BIRD WATCHING

                                           Bird Watching

Sri Lanka's abundant bird-life makes the Island a true ornithologist's paradise. of the 427 recorded species, 250 are resident and 33 are endemic to the country. with such a  variety of environments ranging from wet to zone, forest to jungle, and hill country to low lands, there's no end to the fascinating locations in which to spot many of these beautiful birds. Most of the endemic birds (such as the Sri Lanka grackle) are restricted to the wet zone, while birds such as the Sri Lanka whistling thrush and the yellow - eared bulbul reside in the hill country. others, like the brilliantly plumaged  jungle fowl, the striking red-faced malkoha and the shy brown -capped babbler can be found in forest and sanctuaries thought the Island. Among the best areas for sighting these birds are the Sinharaja Rain forest and Adem's Peak Wilderness Sanctuary.

The peacock, largest of the pheasants, is native to Sri Lanka and India. It is often the male of the species that is shown in photographs, showing the beautiful plumage. Hence the simile "proud as a peacock". The female (pea hen) lacks the beautiful ornamental feathers or the bright coloring.

Although native to Sri Lanka, the peacock population has gone down considerably, for, at one time it was considered a delicacy and peafowl were hunted down indiscriminately. Pea fowl are tamed quite readily, and sometimes can be seen in the lawns of some of the hotels, and bigger private residences.

For Hindus in Sri Lanka, peacock holds a special place too, for Skanda the God of Katharagama sits with his wives astride a peacock. Lord Vishnu, one of the major Gods, also is often shown with a peacock in the background.

 The common heron, that is seen everywhere in the island, apart from being a sight to behold when in flight in a large group, also serves as a pest controller in the rice fields. It's primary food source, the crabs that live in the fields, could raise havoc in the terraced rice paddies, if not controlled. An occasional fish or a baby snake that may wonder into it's path is sure to be made into heron poop too!.

One of the three bee-eaters found in the island (one a migrant) this resident bird is widly distributed both in the wet and drt zones. It feeds on insects, the favourite being the dragon files which it catches on the wing performing aerial acrobatics that will make the finest air ace blush. This super specimen was seen at Diganwala in the Yala National Park.

The large lakes (irrigation reservoirs ) in the dry zone attract numerous varieties of duck, while lager aquatic  birds such as stork, heron, egret, spoonbill, pelican, and ibis can easily be seen in the wetlands, especially at Weerawilla, Kalametiya and Bundala National Park (which is also famed for its large flocks of migrant flamingoes ). Around mid-August the first migratory species arrive in Sri Lanka. Large flocks of sandpipers, stints, plovers, terns and harries fly over from Northern India, Siberia, Scandinavia and Western Europe and settle along the lagoons and salterns of the eastern, north-Western and South-eastern coast. In the forested areas of Sri Lanka, birds like migratory tree warbles, thrushes and cuckoo can be seen.