Sri Lanka men's national volleyball team Details

Sri Lanka men's national volleyball team Details

The game consists of two disciplines, Volleyball and Beach Volleyball, and is a dynamic sport played by two teams on a playing court divided by a net. Continuous rally scoring maintains spectator excitement and game excitement.

Volleyball is played indoors with six players per side. Beach Volleyball is played outdoors on sand with two players per side.

New rules, an attractive look, "libero" defensive players, vibrant ball colours and interactive coaching have brought a new era to the game, making it more dramatic and entertaining than ever before.

There are different versions of Volleyball available for specific circumstances in order to offer the versatility of the game to everyone. The object of the game is to send the ball over the net in order to ground it on the opponents' court and to prevent the same effort by the opponents.

The team has three hits for returning the ball (in addition to the block contact). The ball is put in play with a service: hit by the server over the net to the opponents. The rally continues until the ball is grounded on the playing court, goes "out" or a team fails to return it properly.

In Volleyball, the team winning a rally scores a point (the rally point system). When the receiving team wins a rally, it gains a point and the right to serve, and its players rotate one position clockwise.

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Bird of sri lanka-Ceylon Small Barbet

Crimson-fronted Barbet or Ceylon Small Barbet or Small Barbet (Megalaima rubricapilla) is an Asian barbet endemic to Sri Lanka. The Malabar Barbet endemic to the Western Ghats of India used to be treated as a subspecies of this species. Barbets and toucans are a group of near passerine birds with a worldwide tropical distribution. The barbets get their name from the bristles which fringe their heavy bills.

The Crimson-fronted Barbet is an arboreal species of open woodland which eats fruit and insects. It nests in a tree hole, laying 2-4 eggs. This is a small barbet at 15 cm. It is a plump bird with a short neck, large head and short tail. The adult Crimson-fronted Barbet has a mainly green body and wing plumage, a blue band down the side of the head and neck, and a black crescent behind the eye.

English Name: - Ceylon Small Barbet
Sinhala Name: - Oluwa Rathu Kottoruwa
Scientific Name: - Megalaima rubricapilla 

Bird of sri lanka-Crimson-backed Flameback

The Greater Flameback, Chrysocolaptes lucidus, also known as Greater Golden back, Large Golden-backed Woodpecker or Malherbe's Golden-backed Woodpecker, is a woodpecker species. It occurs widely in tropical Asia, from the Indian subcontinent eastwards to Indonesia and the Philippines. The Greater Flameback is a large woodpecker, at 33 cm in length. It is of typical woodpecker shape, has an erect crest and a long neck. Coloration is highly variable between subspecies; it always has unmarked golden-yellow to dark brown back and wings. The rump is red and the tail is black. The under parts are white with dark markings (chevrons, stripes, or bands), or light brown. The head is whitish with a black pattern, or it is yellow, brown or red. The straight pointed bill is long (longer than the head) and – like the legs and four-toed zygodactyl feet (two toes pointing forward, two backward) – lead-grey. The eyes' irides are whitish to yellow.

The adult male Greater Flameback always has a red crown. Females have a crown color varying between subspecies, such as black spotted with white, yellow, or brown with lighter dots. Young birds are like the female, but duller, with brown irides.

The endemic Sri Lankan Crimson-backed Flameback; Chrysocolaptes stricklandi has very dark and rufous wings and a dark hind neck. It is sometimes considered a Greater Flameback subspecies.

English Name: - Crimson-backed Flameback 
Sinhala Name: - Maha Rathu Kerala
Scientific Name: - Chrysocolaptes stricklandi 

Bird of sri lanka-Red Rumped Swallow

This bird has been recently recognized as a distinct species and added to the Sri Lankan endemic list. Sparrow sized and stockier than our other swallows, it is unmistakable with purple-blue glossed upperparts and rusty under parts and rump. Both sexes are alike. Young are duller.

The species is well distributed throughout the Island up to about 1500 metres elevation. The birds associate in pairs or more often in scattered groups and spend their time flying after the insect prey they feed on. The usual habitat is open areas such as paddy fields, roadsides, grasslands, grass covered hillsides etc. The flight is typical swallow type with the wings being open and shut at the wrist joint. The birds flutter the wings rapidly and then glide gracefully before fluttering the wings again. The flight is however not as fast as the other swallows’. This species commonly associates with other swallows as well as swifts. They fly high as well as within a few feet from ground level. When not flying the birds sit in an open perch like a bare twig or power cable and preen them. The call is a pleasant muffled t’lee easily recognized when once heard. The birds also utter a loud twitter accompanied by a shuffling of wings.

The nest is made out of mud pellets and stuck to the underside of a disused flat roof, cave, bridge or culvert generally about three metres from ground level. It is a bottle gourd shaped structure with a long entrance on one side. The nest chamber is within the half dome and consists of feathers and fibre. Both sexes collect mud from the ground, mix with saliva and mould it to worm-cast like pellets and use these to build the nest. The two or three eggs are pure white in colour. The young continue to use the nest for roosting for sometime even after fully fledged. The adults too often use the same nest to breed again. The breeding season is generally from March to July but some birds nest again later in the year.

English Name: - Red Rumped Swallow 
Sinhala Name: - Bada Rathu Wahi-lihiniya 
Scientific Name: - Hirundo hyperythra 

Bird of sri lanka-Ceylon Wood Shrike

The Ceylon Wood Shrike; Pondicerianus affinis is a nondescript, sparrow sized bird of mostly grey plumage. The male has a dark mask across the eye. A prominent feature which stands out in this drab plumage is a white rump bordered below with black upper tail coverts. The female is browner with a less prominent mask. The Wood Shrike is a common bird in the low country dry zone and ascends the hills to about 1200 metres especially on the dryer, eastern side. It is scarce and local in the wet zone.

This bird generally moves about in pair’s frequent scrub as well as large trees flitting about looking for the insects on which it feeds. The Wood Shrike generally avoids heavy forest. The bird would hardly be noticed if not for its distinctive, pleasant call which sounds like ‘twee-twee-twee-twee, twy, twy, twy, twy’ uttered rapidly on a descending scale.

The Ceylon Wood Shrike breeds during the early part of the year building a well camouflaged small cup like nest stuck to the top of a horizontal branch or in a fork between two smaller branches. The nest is very difficult to spot unless the sitting bird is seen as it is well covered on the outside with cobweb and flakes. The young too are obliterating coloured to resemble a lichen covered outgrowth of a branch and are very difficult to spot. The nest is generally placed about 3 to 5 metres from ground level. They lay two to three eggs which are buff or greenish white in ground colour blotched all over with purplish-grey and brown. It usually moves about in pairs frequenting scrub as well as large trees flitting about looking for the insects on which it feeds. The Wood Shrike generally avoids heavy forest. The bird would hardly be noticed if not for its distinctive, pleasant call which sounds like ‘twee-twee-twee-twee, twy, twy, twy, twy’ uttered rapidly on a descending scale.

English Name: - Ceylon Wood Shrike 
Sinhala Name: - Wana Kowulaspatiya
Scientific Name: - Pondicerianus affinis 

Bird of sri lanka-Yellow-eared Bulbul

The Yellow-eared Bulbul, Pycnonotus penicillatus, is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is an endemic resident breeder in the highlands of Sri Lanka. This is a bird of jungle and wooded farmland. Despite its restricted range, it is quite readily found at sites such as Horton Plains and Victoria Park in Nuwara Eliya. It builds its nest in a bush; two eggs is a typical clutch. The Yellow-eared Bulbul is about 20 cm (7 inches) in length, with a long tail. It has olive upperparts and yellowish under parts. The crown of the head is grey, and there are yellow ear tufts and a yellow patch below the eye. There is a white tuft in front of the eye and the throat is also white. This is another endemic Bulbul. It is about the same size as a Red-vented Bulbul but fuller plumaged. The distinctive black and white head markings and yellow ‘ear tufts’ makes its identification easy. Both sexes are alike in appearance.

This is primarily a hill bird found only above 1000 metres but is not really common below 1300 metres. Above this elevation it is a familiar and pleasing sight in our hill stations. It inhabits forest, well wooded areas, gardens and orchards. The species usually moves about in pairs but parties congregate where food is plentiful. It is a very active bird which moves about looking for the insects and fruit on which it feeds. It is very fond of the fruit of the wild yellow raspberry which grows in the hills. The call is a pleasant, musical weet, wit wit, wit wit, usually uttered on the wing which is easily recognizable when once heard. A low crr, crr alarm call is also uttered.

The breeding season is from March to May with a secondary season from August to October. The nest is more substantial than most other bulbul nests, being larger and more solid. It is constructed with moss, lined with fine ferns, rootlets and placed in a small tree or bush about three to five metres from ground level. Two eggs are usually laid which are white or pale pink in ground colour heavily blotched with reddish purple or reddish brown and underlying markings of lavender.

English Name: - Yellow-eared Bulbul 
Sinhala Name: - Kaha Kondaya 
Scientific Name: - Pycnonotus penicillatus

Bird of sri lanka-Sri Lanka Spotted-winged Thrush

The Spot-winged Thrush, Zoothera spiloptera, is an Asian Thrush; It is an endemic resident breeder in Sri Lanka. This uncommon species breeds in hill rainforests, and to a lesser extent in drier woodlands, at altitudes between 500 and 2000 metres. The wintering areas are similar but include less well-wooded areas, and are generally at 750 to 1500 metres altitude. The Spot-winged Thrush is generally solitary, and like many Zoothera thrushes, can be quite secretive, especially in the dense undergrowth and bamboo clumps it favours. 

Spot-winged Thrushes are omnivorous, but eat far more insects than fruit. They feed on the ground. Spot-winged Thrush; identified by its olive-brown upper parts, two rows of white spots on the median and greater wing coverts, characteristic markings on the face and inverted fan shaped black spots on the breast and flanks. Sexes are similar. Young have paler streaked upper parts and buff lower parts with coalescing spots. The characteristic facial pattern is present in the young but is more indistinct.

Not uncommon in damp, evergreen forest in the wet lowlands and ranging up to 2000 metres (commoner below 1500 metres). Also occurs in secondary scrub, plantations and occasionally gardens adjacent to forest. It is scarce and local in the dry zone occurring in riverine forests.

This is a terrestrial species which feeds mostly on the ground in the typical thrush manner, turning over leaves vigorously. Birds are often met with in the mornings and evenings feeding along jungle trails. This thrush has a quaint habit of perching on slight elevations or twigs on the ground. The Spotted-winged Thrush is a beautiful songster, singing with a variety of human sounding rich whistling notes. It also utters a thin, high pitched call when alarmed or as a warning to its mate. Food consists of insects, worms etc but the bird probably feeds on berries as well.

The species is double brooded. Nests are met with in March-April and again in August-November. The nest is generally placed in a low exposed fork of a sapling or small tree at a height from 4-8 feet within the forest. The nest looks like a mass of jungle debris collected in a fork comprising of dead and decaying leaves, stems etc with a small tolerably neat cup in the center lined with fine rootlets and leaf midribs. The rim is often finished with moss. Where moss is plentiful more of it is used in the construction of the nest.

The eggs are generally two in number. The ground colour varies from pale cream-buff to pale grey-green, profusely covered with small spots, blotches and streaks of light reddish brown all over with some underlying markings of lavender-pink. Both birds probably incubate and feed the young. Sinharaja and Kithulgala forest reserves are two locations where this species can be observed easily.

English Name: - Sri Lanka Spotted-winged Thrush 
Sinhala Name: - Lanka Thithpiya Thirasikaya 
Scientific Name: - Zoothera spiloptera 

Bird of sri lanka-Sri Lanka Scaly Thrush

The Sri Lanka Scaly Thrush; Zoothera imbricata is a member of the thrush family Turdidae. This bird is a non-migratory resident breeder found in south western wetlands of the island of Sri Lanka. Zoothera imbricata is usually treated as a race of Z. dauma or the White's Thrush. It belongs in a group, possibly a super species, formed by that species and Z. lunulata, Z. heinei, Z. machiki, Z. talaseae, Z. margaretae etc., Z. imbricata being smaller, longer billed and Rufous below.

Sri Lanka Scaly Thrush is 24 cm. Olive brown above heavily scaled with black. Whitish throat; the rest of the under parts are tawny buff heavily scaled black, with whitish on belly and vent. Bill is rather large, blackish with paler lower mandible. Similar spp. the only other species of Zoothera thrush in the species’ range, Spot-winged Ground-thrush Zoothera spiloptera lacks scaling on the back and is white rather than tawny coloured below. Voice song is a series of prolonged, single, sibilant, rich whistles. Not loud but far-carrying.

Distribution and population of Sri Lanka Scaly Thrush; Zoothera imbricata occurs in the Wet Zone of south-west Sri Lanka. Its population is thought to be moderately small as it is reportedly uncommon. It resides in moist evergreen forests from 400 to 2,200 m within the 'Wet Zone' of Sri Lanka. A recent record suggests the species also inhabits forest in the 'Intermediate Zone'. Also recorded from plantations, copses and parks

English Name: - Sri Lanka Scaly Thrush
Sinhala Name: – Pethi-gomara Wal-avichchiya
Scientific Name: - Zoothera imbricata

Bird of sri lanka-Sri Lanka Whistling Thrush

The Sri Lanka Whistling-thrush, Myiophoneus blighi, is a whistling thrush in the thrush family Turdidae. It is a resident endemic bird in Sri Lanka. In Sinhala, Sri Lanka Whistling-thrush is called Lanka Arangaya.

It is found in the highlands of Sri Lanka in jungle or other dense forest near water and is omnivorous, eating a wide range of insects, frogs, earthworms and berries. It lays one or two eggs in a neat cup-shaped nest in a bush or on a ledge near water. Sri Lanka Whistling-thrush does not form flocks, although several birds may be loosely associated in suitable habitat.
This is a small whistling thrush; at only 20 cm. Adult males are dark blue with a darker head and back. There are bright blue patches on the shoulders, super cilia and forehead. The female is brown above and chestnut below, but has a bright blue shoulder patch like the male. The male sings its simple whistling song from trees, usually in deep cover.
This is a notoriously difficult species to see, even when the males are singing in the breeding season, which starts in February. It is very shy, scarce, localised and declining due to habitat loss. Perhaps the best chance is at dawn at Horton Plains National Park, 2000m up in the highlands of Sri Lanka.

English Name: - Sri Lanka Whistling Thrush 
Sinhala Name: - Lanka Arangaya 
Scientific Name: - Myiophoneus blighi

Bird of sri lanka--Sri Lanka Dull Blue Flycatcher

The Dull-blue Flycatcher, Eumyias sordida, is a small passerine bird in the flycatcher family Muscicapidae. This species is an endemic resident breeder in the hills of central Sri Lanka. The Dull-blue Flycatcher breeds in deciduous mountain forest, invariably above 600 metres, although it is not common below 900 metres. The main breeding season is in March and April, but a second brood is often reared later in the year.

The cup-shaped nest is a lined compact mass of moss. The site is usually a well-shaded rock ledge. The normal clutch is two or three brown-spotted pink eggs are laid. One of the best places to see this species is Horton Plains National Park. This species is 15 cm long. It is similar in shape to the Spotted Flycatcher and has a loud melodic song. Adults are ashy blue, with a whitish belly. There is a black patch between the broad black bill and the eye, bordered with brighter blue above and below. Sexes are similar, but females are slightly duller. Juvenile Dull-blue Flycatchers are brown, heavily spotted on the head, back, wing-coverts and breast with pale buff; their flight feathers are broadly edged with blue-grey.

This is relatively easy bird to see, despite its forest habitat. It feeds mainly on flying insects, beetles, caterpillars and other insects, but also eats berries.

English Name: - Sri Lanka Dull Blue Flycatcher 
Sinhala Name: - Lanka Andurunil-Masimara 
Scientific Name: - Eumyias sordida

Bird of sri lanka- Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot

The Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot (Loriculus beryllinus) is a small parrot which is a resident endemic breeder in Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka, this bird is known as Gira Maliththa or Pol Girwa in Sinhala Language. Hanging Parrot appears in a 15c Sri Lankan postal stamp.

Identification 

This is a small, mainly green hanging parrot, only 14 cm long with a short tail. The adult has a red crown, rump and bill, and an orange tint to its back. Immature birds lack the orange hue to the back, have a duller rump, and have only a hint of orange on the crown.

Behaviour 

Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot is less gregarious than some of its relatives, and is usually alone or in small groups outside the breeding season. Its flight is swift and direct, and the call is a sharp whistled twiwittwit..twitwitwit. The lorikeet is a convivial little bird, delighting in juicy fruits, the nectar of flowers (especially red cotton), and the juice of palms collected in toddy-drawers’ pots. Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot is a bird of open forest. It is strictly arboreal, never descending to the ground. It nests in holes in trees, laying 2-3 white eggs in the first half of the year, and sometimes again in July-September. Its breeding habits are highly remarkable.

Locations 

Forrest, gardens. Breeding Ground is mostly around the Country. Common.

Bird of sri lanka--Sri Lanka Green Billed Coucal

The Green-billed Coucal, Centropus chlororhynchus, is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes, which also includes the roadrunners, the anis, and the Hoatzin. It is endemic to Sri Lanka. The Green-billed Coucal is a rare and shy species of the tall rainforests of southwest Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka, this bird is known as Bata Etikukula or, Wal Etikukula in Sinhala Language. This bird appears in a 20 rupee Sri Lankan postal stamp.

Identification 

This is a large species at 43 cm. Its head and body are purple-black, the wings are maroon above and black below, and the long tail is dark green. The bill is a distinctive light green. Sexes are similar, but juveniles are duller and streaked.

Behaviour 

A very shy and elusive bird, it is far better known by its calls than by sight but, wherever the wet-zone forests have been spared the axe, it is still fairly common; its range, however, is rapidly dwindling and as it shows no sign of being able to adjust itself to new conditions, there can be no doubt that its days will soon be numbered – unless wise foresight reserves extensive forest sanctuaries in the wet zone.  

It nests in a bush, and the typical clutch is 2-3 eggs. The Green-billed Coucal takes a wide range of insects, caterpillars and small vertebrates, but snails are a favourite. It occasionally eats other food items. This species is somewhat smaller and less contrasted than the widespread Greater Coucal. Despite its size and distinctive call, this is a difficult species to see because of the dense habitat in which it lives and its retiring nature.

Locations 

Undisturbed forests. Associated with bamboo and cane rushes. Breeding ground is in Low Country wet zones & wet foothills. More often heard than seen.

Bird of sri lanka-Black-crested Bulbul

The Black-crested Bulbul, Pycnonotus melanicterus, is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. In Sri Lanka, this bird is known as Hisa Kalu Kondaya in Sinhala Language.

Identification 

The Black-crested Bulbul is about 19 cm in length, including its relatively long tail. It has olive upperparts and yellow or olive-yellow underparts. The head is black. Sexes are similar in plumage, but young birds are duller than adults. The flight is bouncing and woodpecker-like.

Behaviour 

It is found in pairs or small parties. Its call-note is a plaintive, minor-key whistle on an ascending scale, something like yor, yer ye, or wer wer we we – each syllable higher than the last. The nest is very similar to the small ones of Red-vented Bulbul. It is a cup, composed of small twigs, rootlets, etc., rather flimsily built, and line scantily with fibres. It is well concealed among foliage, either in a low bush or in a small tree growing in a wooded ravine or on the outskirts of forest, etc. The eggs normally number two, and they resemble small ones of Red-vented Bulbul, being pinkish white, heavily spotted and speckled with reddish brown. They measure about 20.9 x 15.7 mm.

Location 

Forrest, wood areas, gardens. Breeding Ground- mostly around the Country. Common (more common in Dry zone riverine habitats.)

Bird of sri lanka-Sri Lanka Yellow-Fronted Barbet

Yellow-fronted Barbet (Megalaima flavifrons) is an Asian barbet which is an endemic resident breeder in Sri Lanka. Barbets and toucans are a group of near passerine birds with a world-wide tropical distribution. The barbets get their name from the bristles which fringe their heavy bills. In Sri Lanka, this bird is known as Mukalang Kottoruwa or Ranmunath-Kottoruwa or Rath Nalal Kottoruwa in Sinhala Language. Yellow-fronted Barbet appears in a 5 rupee Sri Lankan postal stamp.

Identification 

This is a medium-sized barbet at 21 cm. It is a plump bird, with a short neck, large head and short tail. The adult Yellow-fronted Barbet has a mainly green body and wing plumage, with a scaly appearance to the breast. It has a blue face and throat, and a yellow crown and moustachial stripes. The call is a rolling kow-kow-kow-kow.

Behaviour  

Throughout its range it is a common bird, not shy, and well known for its resounding calls, which form a pleasant feature of its haunts. The Yellow-fronted Barbet feeds on numerous kinds of berries, wild figs, and cultivated fruits such as guavas and pawpaws-being rather a pest in orchards. It feeds its young mainly on fruit, but also on some animal food as W.W.A. Philips has published a photograph of one at its nest-hole with a gecko in its beak. The breeding season is from February to May, with a secondary season in August-September, but an occasional nest may be found at other times of the year. The nest-hole is very similar to that of the Brown-headed Barbet but slightly smaller- about two inches in diameter. The cavity inside is oval and, if a new one, is about eight inches deep; but sometimes the birds use a nest for several years running, digging it deeper each year until it may be two feet or more deep. The height from the ground varies greatly, but is usually from six to ten feet. The two or three white, and smooth but not glossy, eggs measure about 28 x 21 mm.

Locations 

Forests, home gardens. Breeding Grounds- Mainly lower Hill country & Wet Zone but less common in Dry Zone. Very common.

Bird of sri lanka-Sri Lanka Whistling Thrush

The Sri Lanka Whistling Thrush, Myophonus blighi, is a whistling thrush in the thrush family Turdidae. It is a resident endemic bird in Sri Lanka. Whistling-thrush appears in a 75c Sri Lankan postal stamp.

Identification 

This is a small whistling thrush, at only 20cm. Adult males are dark blue with a darker head and back. There are bright blue patches on the shoulders, supercilia and forehead. The female is brown above and chestnut below, but has a bright blue shoulder patch like the male. The male sings its simple whistling song from trees, usually in deep cover.

Behaviour 

This bird is very shy. They prefer thick under growths. Sometimes it comes out. It can be seen hunting or singing on sticks or rocks beside streams. They prey on creatures like insects, geckos. The breeding season lies from March to May. But the April is more important. They make the nest on banks or on branches of 5-10 feet tall tree. The neat is cup shaped. The “Varalla” and ferns are used as main building materials. Inside the nest is made out of dead leaves. About two white color eggs with pale and red brown colored patches and strips are laid at a time. But most of the time only one offspring is born. Hatching is done by female, but the feeding is done by both male and female.

Locations 

They live hidden in place with water flowa at about 3000 feet elevations. They can be seen in thick under growths near flowing streams�.They are recorded in Haggala Horton place. Today they are restricted to the higher elevations of central hills. This bird is difficult to find due to it’s shyness.

Bird of sri lanka-Sri Lanka Blue Magpie

The Sri Lanka Blue Magpie or Ceylon Magpie (Urocissa ornata) is a member of the Crow family living in the hill forests of Sri Lanka, where it is endemic. In Sri Lanka, this bird is known as Kehibella in Sinhala Language. Blue Magpie appears in a 10c Sri Lankan postal stamp, which was in wide usage in 1980s through 1990s.

Identification 

Sri Lanka Blue Magpie is about the same size as the European Magpie at 42–47 cm. The adults are blue with chestnut head and wings, and a long white-tipped tail. The legs and bill are red. The young bird is a duller version of the adult. Sri Lanka Blue Magpie has a variety of calls including mimicry, a loud chink-chink and a rasping krak-krak-krak-krak.

Behaviour 

It is scarce and usually shy, but locally common and bolder. It associates in flocks up to six or seven, but pairs or solitary individuals are sometimes met with. A very energetic, agile bird, most of its time is spent in searching for food among foliage at all levels from the ground to the tops of tall trees. It capture the critters like hairy caterpillars, green tree-crickets, various chafer beetles, tree-frogs and lizards. The breeding season is in the first quarter of the year, so far as is known, but the nest has seldom been found. The nest resembled a small crow’s nest. It is very well concealded among small twigs and foliage near the top of the tree. The eggs number three to five and are whitish, profusely spotted and speckled with various shades of brown. They measure about 30.5 x 22.1 mm.

Locations 

It inhabits the heavy virgin forests of the mountains and wet-zone foot hills.

Bird of sri lanka-Spotted-Winged Thrush

The Spot-winged Thrush, Zoothera spiloptera, is an Asian thrush, a group within the large thrush family Turdidae. It is an endemic resident breeder in Sri Lanka. This uncommon species breeds in hill rainforests, and to a lesser extent in drier woodlands, at altitudes between 500 and 2000 m.

Identification  

Adults of this 27 cm thrush are light brown above with a double wing bar of white spots. The pale face has two dark bars. The underparts are white with heavy spotting. The bill is black and legs are yellow. The song is a rich and varied whistling. Young birds have buff streaking on the upperparts, and the face and the underparts are light brown with heavy streaking.

Behaviour 

It is rather shy but also inquisitive; a singing male easily decoyed within sight by whistling an imitation of its song, which is rich, varied and sweet-toned performance, usually uttered from a perch in the lower branches of the tree-canopy. It feeds on insects, worms, etc., and probably also on berries. They have two breeding seasons. One is in March-April and other is in August-November. The nest is placed in a fork of a sapling, balanced on cardamom-fronds, or in the crown of a tree-fern, etc., in forest. The two eggs laid are measure about 26.8×19.7 mm.

Locations 

This thrush is found throughout the hills, ascending to 7,000 feet; throughout the low-country wet zone; and in scattered localities in the dry zone, but its main habitat seems to lie between the 500 and 5,000 feet contours. It is a bird of forest, or well-wooded country.

Bird of sri lanka-White-faced Starling

The White-faced Starling, Sturnus albofrontatus, is a member of the starling family of birds. It is an endemic resident breeder in Sri Lanka. It was for a long time erroneously known as S. senex; this was eventually identified as a junior synonym of the Red-billed Starling (Mees 1997). In Sri Lanka, this bird is known as Hisa sudu Sharikava in Sinhala Language.

Identification 

The adults of these 22cm-long birds have green-glossed dark grey upperparts and whitish underparts. The head is paler than the underparts. The sexes are similar, but juveniles are duller, with brown upperparts and greyer underparts.

Behaviour 

It is strictly arboreal, frequenting the tops of tall trees, and commonly associates in small flocks. Its food consists largely of wild fruits, such as cinnamon berries and the figs of several species of Ficus, but it doubtless eats insects; and like many other birds, it is very fond of the nectar of the red cotton tree. The nest appears to have discovered only once-in April, by Frederick Lewis, many years ago. It was in a tree-hole, and the two eggs were lying on bare wood. They were pale blue, and measured about 25.6 X 20 mm.

Locations 

This is a rare bird, confined to the tall forests, and their adjacent patanas and clearings of the wet zone, including the Adam’s Peak range up to 4,000 feet or perhaps higher.

Bird of sri lanka-Sri Lanka Orange-billed babbler

The Orange-billed Babbler, Turdoides rufescens, also known as Ceylon Rufous Babbler or Sri Lankan Rufous Babbler is an Old World babbler. The Old World babblers are a large family of Old World passerine birds characterised by soft fluffy plumage. These are birds of tropical areas, with the greatest variety in southeast Asia. The Orange-billed Babbler is a resident breeding bird endemic to Sri Lanka. In the past, it was considered to be a race of Jungle Babbler, Turdoides striatus. This bird is sometimes referred as ‘Ceylon Rufous Babbler’ in outdated literature. In Sri Lanka, this bird is knowns as Rathu Demalichcha (translates to ‘Red Babbler’) in Sinhala Language. This bird appears in a 10rupee Sri Lankan postal stamp.

Identification 

These birds are plain orange brown below, and have a slightly darker shade above. The crown and nape are grey, and the bill is orange. Sexes similar.

Behaviour 

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.

Locations 

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. It is quite common at prime sites like Kitulgala and Sinharaja.

Bird of sri lanka-Dull-blue Flycatcher

The Dull-blue Flycatcher , Eumyias sordida, is a small passerine bird in the flycatcher family Muscicapidae. This species is an endemic resident breeder in the hills of central Sri Lanka.

Identification 

This species is 15cm long. It is similar in shape to the Spotted Flycatcher and has a loud melodic song.. Adults are ashy blue, with a whitish belly. There is a black patch between the broad black bill and the eye, bordered with brighter blue above and below. Sexes are similar, but females are slightly duller. Juvenile Dull-blue Flycatchers are brown, heavily spotted on the head, back, wing-coverts and breast with pale buff; their flight feathers are broadly edged with blue-grey.

Behaviour 

It is not a shy bird. It feeds mainly on flying insects, beetles, caterpillars and the like, but also eats berries such as wild yellow rasberry, lantana, etc. It has a sweet rather loud song. The main breeding season is in the first half of the year, March and April being the favourite months; but a second -or a third-brood is often reared in August-September. The nest is a compact mass of green moss, with a neat, rather deep cup in the top, lined with fine black fibers, probably fern roots. The site is always well shaded, but not always well concealed. The normal clutch is two, but occasionally three eggs are laid. They are pale pink, freckled all over with pale burnt sienna, which often formas a zone, or cap, at the large end. They measure about 20.5 X 14.8 mm.

Locations 

The flycatcher is confined to the hills above 2,000 feet, but is not common below 3,000 feet. It inhabits forest or well-wooded ravines on estates, gardens, etc., where plenty of shady trees give it the seclusion it loves. One of the best places to see this species is Horton Plains National Park.