Greater Coucal (Centropus sinensis)

Identification

• These are large members of the Cuckoo family approx 48 cm.
• Black head.
• Black, glossed purple upper mantle and underparts.
• Chestnut back and wings.
• Lack pale shaft streaks on the coverts.
• Red eyes.

Juvenile

• Duller black with spots on the crown.
• Whitish bars on the underside and tail.

Distribution

Found in southeast Asia from India east to south China, Indochina and Indonesia.

Taxonomy

Subspecies

There are 6 subspecies:

1. C. s. sinensis: Pakistan to northern India and southern China.
2. C. s. parroti: Southern peninsular India and Sri Lanka.
3. C. s. intermedius: Bangladesh to Myanmar, southern Thailand, Indochina and Malay Peninsula.
4. C. s. bubutus: Greater Sundas and adjacent islands to south-western Philippines.
5. C. s. anonymus: Southern Philippines (Jolo, Tawitawi, Basilan and Sanga Sanga).
6. C. s. kangeanensis: Kangean Islands (Java Sea).

An additional subspecies, eurycercus is generally considered invalid.

Habitat

Scrubland and woodland floor.

Behaviour

Movement

Wanders around like a pheasant, but walks more like a raven. The are well known for sunbathing with wings open wide.

When disturbed they make short flights with shallow wing beats and brief glides into cover.

Diet

They eat large insects, frogs, lizards, snakes, caterpillers, snails, birds eggs fruit and seed.

Breeding

They are a non parasitic member of the Cuckoo family.

Gallery

Crested Serpent Eagle (Spilornis cheela)

Identification

Medium large raptor about 55-75cm in length. 

Adult

• Dark brown upper parts and head.
• Hooded appearance at rest.
• Pale brown underparts and under wing coverts.
• Appears large-headed and owl-like due to face s hape and position of eyes.

Flight

• Shallow dihedral in soaring flight.
• Tail and flight feathers black with broad white stripes.

Distribution

Southern Asia. Widespread and generally common from northern India south to Sri Lanka east to southern China, Hainan, Taiwan and the southern Ryukyu Islands and south to the Andaman Islands and Malay Peninsula. Also breeds on Palawan, Borneo, Sumatra, Java and many smaller islands.

Taxonomy

Subspecies

About 20 subspecies are currently recognised, some of which may be deserving of full species status.Nominate race is found in northern India.

• melanotis in southern India.
• spilogaster in Sri Lanka and davisoni in the Andaman Islands.
• S. c. burmanicus occurs from Burma to central and southern Indochina.
• ricketti in south-east China and northern Indochina.
• rutherfordi on Hainan.
• hoya on Taiwan.
• perplexus in the southern Ryukyu Islands.

Further south race malayensis is found in southern Burma, Malaysia and northern Sumatra.

• batu on Batu Island and southern Sumatra.
• sipora on the Mentawi Islands and Sipora.
• bido on Java and Bali.
• baweanus on Bawean Island.
• pallidus on Borneo.
• natunensis on Bunguran and Billiton Islands.
• asturinus on Nias.
• abbottii on Simalur.
• palawanensis on Palawan, Balabac and the Calamian Islands.

Habitat

Forest and forest edge, riverine woodland, farmland and sometimes near villages. Occurs up to 3,000m in the Himalayas.

Behaviour

Diet

They specialise in reptiles hunting over woodland for snakes and lizards.

Gallery

Black-throated Munia (Lonchura kelaarti)

Identification

• 12cm
• Dark brown upperparts
• Blackish head, breast and wings
• Long black tail
• Bill is short and thick
• Sexes similar

Immature: lacks the dark head. Underparts are more uniform.

Distribution

Asia: found in India and Sri Lanka.

Taxonomy

Subspecies

There are 2 subspecies:

1. L. k. kelaarti: pinkish underparts and rump South-western India (Kerala to western Tamil Nadu) and Eastern Ghats.
2. L. k. jerdoni: barred black and white underparts and rump Highlands of Sri Lanka.

An additional subspecies, vernayi, is not recognised by all authorities.

Habitat

Open hill woodland and cultivation.

Behaviour

Diet

The diet includes seeds.

Breeding

The nest is a large grass dome in a tree or creepers on a house wall; the Indian species lay 3-8 white eggs but more usually 5 are laid by Sri Lankan birds.

Gallery

Male bird in Knuckles Mountain Range , Matale

Female bird in Knuckles Mountain Range , Matale

Sembuwaththa Lake - Matale

Located just 17 km from the Matale city, Elkaduwa estate is an ideal place for relaxing, Nature walks, photography and sightseeing. Elkaduwa estate is situated on the western side of the knuckles mountain range. Elkaduwa belongs to Matale district of Central province. 

One of the main attractions of Elkaduwa is the Sembuwatta Lake, which is created from natural spring water. Sembuwaththa Lake is believed to be 30 to 40 feet deep (According to locals). Along side of the Sembuwatta Lake there is a natural swimming pool, consisting of natural spring water, which has captured the hearts of many nature lovers.

Sunset In Unawatuna Beach

Unawatuna is a coastal village in Galle district of Sri Lanka. Unawatuna is a major tourist attraction and famous for its beautiful beach and corals.

Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus)

Identification

• 35cm
• Light brown wings and back
• Black head and chest and front part of neck
• White patch runs between belly and tail, flanking the neck to the sides of crown
• Short tail is tipped black
• A red fleshy wattle in front of each eye
• Black-tipped red bill
• Long yellow legs
• In flight, prominent white V-shaped wing bar

Distribution

Iraq, south-western Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Kashmir, Nepal.

Taxonomy

Four subspecies are recognized:

1. V.i. aigneri - southeast Turkey to Pakistan
2. V.i. indicus - east Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh
3. V.i. lankae - Sri Lanka
4. V.i. atronuchalis - northeast India and Myanmar to northern Malaysia and Indochina

Habitat

Open country and forest clearings, freshwater wetlands. Dry fields, bush country, near swamps, rivers and coasts.

Behaviour

The breeding season is mainly March to August. The courtship involves the male puffing its feathers and pointing its beak upwards. The male then shuffles around the female. Several males may display to females and they may be close together. The eggs are laid in a ground scrape or depression sometimes fringed with pebbles, goat or hare droppings. About 3–4 black-blotched buff eggs shaped a bit like a peg-top (pyriform), 42x30 mm on average. Nests are difficult to find since the eggs are cryptically coloured and usually matches the ground pattern. In residential areas, they sometimes take to nesting on roof-tops. They have been recorded nesting on the stones between the rails of a railway track, the adult leaving the nest when trains passed. Nests that have been threatened by agricultural operations have been manually translocated by gradually shifting the eggs. When nesting they will attempt to dive bomb or distract potential predators. Both the male and female incubate the eggs and divert predators using distraction displays or flash their wings to deter any herbivores that threaten the nest. Males appear to relieve the females incubating at the nest particularly towards the hot part of noon. The eggs hatch in 28 to 30 days.

Gallery

Male - Knuckles Mountain Range, Matale, Sri Lanka

Female - Knuckles Mountain Range, Matale, Sri Lanka

Male and Female - Knuckles Mountain Range, Matale, Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill (Ocyceros gingalensis)

Identification

45cm. Grey wings, black primary flight feathers, grey back, brown crown, long tail black with white sides, and the underparts are white. Sexes are similar, although the male has a cream-coloured bill, whereas the female's is black with a cream stripe. Immature birds have dark grey upperparts, a cream bill, and a tail with a white tip.

Distribution

Endemic to Sri Lanka.

Common in parts of its small range.

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species which is sometimes considered conspecific with Malabar Grey Hornbill.

Habitat

Forests, parkland and open thorn-forest.

Behaviour

The diet includees mainly figs, occasionally it eats small rodents, reptiles and insects.The nest is a tree hole blocked off during incubation with a cement made of mud, droppings and fruit pulp. There is only one narrow aperture, barely wide enough for the male to transfer food to the mother and the chicks. 4 white eggs are laid.

Gallery

Male - Knuckles Mountain Range, Matale, Sri Lanka

Female - Knuckles Mountain Range, Matale, Sri Lanka

Juvenile - Knuckles Mountain Range, Matale, Sri Lanka