15. Paduvan Bassa

 

Common Name:   Serendib scops owl

Scientific Name:   Otus thilohoffmanni

Animal Family:   Strigidae

Description:   16.5 cm. A small, short-tailed scops-owl, lacking true ear-tufts. The irides are orange- yellow in the male and yellow in the female and juvenile. the beak, legs and claws are whitish. The legs are feathered  on the tibia and upper tarsi. Female scops owls are usually larger than males. 

Population:   Extensive surveys have located 100 individuals and led to a  population estimate of 200-250 individuals.

Found where:   Found in rainforests in some wet zones of Sri Lanka including Sinharaja Forest Reserve, where it was first discovered for science.

Habitat:   Semi-open, arid landscapes

Foods:   It likely feeds on relatively small prey such as small lizard, frogs, and other vertebrates, and large insects.

14. Hisa Sudu Sharikava

 

Common Name:  White-faced Starling

Scientific Name:   Sturnornis albofrontatus

Animal Family:   Sturnidae

Description:   The adults of these 22cm-long birds have green glossed dark grey upperparts and whitish underparts. The head is paler than the underparts. The sexes are similar, but juveniles are buller, with brown upperparts and greyer underparts. Smallish starling with pied plumage, feathers of crown, nape and upper mantle elongate and hackled. The normal cluth is two eggs.  

Population:   The population is estimated to number 2500-9999 mature individuals based on an assessment of recent records and surveys by BirdLife International.

Found where:   This bird can be observed in the Sinharaja Rain Forest.

Habitat:   This passerine is typically found in tall forest, usually high in the canopy. The white-faced starling builds its nest in the hole.

Foods:   Its food consists largely of wild fruits, such as cinnamon berries and the figs of several species of Ficus, but it doubtless eats insects; and like many other birds, it is very found of the nectar of the red cotton tree.

13. Manila Goya

 

Common Name:   Sri Lanka Wood pigeon 

Scientific Name:   Columba torringtoniae

Animal  Family:   Columbidae

Description:   The Sri Lanka Wood pigeon is 36 cm in length. Its upperparts and tail are dark grey, and the head and underparts are lilac, becoming paler on the belly. Building a nest in tree and laying a single white egg. its flight is quick, with the regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings which are characteristic of pigeons in general. 

Population:   The breeding population is thought to be around five million pairs, and this species that can nest at any time of the year, although its peak breeding season is though the summer months.

Found where:   The bird can be observed in the Hakgala Botnical Gardens and the Riverston Area.

Habitat:   Inhabits upper levels of forests and densely wooded areas in the hills and mountains, where occurs in pairs or small flock.

Foods:   It is strictly arboreal, feeding on a variety of small jungle fruits and berries. 

12. Wana-Kowul As-Patiya

 

Common Name:   Sri Lanka Common woodshrike

Scientific Name:   Tephrodornis affinis

Animal Family:   Vangidae

Description:   The ceylon Woodshrike is a nondescript, sparrow sized bird of mostly grey plumage. The male has dark mask across the eye. A prominent feature which stands out in this drab plumage is a white rump bordered below with black upper tail coverts. The female is browner with a less prominent mask. The ceylon Wood Shrike breeds during the early part of the year building well camouflaged small cup like nest stuck to the top of a horizontal branch in a fork between two smaller branches.   

Population:   The population size has not been quantified.

Found where:   Mostly in the Dry Zone in Sri Lanka;  avoids dense, wet forests. Arboreal species usually encountered in pairs of small groups.

Habitat:   Mainly in thin forest and scrub habitat.

Foods:   They hunt insects, often joining other insectivorous birds.