests.
Location	It ascends hilly areas to at least 5,500 feet. It can be found in whole country except in dry areas.
Black-Throated Munia
Behaviour	The bird lives in small groups and flies at considerable height. It eats grain and seeds. Breeding season is all year. However April-September is the preferred period.
Location	The mountain creature is very common in places more than 2000 feet high. The bird can be fdound in the forests and mana grass. It also visits tea estates and gardens.
Ashy-Headed Laughing-Thrush
Behaviour	The noisy bird likes to live in flocks. It also indulges in constant flow of chirping, squeaking and babbling. The breeding is the first quarter of the year.
Location	The bird lives in the deep forests of the wet zone and the adjacent mountains. It lives over the height of 5,000 feet.
Ceylon White-Eye
Behaviour	The bird forms large but scattered crowds. It is always busy in searching small caterpillars. Breeding season is from March to May. Sometimes they have a second season in August-September.
Location	The bird lives in the Sri Lankan mountains above 3,000 feet to 5,000 feet.
White-Faced Starling
Behaviour	The bird lives in small flocks and sits on the top of tree canopies. It feeds on insects, wild fruits, cinnamon berries and figs. It loves the nectar of red cotton tree. You can find its nest in April.
Location	It resides in the dense forests of wet zone including the Adam's Peak.
Orange-billed Babbler
Behaviour	The noisy bird lives in little flocks. The flock members talk with loud chattering, squeaking and chirping. It usually eats insects but also changes taste with berries.
Location	This bird rarely leaves the forest. It can be found in forests of wet zone and high elevation hills.