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Ceylon Spurfowl Galloperdix bicalcarata

A scarce ground bird found in the dense forests of the southern half of the island. Strictly a forest bird that can be seen occasionally in the hills up to about 2000 metres, but commonest in the wet zone. Very shy and secretive. More often heard that seen. The unmistakable loud "ringing cackle" revealing its presence can be heard from a distance. Live in pairs. Female resembles a small chestnut village hen with blackish vermiculations and a dark brown cap while the male has its blackish foreparts boldly spotted and streaked with white.

Ceylon Junglefowl Gallus lafayettii

Another ground bird distributed throughout the island from the sea level up to the highest hills. It is shy and wary but in areas adjoining jungle it can be very tame and behaves like a village fowl. The handsome male is unmistakable with its elongated comb with a yellow spot, orange-red body with the black tail and wings having a beautiful purplish sheen. Emale is brown with white streaks on breast and bars on the wings.

Ceylon Woodpigeon Golumba torringtonii

This dark purplish grey pigeon is unmistakable with its chess-board like pattern on the neck. Vinous underparts and broad tail. Sexes alike. Juvenile is duller and has only a hint of the chess-board on the neck. A scarce forest pigeon of montane forests and nearby well-wooded habitats in the higher hills, occasionally descending to the lower hills. Usually shy, lives in pairs or small groups.

Pompadour Green Pigeon Treron Pompadora

This handsome pigeon is by far the commonest of the Green Pigeons occurring almost throughout the low country and ascending the hills to about 1000 metres or occasionally even higher. It inhabits both forest, and well-wooded cultivation and home gardens. This pigeon is arboreal, lives in small flocks and moves about a good deal. The female lacks the maroon on the back and shoulders.

Ceylon Hanging Parrot Loriculus beryllinus

This brilliantly coloured little parrot occurs everywhere in the hills up to about 1300 meters. It also inhabits the low-country wet zone. Like other parakeets of the island this is also a green bird with short tail. Bright red crown shade in to orange in the nape and mantle area. Rump area is deep red. Sexes alike but the female is duller. A fairly common small bird occurring in forested areas, home gardens and plantations of the wet zone. Usually lives singly or in pairs and sometimes in small parties.

Layard's Parakeet psittacula calthropae

Layard's Parakeet has blue grey head and mantel, emerald green collar and green underparts. Has a short blue tail with yellowish tip. Bill of the male is coral red while the duller female has it blackish. A rather uncommon parakeet which mainly inhabits forested areas of the wet zone. Smaller number occur in the drier parts of the hills (on the eastern slopes) and adjacent foothills. Usually live in pairs and sometime in small flocks.

Red - faced Malkoha Phaenicophaeus Pyrrhocephalus

An unmistakable large bird, with crimson red face, strong pale green bill, white underparts with black breast. The long graduated tail has white edges and tip. Dark upperparts has a green sheen. Female's iris is white while the male has it brown. A rare forest bird, mainly inhabiting large rain forests at lower elevations of the wet zone. One of the nucleus species of feeding waves in Sinharaja Forest. Small colonies are found in some tall forest areas of the dry zone. It usually lives in pairs and is a shy bird, preferring the dense canopy of tall trees.

Green-billed Coucal Gentropus chlororhynchos

This coucal is slightly smaller than the more common Greater Coucal from which it can be readily distinguished by its large pale-green bill. The wings are darker chestnut than the Greater Coucal's. Has a purple sheen on the head and neck. Sexes alike. A rare forest loving bird that inhabits the dense under growth of wetzone forests with dwarf bamboo. Does not hesitate to come Very elusive. Lives in pairs.

Serendib Scops- Owl Otus thilohoffmanni

A small refescent scops-owl with a short tail. No noticeable ear tufts. Not so distinct facial disk. Upperparts are almost completely rufous brown with dark markings. Under parts are paler rufous with dark triangular spots. Irides are yellowish in the female and orangish in the male. This newly described owl has so far been located only in the lowland rain forests of the south-west part of the island.

Chestnut-backed Owlet Glaucidium castanontum

This handsome little owl with its chestnut back, scapulars and wing-coverts has its white underparts marked with blackish shat-streaks with bars on flanks. Irides bright yellow and feet pale yellow. Sexes alike. A fairly common owlet in the wet zone but does not ascend higher hills. Lives in pairs and often can be heard and hence located during day time.

Ceylon Grey Hornbill Ocyceros gingalensis

Of the two Hornbills occurring in Sri Lanka, this one has its underparts white while the upperparts are grey with a brown crown. The long grey tail with white tip tend to develop white outer edges with age. Sexes alike except for the bill of the female is dull black with cream cutting edges. Male has it cream with a blackish patch at the base. A common bird in all-country forests, well-wooded areas and gardens. It occurs in both wet and dry zones, occasionally ascends the hills to about 1300 metres.

Yellow-fronted barbet Megalaima flavifrons

This barbet its front/forehead yellow and also a yellow malar strip, blue face and throat, scaled appearance to breast, and dark legs and feet. Sexes alike. Mainly a bird of the hills up to about 2000 metres, but found in many parts of the low-country wet zone and in some dry zone districts to the east of the mountains. More partial to heavy forests but by no means confined to it often coming to well-wooded gardens.

Ceylon Small Barbet Megalaima rubricapillus

This is a small barbet with bright green upperparts, unstreaked green belly and flanks, orange-yellow face and throat-patches, and very small scarlet breast-spot. These features distinguish it from the Coppersmith. Also it has blue running down side of head and upper breast. Sexes alike. This is a very common bird in cultivated or openly-wooded country throughout the wet zone up to about 1000 metres and in scattered colonies in parts of the dry zone.

Crimson-backed Flameback Chrysocolaptes stricklandi

Although practically the same size as the black-rumped Flameback, this handsome Woodpecker looks slightly bigger and can be easily distinguished from that species by its crimson back and wings, longer and ivory colour beak, and the different call note. This is a forest loving species, widely distributed almost throughout the forested parts of the island but prefers the wet zone and the mountains, which it ascends to the highest elevations. The female has the crown black with round white spots.

Ceylon Swallow - Hirundo Hyperyhra

This rather heaving built swallow with its reddish chestnut underparts and rump, is found throughout the lowlands and the hills to 1000 to 1300 metres. Sexes alike. It prefers open country and can be seen in pairs or small scattered flocks. Has a rather slow flight with regular sailing not great height from the ground.

Ceylon Woodshrike- Tephrodornis affinis

An inconspicuous small grey bird with a dark mask through the eye like that of the true shrikes. The female is duller and browner than the male. Can be seen all over low country and hills up to about 1000 metres but commoner in the dry zone. Does not like dense forest. It is arboreal and lives in pairs.

Black-capped Bulbul Pycnontus melanicterus

In general colouration this bulbul has olive green upperparts, brown tail with broad white tips to outer tail feathers, yellow throat and underparts with olive tinge on breast and flanks. Brown flight feathers and yellow underwing. Male has red iris and female's iris coulour is brown. Occurs in pairs or small parties in open forests and woodland throughout the hills, up to at least 1300 metres and also in scattered colonies in the dry zone.

Yellow-eared Bulbul Pycnonotus penicillatus

This unmistakable bulbul has distinctive head markings: blackish crown, long yellow ear tufts and ear-covert patch, and white tufts from lores. Olive-green upperparts, brown upperwings and tail, yellow underparts with olive tings on breast and flanks, yellow underwings. Sexes alike. This bulbul is essentially an up-country bird never seen below 1000 metres and not really common below 1300 m; in the higher hills, however, it is one of the commonest birds. If frequents jungle, wooded ravines and well-wooded gardens. Usually found in pairs though small parties are not uncommon.

Ceylon Whistling - Thrush Myophonus blighi

A short, stout thrush with an overall black appearance with a black beak and legs. The short tail, wings and head are slaty-black with a blue tinge on back, scapulars and breast. The bright blue patch on the shoulder is often hidden on closed wings. The female is brown, also with crepuscular habits found only above 1000 metres, but most likely to be seen near streams above 1300 metres.

Spot-winged Ground-Thrush Zoothera spiloptera

A thrush with rich olive brown upperoarts, two rows of spots on wing coverts and a characteristic black and white facial pattern. White underparts with black spots on throat, breast and upper belly. Sexes alike. This bird is found throughout low country wet zone and the hills up to about 2000 metres. A bird of forest and well-wooded gardens adjacent to theses areas.

Ceylon Scaly Thrush Zoothera imbricate

A rare shy forest loving ground thrush with olive brown above with rufous buff underparts. The scaly pattern all over the body and a larger bill with its chunky appearancemake identification easy.it is confined to lower hills and higher elevations. Spends most of its time on the ground turning over the dead leaves looking for insect food. sexes alike.

Sri lanka bush-warbler Bradypterus palliseri

Generally dark with rusty-buff throat, dark grey breast, and rounded rail. faint pale eyebrow and pale ring around eye. Olive-brown upperparts with a rusty tinge on rump, olive -grey belly with rufous tinge on flanks and undertail. Male has red eye and female pale buff. This skulking shy bird is essentially an inhabitant of the dense undergrowith of mountain forests occasionally venturing in to open fields immediately adjacent to these habitats. It is confined to elevations above 1000 metres.

Dusky-blue flycatcher Eumyias sordidus

Generally dull blue-grey bird with brighter blue forehead, dark lores white belly and undertail coverts. Brownish flight feathers and tail. Sexes alike. Young ones are brown with buff spots on head, back, wing coverts and breast. This flycather is confined to the hills above 650 metres, but it not common below 1000metres. An in habitant of forests and well-wooded estates and gardens where plenty of shady trees provide the seclusion it likes, in such places it is a familiar bird, and shy at all.
Brown-capped babbler Pellorneum fuscocapillus

A bird with sober colours; brown upperparts with darker brown cap and nape; face, supercilium and underparts are cinnamon orpale rusty. A jungle loving birds that lives in pairs and found throughout the island. It ascends the hills to at lease 1600 metres. Sexes alike. Spends much time on the ground turning over leaves looking for insets. Heard more often than seen.

Ceylon Scimitar-Babbler Pomatorhinus [schisticeps] melanurus

This very attractive and slenderly built babbler has a long yellow down-curved bill, long white eyebrow extending onto nape and black eye-stripe. Upperparts are rusty brown with a dark brown crown, white underparts with brown flanks, vent and undertail coverts. Sexes alike. This bird is found in forests almost everywhere, low country and hill country alike. However it is not confined to forests, if sufficient cover is available it will take up residence in estates and well-wooded gardens. Lives in pairs or family parties.

Ceylon Grested Drongo Dicrurus lophorinus

Previously considered a race of the greater Racket-tailed Drongo which occurs in the dry zone.The frontal crest,glossy black plumage and long,deeply-forkedtail without the rackets make it easy to identify.A very vocal mimic that imitates a veriety of birds.Sexes alike.It inhabits the tail forests of the wet zone ascending to at least to 1600 metres.it is one of the nucleus species of the feeding waves in Sinharaja Forest. This handsome bird lives in pairs.

Ceylon Blue Magpie Urocissa ornate

This large beautiful bird cannot be mistaken for any other sri lankan species. Mainly bright blue with red vill, and eye-ring and legs; chestnut head and neck; long graduated blue tail with black and then white tip. Sexes alike. It inhabits the forests of the hills and wet-zone foot-hills.A searce bird seen in small family parties up to six or seven, but pairs and solitary individuals are sometimes observed.

White-Faced Starling sturnia albofrontata

A sleek slenderly built bird with white forehead, face, throat and undertail coverts.The white of the head merges streakily into the greenish-grey-black of the back,wings and tail while the white throat shades into the smokey-grey of the breast and underparts which are streaked with white.The bill colour is pale grayish-green and the legs are bluish grey while the ieye colour whitish. The orbital skin is dull bluish. Sexes a like. This is a rerare bird confined to the tall forests of wet zone and adjacent areas ascending to about 1500 metres.Strictly arboreal frequenting tops of tail trees.Lives in pairs or small flocks.

Ceylon Hill-Myna Gracula Ptilogenys

A glossy black bird with a pair of yellow wattles on the nape and white wing patch.Very pale grey eye, black-based orange-red bill.Seses alike.This can be easily distinguished from the soutern hill myna(the only other sri lankan bird with which this .