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Sri Lanka's endemic birds
Jayantha JAYAWARDENE
(This is the first article on the variety of birds found in different
parts of the island. Today I have written on endemic birds. Later I will
deal with other aspects of our birds)
ENDEMIC BIRD SPECIES: Sri Lanka has recorded 436 species of birds.
They can be separated into two types - resident birds ie birds that live
in this country throughout and migrant birds i.e. birds that come here
for a specific period and go back to where they came from after a few
months.
Of the birds that are resident here, some are endemic. Endemic to Sri
Lanka means that these species are found only in Sri Lanka and nowhere
else in the world.
A species can be endemic to a particular region, area or country. If
an endemic species dies out, they cannot be replaced from anywhere. This
article deals with the endemic birds found in Sri Lanka.
All living things known to science have been given scientific names.
This is how a species is identified wherever it may be. For instance,
the Spotted Deer found in Sri Lanka is known scientifically as Axis
axis. Common names are used in particular locations.
In India, this deer is commonly called the Chital but since it has
the same scientific name we know that when we talk of the Chital or
Spotted Deer we are talking of the same species Axis axis. Scientific
names can never be changed but common names can.
For instance what was called the Hawk Eagle is now called the
Changeable Hawk Eagle. This can lead to confusion between the older and
newer generations of naturalists.
Then the Rufous Babbler is also called the Orange-billed Babbler and
the Ceylon Jungle Babbler. With three common names adduced to it, the
importance of a scientific name that is not changeable, becomes very
important to correctly identify this bird.
A species is the grouping by which taxonomists classify the different
living organisms. In biology, a species is the basic unit that makes up
the biodiversity (diverse biological species) of an area.
A species is where animals which look similar are placed as members
of the same species. A species is also a reproductive unit where
organisms can interbreed in nature to produce offspring that in turn can
breed.
Sri Lanka has a varying number of endemic birds. Based on set
criteria, taxonomists determine whether certain species and sub species
of birds are confined only to a particular area.
If so, they are deemed to be endemic to that area. With the
scientific advances that have been made now, DNA can be used to
determine differences between species.
To the layman however, due to the number of endemic birds in Sri
Lanka varying often, the taxonomists seem to be playing a game. More so
because there are ceaseless arguments regarding the status of various
birds.
However, such scientific classifications are necessary for many
reasons, especially conservation. Early authors refer to a race or
species as being 'peculiar to Ceylon'. This is the same as endemic. It
was only later that the word endemic came into use.
The first major work on the birds of Sri Lanka, then Ceylon, was by
Captain Vincent Legge in 1878. He concluded then that there were 47
endemic species of birds in this country. At that time he did not have
recourse to the developed scientific methods that now help to identify
endemic birds.
James Murray in his book a decade later mentions 41 species being
peculiar to the island. W.W. A. Phillips in his 1952 Revised Checklist
of the Birds of Ceylon refers to 21 endemic species. W. E. Wait in his
Manual of the Birds of Ceylon refers to 18 species as being peculiar to
Ceylon. Twelve years ago Prof. Sarath Kotagama in his Field Guide to the
Birds of Sri Lanka, written with Prithiviraj Fernando, says that we have
23 endemic species.
Now Pamela Rasmussen, a leading authority on Asian birds, says that
we have 33 endemic species in Sri Lanka. Though this may be confusing to
the amateur bird watcher, it is necessary that we heed changes made
scientifically.
The birds listed as endemic to Sri Lanka are found in different parts
of the island. Sri Lanka's national bird the Ceylon Jungle Fowl (Gallus
lafayetti) is widely spread throughout the island. It is known in
Sinhala as Wali Kukula and Katu Koli in Tamil.
The male is a very pretty bird but the female is drab. The Ceylon
Jungle Fowl is believed to be the progenitor of all domestic fowls.
The male of the Ceylon Spurfowl (Galloperdix bicalcarta), like the
male jungle fowl, is a very pretty bird. The females of both species are
drab. The Spur fowl gets its name from the two spurs on the legs of the
male. The female has one spur. Known in Sinhala as the Haban Kukula and
in Tamil as Katu Koli.
It is found only in the Southern part of the island even in the
highest hills but preferring the wet zone forests. It comes out in the
early mornings to the fringe of the forests bordering tea estates to
feed. When disturbed it rarely flies preferring to dart along into the
undergrowth.
Both the Jungle Fowl and the Spurfowl are arboreal birds flying only
when it is necessary and to roost at night. They also have almost the
same diet of small fruits, berries, termites and other insects, which
they find on the forest floor.
The Jungle fowl is seen regularly in forest areas and also in small
patches of forests. The Spur fowl is rarely seen since it is a shy bird.
Amongst the endemic birds in Sri Lanka there are two species of
parrots. One is the Layard's Parakeet (Psittacula calthropae) and the
unusual Ceylon Lorikeet (Loriculus beryllinus).
It is unusual in the sense that it is a small parrot, being the size
of a house sparrow, is capable of hanging upside down and consumes
nectar amongst fruits, seeds and berries. It has a suitable beak
adaptation for drawing nectar. It is also partial to toddy when it is
still in a pot on the tree.
Most birds get intoxicated as a result and are easily caught. Some
even fall into the pot and drown. When I was a schoolboy in the 1950s
the streets of Kandy had many lorikeets brought in for sale. Now the
numbers have dropped drastically.
There are also two owls on the list of endemic birds One is the
Chestnut-backed Owlet (Glaucidium castanonotum) and the Serendib Scops
Owl (Otus thilohoffmanni).
This owl was first discovered in 2001, in the Sinharaja forest, by
Deepal Warakagoda and soon after photographed by Chandima Kahandawela in
the presence of Nanda Senanayake and Deepal. It has been named after
Thilo Hoffman a long time conservationist in Sri Lanka,
Two species of our barbets are also endemic. The Yellow-Fronted
Barbet (Megalaima flavifrons) and the Ceylon Small Barbet (Megalaima
rubricapilla). Barbets are fruit eating birds.
Though fruit eaters both species occasionally take insects. These two
species can be found in most parts of the island, where they are fairly
common. These barbets are very vocal with distinctive calls, which are
replied by other barbets.
Two birds from the same family that are not easily encountered are
the Green-billed Coucal (Centrophus chlororhynchus) and the Red-faced
Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus pyrrhocephalus).
This coucal is no different to the common coucal that we see
regularly except that it is slightly smaller; its beak is light green
and wings darker. A forest bird it is very shy and elusive. The coucal
is found in the wet zone but not over an elevation of around 3000 feet.
The Ceylon Blue Magpie, (Cissa oranata) or Kehibella in Sinhala is a
bird of the high forest canopy of the wet zone. It is a beautiful,
predominantly blue bird, about the size of a crow but with a larger
tail.
They live in pairs and sometimes in flocks. There is a flock of these
birds that are practically resident in the Aranya at the Sinharaja
forest edge near Aigburth Estate, Rakwana. Food is left for them and
this flock comes by in the morning and evening. The Blue Magpie is also
seen at Hakgala regularly.
The malkoha is about the size of the common coucal but more slender.
Its tail is also longer. It is found in the wet zone forests and in some
scattered forests in the dry zone.
In his book, Henry (1955) expresses concern that "owing to the
extension of cultivation, and through shooting, its numbers have
seriously declined throughout its former haunts, and now it must be
considered definitely a scarce bird".
It is still a scarce bird but fortunately has survived the last 50
years mainly because it is not shot by sportsmen now.
Four species of thrushes are endemic. They are the Scaly Thrush (Zoothera
dauma), The Ceylon Whistling Thrush or Arrenga (Myiophoneus blighi), The
Spotted -wing Thrush (Zoothera spiloptera) and the Ashy-headed Laughing
Thrush (Garrulax cinereifrons). Thrushes are mostly arboreal feeding
mainly on insects.
The Arrenga is the least seen of these four thrushes. It lives in
densely wooded forests, close to running water, in the high wet zone.
Douglas Ranasinghe, in his recent book, says that until the Serendib
Scops Owl was discovered in 2001, the Arrenga was the last bird to be
discovered and that in 1868.
The Ceylon Wood Pigeon (Columba torringtoni), Maila Goya in Sinhala
or Karuppu Pura in Tamil, is the largest of our pigeons and doves. From
far off it can be mistaken by the naked eye for a raptor. Its
distinguishing feature is the 'checker board' pattern on the back of its
neck.
It is also called Lady Torrington's Pigeon, named after the wife of
Governor Torrington. This is a bird that prefers the high canopy of our
forests. The other endemic pigeon is the Pompadour Green Pigeon (Treron
pompadora).
It is called Batagoya in Sinhala and Pachcha Pura in Tamil. This and
the other species of pompadour pigeons are seen in flocks feeding on
various types of fruit in the low country. Shooting 'Batayas' was a
regular pastime of sportsmen in the past.
There are two species of endemic bulbuls, the Black-capped Bulbul (Pyanonotus
melanicterus) and the Yellow-eared Bulbul (Pycnonotus penicillatus). The
Black-capped bulbul is found in most parts of the country except over an
elevation of 3500 feet or a little more.
It does not seem to like dense forests. The Yellow-eared Bulbul is
very common in the hills over 4000 feet but is seen sometimes in lower
elevations. Bulbuls are mainly fruit eaters but not averse to taking
small insects and grubs.
Also on the list of endemics are three species of babblers, the
Ceylon Scimitar Babbler (Pomatorhinus horsfieldi), the Brown-capped
Babbler (Pelleorneum fuscocapillum) and the Ceylon Rufous Babbler (Turdoides
rufescens).
Sri Lanka has eight species of babblers including these three.
Babblers are mostly terrestrial and do not have the ability to fly
strongly. Their diet consists mainly of insects and grubs. However they
are also seen taking small fruits occasionally.
Sri Lanka has two species of hornbills, the Malabar Pied (Anthracoceros
coronatus) and the Ceylon Grey Hornbill (Ocyceros gingalensis). The
Malabar Pied has a double beak or casque, as in the Toucans in South
America, but the Grey Hornbill, called Alu Kendetta in Sinhala and
Irattai Chondu Kuruvi in Tamil, has only a single curved beak. The Grey
Hornbill is endemic.
The hornbills have unusual nesting habits. After selecting a suitable
hole in a tree, the female gets inside and the male seals the hole with
a paste made of its droppings, leaving only a small space for the female
to put out her beak.
She lays one to three eggs and proceeds to hatch them. In the
meantime, the male brings the female fruits, which is their diet, and
feeds her through this tiny aperture. The female is totally dependent on
the male during this period. If some misfortune befalls the male the
female too is doomed.
The smallest of the endemics is the Ceylon Hill White-eye (Zosterops
ceylonensis). Sri Lanka has two species of white-eyes, the other being
the Ceylon Small White-eye (Zosterops palperbosa), called Mal Karalla in
Sinhala and Pu Kuruvi in Tamil. the white eyes are even smaller than a
sparrow.
The Hill White-eye is a very active bird always looking for its food,
which consists of caterpillars, insects etc. It is gregarious and moves
about in flocks. Another endemic of similar size is Legge's Flowerpecker
(Dicaeum vincens), which is named after Vincent Legge the ornithologist
referred to above.
The Common Wood Shrike or Ceylon Wood Shrike (Tephrodornis
pondicerianus) is also a small bird. This is little larger than a
sparrow and is found in the low country going up to about 3000 feet. Its
food consists caterpillars, insects and grubs.
The Ceylon Crested Drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus) is an unmistakable
bird. It is black, has a crest and a long tail. It is called Konda
Kauwda in Sinhala and Irattai Val Kuruvi in Tamil. From a suitable perch
it swoops down on flying insects, which make up its diet.
There is a similar species, the Racquet-tailed Drongo, which is
similar but has a racket shape at the end of its tail.
Drongos are good mimics of other birds. It is also a very aggressive
bird and chases off any intruding birds. The drongo is also a sentinel
species in that it warns other birds of any approaching danger.
The house sparrow sized Red-rumped Swallow (Hirundo daurica) is the
only swallow that is endemic. It is seen all over the low country flying
around, mostly over paddy fields, trying to get at flying insects which
constitute its prey. The nest is a mud cup built under a roof, bridge or
cave.
The Crimson-backed Woodpecker (Chrysocolaptes indicus) is a very
colourful and active bird, flying from tree to tree tapping at the
trunks to drum out the ants and other insects living inside, so that
they can be consumed. The nest is also in a hole of a tree as in the
hornbill but unlike the hornbill the female is not incarcerated inside
the nest hole.
A bird with a melodious song is the Ceylon Hill Mynah or Grackle (Gracula
ptilogenys). It is found mostly in the central hills.
There is another species similar to this bird, the Common Grackle,
the main difference being the shape of the yellow wattle at the back of
their necks. These birds are also good mimics of the human voice.
The common mynah is also a similar shaped and sized bird. The Ceylon
White-headed Starling or White-faced Starling (Sturnus albofrontatus) is
a rare bird found in the tall forests of the wet zone.
The Dusky Blue Flycatcher (Eumyias sordida) is the only flycatcher
that is endemic. It is found in the hill country over 1000 feet. Though
called a flycatcher it eats fruits as well as caterpillars and other non
flying insects.
The Ceylon Warbler (Bradypterus palliseri) is partial to insects and
grubs, which it finds on the ground. It is also called Palliser's
Warbler and The Bush Warbler.
As mentioned earlier endemics are found only in this country. If they
die out then there are no replacements elsewhere.
It is therefore very important that these species are conserved. The
first thing is to ensure that their habitats are not destroyed or
disturbed. This will ensure that they have the security and food
resources they require.
The main function of birds is to feed themselves and reproduce. A
secure habitat will ensure that. If this is done future generations can
continue to enjoy watching these birds as we have done so far for
generations. |