Bird Watching Trips in Sri Lanka – Endemic Birds
Spot a Sri Lankan jungle fowl with its luxurious, shock of red, yellow and gleaming blue plumage or take a peek at a shy and stealthy ‘red faced malkoha’. In the aftermath of the global pandemic, let’s go seek some solace amongst birds in the south of Sri Lanka.
Rainforest day trips
We at Sea Heart House, organize day trips to the Kanneliya Rainforest Reserve, where waterways meander merrily and birds chirp from above. If you love birds, you’ll love exploring Kanneliya, which happens to be the second largest rainforest in Sri Lanka. Countless species of birds in Sri Lanka call this rich, fertile forest with evergreen vegetation their home. Here are some of the birds you are likely to encounter.
Red-faced Malkoha – Shy and reserved
They are rather shy and prefer to perch on the topmost branches, far away from the maddening crowd. They like to flit lightning fast from one branch to another when moving from one tree to another. Immediately, afterwards, a red-faced malkoha would seek cover in the foliage to forage for fruit and bugs that hide in the canopy. Red in the face (obviously) with long white tipped tails, these birds could grow up to 46 centimeters in length. Their call is a tuneful, soft ‘krrr’.
Jungle fowl – Sri Lankan’s national symbol
They’ve got rather dashing red and yellow combs, at least the males do. Female jungle fowls are without sours, combs or wattles. Adult male jungle fowls have full plumages of red, yellow and blue hues. Jungle fowls feed in much the same way that domestic ones do, scratching the forest floor with their feet. You are more likely to hear their distinctive cry before you spot them.
Sri Lanka Blue Magpie – shy but noisy
They move in pairs or small groups not to steal shiny trinkets but for rummage under tree barks for juicy bugs. Blue magpies are omnivorous but they prefer insects and lizards to fruit. Both males and females look pretty much alike with pleasantly blue plumage, chestnut hued head, neck and wings. Their blue tails are long and tipped white. Sri Lanka Blue magpies are shy but they keep in touch with their flock with loud calls.
