Wilpathu National Park විල්පතු ජාතික උද්යානය

 

 

Sri Lanka Junglefowl 

Gallus lafayetii

 Most easily identified bird which is commonly seen bird throughout Sri Lanka. It is a endermic species to Sri Lanka. Male  has a comb with golden yellow center and red out linings. Face is red with bare skin, bill is yellow. Neck is golden yellow and the breast and back is more orangish. Tail feathers and the primary, secondary feathers purplish black. Female is smaller and brown feathers are white with black stripes. 

Female

Mostly seen on the ground searching for food just like domestic roosters.

Juvenile

Indian Peafowl

Pavo cristatus

 Most easily identified species in Sri Lanka. Male greenish blue crown with a blue feather like crest. Grey bill with a white lining on the base. Around the eye is white. Chin is bright green and the rest of the neck is bright blue. Flight feathers are are white with a black stripe pattern and primary feathers are  black. It has a long train over the tail. End of each train feather has a eye shaped spot. It can erect the train feathers. In mornings it is more likely to see them erecting there train train feathers.

Female  has a brown crown with a crest just like the male. Face is white has a brown eye ring and a white clearly visible stripe above the eye. Neck is greenish. Rest of the body greyish brown. 

Can be seen on the ground searching for food.

Little Cormorant

Phalacrocorax niger 

 Smaller in size than their other members ( Indian , Large Cormorant). Short pale coloured bill and brown neck. Body and flight feathers black. Distributed throughout Sri Lanka uncommon in Hills. Very often seen diving in waters or drying their wings after a dive. Habitat in water holes, lakes, ponds and tanks.

Oriental Darter 

Anhinga melanogaster

 Differs from the cormorants by its long thin yellow bill and the long, thin 'S' shaped neck.  Head dark brown, chin and throat white with brown single brown line on the side of the neck. Wings black with white streaks. Swims low in water ( all the body parts under the water) so that only the head is visible over the water surface. Very good divers. Mostly seen in Dry Zone but also can be seen in the Wet Zone. Habitat small ponds, Lakes, tanks and all other water sources.

Grey Heron 

Ardea cinerea

 Large tall bird with a pointed yellow bill. Neck is white and the rest of the body is grey. A black crest is seen on the nape starting from behind the eye. Breast and belly white. Legs yellow. Distributed in the Dry Zone but uncommonly seen in the wet Zone. Habitat in any water sources.

Purple Heron

Ardea purpurea

 Smaller than their relative Grey Heron. It has a Yellow pointed bill, chestnut brown neck, black crown and crest and black line on the side of the neck. Greater part of the body grayish. Distributed throughout Sri Lanka. Habitat in water sources.

Cattle Egret 

Bubulcus coromandus

 Most commonly seen Egret in Sri Lanka. Small in size with a short yellow bill, in Non breeding season it is fully white and in the Breeding season golden brown plumes appear fro the head, neck and back. Distributed throughout Sri Lanka. Habitat in tanks, muddy pools, near cattle's and even garbage dumps. 

Little Egret

Egretta gazetta 

 Small in size Differs from the Cattle Egret by their black bill and the black legs with yellow feet. Overall body colour white. In breeding season crest appears from the crown and plums appear from the breast and back, bill base becomes bluish (Mostly for few days). Distributed throughout Sri Lanka. Habitat in any water source. 

Great Egret

Casmerodius albus 

  

 Very tall, pointed yellow bill, thin 'S' shaped long neck. Overall colour of the body white. Upper part of the leg ( Tibia ) yellow, lower part (Tarsus ) black. It can be separately identified with the Intermediate Egret by the extended bill base witch even passes the eye. 

In the breeding season bill turns to black. Distributed throughout except the hills. Habitat in large water sources.

Painted Stork

Mycteria leucocephala

 Large commonly seen stork in Dry Lowland. Massive down curved yellowish orange bill, Face is orange with bare skin. Neck, back and belly white. breast is also white with black stripe markings.. Pinkish feather visible in the near the tail. primary and secondary feathers black. Legs brownish pink. 

Often seen in individuals with other flocks of Egrets. Habitat in water sources.

Black-headed Ibis

Threskiornis melanocephalus

 Medium sized bird with a black down curved bill black head and neck. Body white while the legs are black. In breeding season white plums appear from the back and breast. Seen in small flocks in water sources and paddy fields. Distributed throughout Sri Lanka except the hills. 

Lesser Whistling-duck

Dendrocygna javanica

 

 Most commonly seen duck. It is easily identified by there light brown head, neck and breast. Dark brown crown. Belly and the upper tail covert chestnut. Bill and feet grey. Habitat in any water source in pairs or small flocks. Flight is heavy, their call is like a whistle which has built up its name Whistling duck. Distributed throughout the country.

Little Grebe 

Tachybaptus ruficollis 

Non breeding

 Very small, Breeding plumage black bill with a light yellow patch on the bill base, face black, neck chestnut brown and the body greyish brown. Tail part consist of a white buff, lack of tail. Non breeding plumage yellow bill body colour paler. Often seen in pairs or small flocks diving in water head first. They are known to be good divers. Distributed in the Low Country. Habitat in water sources Swimming or resting on Lilly pads.

     

 

Pheasant-tailed Jacana 

Hydrophasianus chirurgus 

 Small sized, it has a small black pointed bill, white forehead, face and throat. hind neck yellow with a brown lining separating yellow from white. Back brown, breast belly much more darker. Flight feathers white primaries brown. In breeding long brown feathers appear from the tail. Legs grayer with long toes. Non breeding plumage paler, lacking a long tail. Most often seen on Lilly pads they are also capable of walking over Lilly Pads. Can be seen throughout the Low Country. Habitat in water sources sometimes solitary but mostly in small flocks.    

Black-winged Stilt 

Himantopus himantopus

 

Imm

 White head, neck, breast, belly and tail. Long pointed black bill and flight feathers. Male flight feathers dark black, Female dark brown. Legs are long and red. Immature has a black forehead and hind neck. Often seen in small groups associated with other Herons and Egrets. Mostly seen on the edge of water sources catching fish in shallow waters by keeping the bill under water.

Great Thick-knee

Esacus recurvirostris

Medium in size, It has a thick up curved black bill with a yellow base, yellow iris with a black lens, eye ring yellow, supercilium, submoustachial strip, forehead, throat, breast and belly white. Above and below the supercilium, malar stripe black. Rest of the body light brown or cream coloured. Often seen near water sources resting on sandy areas, sitting down near small scrubs. Distributed in the Dry Zone. Very lower possibility to observe in the Wet Zone.

Yellow-wattled Lapwing  

Vanellus malabaricus 

 Same body form as the Red-wattled Lapwing කිරළා. It has a small pointed black bill, yellow wattle, black crown and a white eye strip. Light brown neck back including the upperparts. Breast, belly white. Legs bright yellow. Often seen near dry sandy flat lands with small grass coverage. Distributed in the Dry Low Lands.    

Pacific Golden Plover

Pluvialis fulva 

 It has a black pointed bill , Non-breeding plumage has a white face, breast and belly. Crown, lower neck and back brown with golden stripes. Breeding plumage has a grey face with a clearly visible white supercilium stripe extended to the breast. Breast and belly dark grey. Golden back is brighter. Seen near flat grassy lands close to water sources.  

Breeding

Breeding

Little Ringed Plover

Charadrius dubius 

Very small Plover, Breeding Plumage small pointed black bill, base of the lower mandible pink. Forehead, throat, neck and belly white. Black above forehead, face and upper breast. Clearly visible yellow ring present around the eye. Non breeding plumage duller. Often seen close to water sources, on sandy flat lands.