We arrived at the Kitulgala police station road at 6am and spent 3 hours birding in the vicinity. On arrival a Rufous Babbler was seen in a tree vine tangle and a Sri Lanka Junglefowl was heard calling. In the grounds of a riverside camp we saw a male Sri Lanka Junglefowl, a pair of Sri Lanka Grey Hornbills, a Black-capped Bulbul and a Lesser Hill-Myna in quick succession. However, they were all eclipsed on finding a confiding Spot-winged Thrush that alone seemed worth the airfare to Sri Lanka! We returned to Kitulgala Rest House and took a walk to the river seeing many of the same species as yesterday but also 3 Sri Lanka Grey Hornbills and our first wintering Blyth's Reed Warbler of the trip. From 2.30pm we again walked to the Kelani River Forest Reserve where a male Tickell's Blue Flycatcher greeted our arrival and in the forest proper we found 3 Brown-capped Babblers, another Spot-winged Thrush and our first wintering Large-billed Leaf-Warbler of the trip. The abandoned paddy-fields clearing again proved productive adding a Crimson-backed Flameback but unfortunately the Chestnut-backed Owlets again calling at dusk proved no more obliging than yesterday and an Indian Pitta doing likewise also remained unseen.
Little Cormorant 1
Eastern Cattle Egret 30
Brahminy Kite 2
Crested Serpent-Eagle 2
SRI LANKA JUNGLEFOWL 2
White-breasted Waterhen 1
Green Imperial Pigeon 15
Spotted Dove 6
Emerald Dove 3
Sri Lanka Hanging-Parrot 4
Layard's Parakeet 3
Alexandrine Parakeet 8
Greater Coucal 1
CHESTNUT-BACKED OWLET h
Asian Palm Swift 1
Indian Swiftlet 15
Stork-billed Kingfisher 2
White-throated Kingfisher 1
SRI LANKA GREY HORNBILL 5
CRIMSON-BACKED FLAMEBACK 1
INDIAN PITTA h
Grey Wagtail 1
Red-vented Bulbul 20
Square-tailed Black Bulbul 10
BLACK-CAPPED BULBUL 1
Yellow-browed Bulbul 6
Brown Shrike 1
White-browed Fantail 1
SPOT-WINGED GROUND-THRUSH 2
Oriental Magpie-Robin 4
Brown-breasted Flycatcher 3
Tickell's Blue Flycatcher 1 male
Yellow-billed Babbler 6
SRI LANKA (ORANGE-BILLED) RUFOUS BABBLER 1
BROWN-CAPPED BABBLER 3
Blyth's Reed Warbler 1
Common Tailorbird 1
Large-billed Leaf-Warbler 1
Legge's Flowerpecker 1 female
Purple-rumped Sunbird 4
House Sparrow 2
Black-hooed Oriole 1
White-bellied Drongo 2
Common Myna 1
LESSER HILL-MYNA 1
Kelani River near the Kitulgala Police Station road
Male Sri Lanka Junglefowl at Kitugala
Brown-breasted Flycatcher at Kitulgala
Spot-winged Thrush at Kitulgala
Initially flushed off the ground it then sat motionless on a low branch for some time tucking away a leg that proved an enchanting trait of the species. Birdlife consider this species is listed as Near Threatened because forest cover has declined steadily to the point that the area of available suitable habitat within its range is now moderately small and fragmented. Ongoing declines are suspected as, despite a moratorium imposed on clearing forest Sri Lanka's wet zone, habitat loss continues.
Emerald Dove at Kitulgala
Green Imperial Pigeon at Kitulgala
Alexandrine Parakeet at Kitulgala
Grey Wagtail at Kitulgala
Female Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill at Kitulgala
Blyth's Reed Warbler at Kitulgala
Male Black-hooded Oriole at Kitulgala
Female Legge's Flowerpecker at Kitulgala
Male Tickell's Blue Flycatcher at Kelani River Forest Reserve
Brown-capped Babbler at Kelani River Forest Reserve
Layard's Parakeets at Kelani River Forest Reserve
Sri Lankan Kangaroo Lizard at Kelani River Forest Reserve
