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WINGS Birding Tours – Bird List

Sri Lanka

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Cumulative Checklist

with Deepal Warakagoda as leader

  • Column A = Number of tours out of fourteen on which this species has been recorded.
  • Column B = Number of days this species was seen on the 2010 tour.
  • Column C = Maximum daily count for this species on the 2010 tour.
  • Column D = H = Heard only, (H) = = Species seen, but most birds only Heard
  • E = Endemic, Essp.= Endemic subspecies

This list has taxonomic notes.

A B C
15 Little Grebe 4 6 Tachybaptus ruficollis
15 Little Cormorant 11 300 Phalacrocorax niger
15 Indian Cormorant 5 1000 Phalacrocorax fuscicollis
15 Great Cormorant 3 6 Phalacrocorax carbo
15 Oriental Darter 2 60 Anhinga melanogaster
15 Spot-billed Pelican 4 30 Pelecanus philippensis
15 Lesser Whistling Duck 4 100 Dendrocygna javanica
7 Cotton Pygmy-goose 1 2 Nettapus coromandelianus
3 Common Teal Anas crecca
15 Northern Pintail 1 25 Anas acuta
15 Garganey 2 100 Anas querquedula
4 Shoveler Anas clypeata
7 Greater Flamingo 1 1 Phoenicopterus ruber
15 Little Egret 8 50 Egretta garzetta
2 Western Reef Egret Egretta gularis
15 Intermediate Egret 8 25 Egretta intermedia
15 Grey Heron 5 22 Ardea cinerea
15 Purple Heron 3 10 Ardea purpurea
15 Great Egret 6 60 Casmerodius alba
15 Cattle Egret 12 1000 Bubulcus ibis
15 Indian Pond Heron 12 150 Ardeola grayii
9 Striated Heron 1 3 Butorides striatus
15 Black-crowned Night Heron 5 2 Nycticorax nycticorax
15 Yellow Bittern 2 4 Ixobrychus sinensis
7 Cinnamon Bittern 1 1 Ixobrychus cinnamomeus
13 Black Bittern 2 3 Ixobrychus flavicollis
3 Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus
15 Black-headed Ibis 5 200 Threskiornis melanocephalus
14 Eurasian Spoonbill 3 50 Platalea leucorodia
14 Painted Stork 3 20 Mycteria leucocephala
14 Asian Openbill 5 50 Anastomus oscitans
13 Woolly-necked Stork 1 1 Ciconia episcopus
9 Black-necked Stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus
4 Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus
3 Jerdon’s Baza Aviceda jerdoni
15 Oriental Honey Buzzard 3 1 Pernis ptilorhynchus ruficollis
15 Black-winged Kite 1 6 Elanus caeruleus
15 Brahminy Kite 8 20 Haliastur indus
15 White-bellied Sea Eagle 7 4 Haliaeetus leucogaster
13 Grey-headed Fish Eagle 1 1 Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus
15 Crested Serpent Eagle 4 2 Spilornis cheela spilogaster Essp.
7 Marsh Harrier Circus a. aeruginosus
8 Pallid Harrier 1 3 Circus macrourus
3 Montagu’s Harrier 1 1 Circus pygargus
6 Crested Goshawk 1 1 Accipiter trivirgatus layardi Essp.
15 Shikra 7 2 Accipiter badius
5 Besra Accipiter virgatus
11 Common Buzzard 1 1 Buteo buteo
1 Osprey Pandion haliaetus
14 Black Eagle 2 1 Ictinaetus malayensis
2 Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus
6 Rufous-bellied Eagle 2 1 Hieraaetus kienerii
15 Changeable Hawk Eagle 5 2 Spizaetus cirrhatus ceylonensis Essp.
7 Mountain Hawk Eagle Spizaetus nipalensis kelaarti Essp.
13 Kestrel 2 1 Falco tinnunculus
6 Peregrine Falcon 'Shaheen' Falco peregrinus peregrinator
1 Peregrine Falcon 1 1 Falco peregrinus
14 Sri Lanka Spurfowl 1 1 Galloperdix bicalcarata E
15 Sri Lanka Junglefowl 8 8 Gallus lafayetii E
15 Indian Peafowl 6 40 Pavo cristatus
15 Barred Buttonquail 3 2 Turnix suscitator leggei Essp.
5 Slaty-legged Crake Rallina eurizonoides
15 White-breasted Waterhen 11 50 Amaurornis phoenicurus
1 Baillon's Crake Porzana pusilla
4 Ruddy-breasted Crake Porzana fusca
14 Watercock 2 6 Gallicrex cinerea
15 Purple Swamphen 3 20 Porphyrio porphyrio poliocephalus
14 Common Moorhen 3 3 Gallinula chloropus
1 Eurasian Coot Fulica atra
15 Pheasant-tailed Jacana 4 75 Hydrophasianus chirurgus
3 Greater Painted-snipe Rostratula benghalensis
15 Pintail Snipe 1 6 Gallinago stenura
1 Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago
15 Black-tailed Godwit 1 20 Limosa limosa
1 Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica
8 Whimbrel 1 1 Numenius phaeopus
10 Eurasian Curlew 1 2 Numenius arquata
15 Common Redshank 2 30 Tringa totanus
15 Marsh Sandpiper 2 30 Tringa stagnatilis
15 Common Greenshank 2 6 Tringa nebularia
14 Green Sandpiper 1 1 Tringa ochropus
15 Wood Sandpiper 2 15 Tringa glareola
6 Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus
15 Common Sandpiper 6 6 Actitis hypoleucos
15 Ruddy Turnstone 1 6 Arenaria interpres
5 Sanderling Calidris alba
15 Little Stint 2 30 Calidris minuta
9 Montagu’s Harrier Calidris temminckii
15 Curlew Sandpiper 1 50 Calidris ferruginea
7 Broad-billed Sandpiper 1 2 Limicola falcinellus
7 Ruff Philomachus pugnax
10 Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus
11 Eurasian Thick-knee 1 1 Burhinus oedicnemus
15 Great Thick-knee 2 6 Burhinus recurvirostris
15 Black-winged Stilt 3 100 Himantopus himantopus
1 Oriental Pratincole Glareola maldivarum
1 Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola
15 Small Pratincole 1 5 Glareola lactea
14 Pacific Golden Plover 1 15 Pluvialis fulva
15 Grey Plover 1 25 Pluvialis squatarola
11 Common Ringed Plover 1 3 Charadrius hiaticula
15 Little Ringed Plover 1 1 Charadrius dubius
15 Kentish Plover 1 20 Charadrius alexandrinus
15 Lesser Sand Plover 2 60 Charadrius mongolus
12 Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii
15 Yellow-wattled Lapwing 1 5 Vanellus malabaricus
15 Red-wattled Lapwing 8 30 Vanellus indicus lankae Essp.
15 Brown-headed Gull 1 6 Larus brunnicephalus
15 Whiskered Tern 6 200 Chlidonias hybridus
15 White-winged Black Tern 2 20 Chlidonias leucopterus
15 Gull-billed Tern 1 40 Gelochelidon nilotica
15 Caspian Tern 2 20 Sterna caspia
15 Great Crested Tern 1 15 Sterna bergii
15 Lesser Crested Tern 1 30 Sterna bengalensis
11 Common Tern 1 2 Sterna hirundo
15 Little Tern 1 50 Sterna albifrons
3 Saunders’s Tern Sterna saundersi
15 Rock Dove 12 50 Columba livia
15 Sri Lanka Wood Pigeon 2 3 Columba torringtoni E
15 Spotted Dove 13 100 Streptopelia chinensis ceylonensis Essp.
15 Emerald Dove 2 1 Chalcophaps indica robinsoni Essp.
15 Orange-breasted Green Pigeon 2 12 Treron bicincta leggei Essp.
15 Ceylon Green Pigeon 5 5 Treron pompadora E
15 Green Imperial Pigeon 10 20 Ducula aenea
15 Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot 5 20 Loriculus beryllinus E
15 Alexandrine Parakeet 6 12 Psittacula eupatria
15 Rose-ringed Parakeet 8 50 Psittacula krameri
14 Plum-headed Parakeet Psittacula cyanocephala
15 Layard's Parakeet 3 12 Psittacula calthropae E
15 Pied Cuckoo 3 4 Clamator jacobinus
5 Chestnut-winged Cuckoo Clamator coromandus
10 Common Hawk Cuckoo 1 1 Cuculus varius ciceliae Essp.
11 Indian Cuckoo Cuculus micropterus
15 Banded Bay Cuckoo 1 1 H Cacomantis sonneratii waiti Essp.
15 Grey-bellied Cuckoo Cacomantis passerinus
3 Drongo Cuckoo Surniculus lugubris stewarti Essp.
15 Asian Koel 8 4 (H) Eudynamys scolopacea
15 Blue-faced Malkoha 1 1 Phaenicophaeus viridirostris
12 Sirkeer Malkoha 1 1 Phaenicophaeus leschenaultii
15 Red-faced Malkoha 1 2 Phaenicophaeus pyrrhocephalus E
15 Greater Coucal 10 4 Centropus sinensis
15 Green-billed Coucal 1 1 Centropus chlororhynchos E
1 Barn Owl Tyto alba
4 Oriental Scops Owl Otus sunia leggei Essp.
13 Indian Scops Owl 1 2 Otus b. bakkamoena
9 Serendib Scops Owl 1 2 Otus thilohoffmanni E
15 Brown Fish Owl 1 1 Ketupa z. zeylonensis Essp.
5 Brown Wood-Owl Strix leptogrammica indranee
15 Chestnut-backed Owlet 2 1 Glaucidium castanonotum E
3 Jungle Owlet Glaucidium radiatum
6 Brown Hawk Owl Ninox scutulata
15 Sri Lanka Frogmouth 2 1 Batrachostomus monileger
15 Jerdon's Nightjar 1 1 C. atripennis aequabilis Essp.
15 Indian Nightjar 2 2 Caprimulgus asiaticus eidos Essp.
15 Crested Treeswift 5 2 Hemiprocne coronata
15 Indian Swiftlet 5 40 Chaetura unicolor
15 Brown-backed Needletail 2 6 Hirundapus giganteus
15 Asian Palm Swift 6 8 Cypsiurus balasiensis
13 Alpine Swift 2 2 Apus melba bakeri Essp.
15 Little Swift 6 100 Apus affinis singalensis Essp.
15 Malabar Trogon 2 2 Harpactes f. fasciatus Essp.
15 Eurasian Kingfisher 4 4 Alcedo atthis
9 Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher Ceyx erithacus
15 Stork-billed Kingfisher 4 2 Pelargopsis capensis
15 White-throated Kingfisher 12 20 Halcyon smyrnensis
6 Black-capped Kingfisher Halcyon pileata
15 Pied Kingfisher 1 2 Ceryle rudis
15 Little Green Bee-eater 4 30 Merops orientalis
15 Blue-tailed Bee-eater 13 30 Merops philippinus
14 Chestnut-headed Bee-eater 3 4 Merops leschenaulti
14 Indian Roller 5 4 Coracias benghalensis
1 Broad-billed Roller Eurystomus orientalis
13 Eurasian Hoopoe 1 3 Upupa epops
15 Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill 3 4 Ocyceros gingalensis E
15 Malabar Pied Hornbill 2 30 Anthracoceros coronatus
15 Brown-headed Barbet 8 3 Megalaima z. zeylanica Essp.
15 Yellow-fronted Barbet 5 3 Megalaima flavifrons E
15 Ceylon Small Barbet 4 5 Megalaima rubricapillus E
15 Coppersmith Barbet 2 6 Megalaima haemacephala
14 Brown-capped Woodpecker 3 1 Dendrocopos nanus gymnophthalamus Essp.
13 Yellow-crowned Woodpecker 1 1 Dendrocopos mahrattensis
7 Rufous Woodpecker Celeus brachyurus
14 Lesser Yellownape 2 1 Picus chlorolophus wellsi Essp.
15 Black-rumped Flameback 7 4 Dinopium benghalense psarodes Essp.
15 Crimson-backed Flameback 1 2 Chrysocolaptes stricklandi E
15 White-naped Woodpecker 1 1 Chrysocolaptes festivus tantus Essp.
15 Indian Pitta 5 2 Pitta brachyura
14 White-browed Fantail 4 2 Rhipidura aureola
15 Black-naped Monarch 4 2 Hypothymis azurea ceylonensis Essp.
15 Asian Paradise Flycatcher 7 2 Terpsiphone paradisi
4 Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus minor Essp.
7 Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus
15 White-bellied Drongo 9 15 D. caerulescens leucopygialis Essp.
15 Ceylon Crested Drongo 3 6 Dicrurus lophorinus E
1 Greater Racket-tailed Drongo Dicrurus paradiseus
15 Sri Lanka Magpie 1 5 Urocissa ornata E
15 House Crow 8 500 Corvus splendens
15 Indian Jungle Crow 13 200 Corvus macrorhynchos culminatus
14 Ashy Woodswallow 4 2 Artamus fuscus
14 Common Iora 3 2 Aegithinia tiphia multicolour
1 Marshall's Iora 1 2 Aegithinia nigrolutea
15 Black-hooded Oriole 9 4 Oriolus xanthornus ceylonensis Essp.
7 Large Cuckoo-shrike Coracina macei layardi Essp.
15 Black-headed Cuckoo-shrike 3 2 Coracina melanoptera
15 Small Minivet 5 2 Pericrocotus cinnamomeus
15 Orange Minivet 6 6 Pericrocotus flammeus
14 Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike 4 1 Hemipus picatus leggei Essp.
14 Jerdon's Leafbird 2 3 Chloropsis jerdoni
14 Golden-fronted Leafbird 2 3 Chloropsis aurifrons
2 Bay-backed Shrike Lanius vittatus
14 Brown Shrike 9 6 Lanius cristatus
15 Ceylon Woodshrike 1 3 Tephrodornis affinis E
15 Sri Lanka Whistling Thrush 1 2 Myiophoneus blighi E
15 Pied Thrush 2 3 Zoothera wardii
1 Orange-headed Thrush Zoothera citrina
15 Spot-winged Thrush 2 1 Zoothera spiloptera E
10 Ceylon Scaly Thrush 1 1 Zoothera imbricata E
14 Indian Blackbird 1 2 Turdus simillimus kinnissi Essp.
14 White-faced Starling 1 5 Sturnus senex E
14 Brahminy Starling 1 4 Sturnus pagodarum
9 Rosy Starling 2 40 Sturnus roseus
15 Common Myna 13 100 Acridotheres tristis melanosturnus Essp.
15 Sri Lanka Myna 3 4 Gracula ptilogenys E
14 Southern Hill Myna 4 4 Gracula indica
15 Asian Brown Flycatcher 2 1 Muscicapa dauurica
15 Brown-breasted Flycatcher 4 2 Muscicapa muttui
14 Kashmir Flycatcher 1 3 Ficedula subrubra
15 Dull Blue Flycatcher 1 5 Eumyias sordida E
15 Tickell's Blue Flycatcher 8 3 Cyornis tickelliae jerdoni Essp.
12 Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher 1 2 Culicicapa c. ceylonensis Essp.
15 Indian Blue Robin 3 1 Luscinia brunnea
15 Oriental Magpie Robin 12 12 Copsychus saularis ceylonensis
15 White-rumped Shama 1 1 Copsychus malabaricus leggei Essp.
15 Indian Robin 4 20 Saxicoloides fulicata leucoptera Essp.
15 Pied Bush Chat 2 6 Saxicola caprata atrata Essp.
15 Velvet-fronted Nuthatch 3 3 Sitta frontalis
7 Sand Martin Riparia riparia
15 Barn Swallow 9 200 Hirundo rustica
15 Hill Swallow 2 2 Hirundo domicola
15 Ceylon Swallow 4 12 Hirundo hyperythra E
5 Red-rumped Swallow 1 3 Hirundo daurica
15 Black-capped Bulbul 3 2 Pycnonotus melanicterus E
15 Red-vented Bulbul 12 200 P. cafer haemorrhousus
15 Yellow-eared Bulbul 2 3 Pycnonotus penicillatus E
15 White-browed Bulbul 6 3 Pycnonotus luteolus insulae Essp.
14 Yellow-browed Bulbul 4 8 Iole indica
15 Square-tailed Black Bulbul 6 30 Hypsipetes ganeesa humei Essp.
15 Sri Lanka White-eye 2 30 Zosterops ceylonensis E
15 Oriental White-eye 2 2 Zosterops palpebrosus egregia Essp.
15 Zitting Cisticola 4 3 Cisticola juncidis cursitans
2 Zitting Cisticola 1 2 Cisticola juncidis omalura Essp.
15 Grey-breasted Prinia 3 2 Prinia hodgsoni leggei Essp.
15 Jungle Prinia 4 2 Prinia sylvatica valida Essp.
15 Ashy Prinia 3 2 Prinia socialis brevicauda Essp.
15 Plain Prinia 4 2 Prinia inornata insularis Essp.
15 Sri Lanka Bush Warbler 1 2 Bradypterus palliseri E
11 Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler Locustella certhiola
15 Blyth's Reed Warbler 3 3 Acrocephalus dumetorum
15 Clamorous Reed Warbler 1 6 A. stentoreus meridionalis Essp.
15 Common Tailorbird (sutorius) 8 4 Orthotomus s. sutorius Essp.
1 Common Tailorbird (fernandornis) 3 5 Orthotomus s. fernandornis Essp.
1 Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides
15 ‘Green’ Warbler 4 2 Phylloscopus trochiloides nitidus
15 Large-billed Leaf Warbler 1 2 Phylloscopus magnirostris
15 Ashy-headed Laughingthrush 1 15 Garrulax cinereifrons E
15 Brown-capped Babbler 3 3 Pellorneum f. fuscocapillum E. Essp.
15 Ceylon Scimitar Babbler 3 5 P. m. melanurus E
1 Ceylon Scimitar Babbler 2 5 P. m. holdsworthi E
14 Tawny-bellied Babbler 1 6 Dumetia hyperythra phillipsi Essp.
15 Dark-fronted Babbler 5 5 Rhopocichla atriceps nigrifrons Essp.
15 Yellow-eyed Babbler 1 4 Chrysomma sinense nasale Essp.
15 Orange-billed Babbler 4 30 Turdoides rufescens E
15 Yellow-billed Babbler 10 30 Turdoides affinis taprobanus Essp.
15 Great Tit 3 5 Parus major mahrattarum
15 Jerdon’s Bushlark 3 6 Mirafra affinis
14 Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark 1 20 Eremopterix grisea
15 Oriental Skylark 1 1 Alauda gulgula
15 House Sparrow 8 40 Passer domesticus indicus
12 White-throated Munia Lonchura malabarica
14 White-rumped Munia 3 2 Lonchura striata
15 Black-throated Munia 2 6 Lonchura k. kelaarti
15 Scaly-breasted Munia 7 200 Lonchura punctulata
14 Black-headed Munia 2 6 Lonchura malacca
15 Forest Wagtail 1 2 Dendronanthus indicus
2 White Wagtail Motacilla alba
1 Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola
13 Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava
2 Yellow Wagtail (Grey-headed) 1 1 Motacilla flava thunbergi
15 Grey Wagtail 4 4 Motacilla cinerea
15 Paddyfield Pipit 3 6 Anthus rufulus
12 Blyth’s Pipit 1 10 Anthus godlewskii

Taxonomic Notes