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Sunday, September 6, 2009

Bird's in Sri lanka (Part 7)


Ratu Demalichcha - Sri Lanka Orange-billed babbler

Ratu Demalichcha
Endemic & Threatened Birds in Sri Lanka
Local Name : Sri Lanka Orange-billed babbler
Scientific Name : Turdoides rufescens (Blyth)


1. Very similar in size and form to the Hisa-alu Demalichcha, but distinguished from it by its rofous coloration and bright orange beak and legs. Sexes similar.

2. It is fairly common, living in flocks of seven to ten or more. It is a noisy bird, and the presence of a flock may generally be known at some distance by the continual chattering, squeaking and chirping with which its members converse together. It feeds mainly on insects, but doubtless eats also many jungle berries.

The nest is concealed in dense masses of foliage in thick forest. They lay two o three eggs, measure about 24.2×18 mm. The eggs are deep greenish blue in colour.


3. It is a forest bird, seldom seen away from deep jungle. It occurs in all forests of the wet zone and in the hills to the highest elevations




Alu Demalichcha - Ashy-headed laughing thrush


Alu Demalichcha
Endemic & Threatened Birds in Sri Lanka
Local Name : The Ashy-Headed Laughing-Thrush
Scientific Name : Garrulax cinereifrons (Blyth)


1. Very slightly larger than the Southern Common Babbler, and easily distinguish from both it and the rufous Babbler by its mainly black beak, dark grey legs, grey head, and dark reddish-brown back, wings and tail. It is also a neater-looking bird.


2. Like the two preceding babblers, it lives in flocks, and is a noisy bird keeping up a constant flow of 'babblings', squeaks, and chatterings, which can easily be mistaken for those of the Rufous Babbler - and which inhabits the same jungles.

The breeding season is in the first quarter the year. Ashy-headed Laughing Thrush's nest was found only in 1984. It was on a thin tree about 15 feet high. It was an untidy football-sized mass of twigs and leaves with a neat nest-cup on top. The turquoise-blue eggs are measure about 25×18 mm.


3. It is confined to the deep forests of the wet zone and the adjacent mountains where, on the southern and western aspects of the main range, it ascends to at least 5,000 feet.





Lanka Pilachcha - White-throated flowerpecker

Lanka Pilachcha
Endemic & Threatened Birds in Sri Lanka
Local Name : White-throated Flowerpecker
Scientific Name : Dicaeum vincens (Scalter)



1. About the size of the Purple-rumed Sunbird, which it somewhat resembles at a distance; the male is at once distinguished, however, by its pure-white throat and dark bluish-grey back, while both sexes have the beak short and stout-very different from the Sunbird's.

2. It lives either solitary, in pairs, or in little family parties, and is not easy to meet with because it keeps mainly to the tops of tall trees, either in forests or on its outskirts. However, it is very fond of the nectar of the red cotton tree and when these trees are in flower-about Christmas time in its range-it may be found fairly easily.

The breeding season is from January to August. The nest is often built in a Hora tree. It is a hanging pocket of felted plant down, with the entrance at the top, just below the supporting twig. The two eggs are dull white, irregularly spotted with purplish red. They measure about 16×12 mm.


3. This scarce little bird is found only in the rain forests of the south-western parts ofthe wet zone, including the neighbouring hills up to 3,000 feet.

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