Rose Ringed Parakeet

A Rose ringed Parakeet photographed in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Of all the parakeets found in Sri Lanka, the Rose ringed Parakeet is by far the most common in the lowlands. A flock of about ten birds visit our garden twice a day to feed on the fruit trees and whatever is left out on the bird tray. More images and info after the jump.

A Rose ringed Parakeet photographed in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Interestingly, this bird is one of the few birds that are not protected. They are actually considered to be an agricultural pest (more info on this here). They have been able to establish feral populations in a number of European cities as well as South Africa and India. Most of these populations have been established by introduced birds as well as escaped pets. Unfortunately these birds are still popular as pets in Sri Lanka.

A Rose ringed Parakeet photographed in Colombo, Sri Lanka

All the images in this post were captured with a Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens. I didn't have to zoom in to 400mm to capture these images as the birds let me get quite close to them.

A Rose ringed Parakeet photographed in Colombo, Sri Lanka

More info and images of this bird at

• http://devwijewardane.blogspot.com/2009/10/rose-ringed-parakeet.html

Oriental Magpie Robin

An Oriental Magpie Robin photographed in Colombo, Sri Lanka

The Oriental Magpie Robin is a common garden bird found in Sri Lanka. It is also one of the most musical birds found on the island. The Oriental Magpie Robin is distributed throughout a number of areas in tropical South and Southeast Asia. The images in this post were all captured in our garden in Colombo, where this species is a regular visitor.  Read on for more images and info.

An Oriental Magpie Robin photographed in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Oriental Magpie Robins breed from March to July in India and January to June in Southeast Asia. They nest in tree hollows or niches in walls and buildings. Most of the nest building is done by the female and usually starts a week or so before the eggs are laid. 

An Oriental Magpie Robin photographed in Colombo, Sri Lanka

These birds mainly feed on insects and other invertebrates. Globally, this species is considered one of "little concern". However, in some areas, this bird is on the decline. These birds were common in Hong Kong and Singapore in the 1920's but numbers declined in the 1970's. It is presumed that this was caused because of the competition of the introduced Common Mynahs. 

These images were captured with a Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens.

Bathing Purple Rumped Sunbirds

A Bathing Purple rumped Sunbird photographed in Colombo, Sri Lanka

It was early evening and our garden, at home in Colombo, had just been watered. I walked out of the house and found this drenched female Purple rumped Sunbird sitting on a large leaf. I was curious as to how it had got soaked and was trying to figure it out when it started rubbing itself on the wet leaf. More images and info inside.

A Bathing Purple rumped Sunbird photographed in Colombo, Sri Lanka

While I watched, the bird proceeded to wash its self by using its wings to flick water off the leaf. The whole "shower" took around 5 minutes and  the bird was not at all bothered by my presence. It was soon joined by a second Purple rumped Sunbird which did the exact same thing.

A Bathing Purple rumped Sunbird photographed in Colombo, Sri Lanka

I have a number of shots of the birds flicking water around but they were not very sharp. The birds movements were very quick and there wasn't sufficient light to use a faster shutter speed. If I remember correctly, the shutter speed for these shots were around 1/320 to 1/400. which in itself was quite fast.

A Bathing Purple rumped Sunbird photographed in Colombo, Sri Lanka

These images were captured with the 7D and the 100-400mm lens. I think the focal length was 400mm and the aperture was set to f5.6.

A Bathing Purple rumped Sunbird photographed in Colombo, Sri Lanka

More images of the Purple rumped Sunbird can be found here.

Dancing Dropwing

A Dancing Dropwing photographed in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

The Dancing Dropwing is an uncommon dragonfly found in Sri Lanka. I came across a number of them in Anuradhapura. They differ from their more common relatives as they are slightly bigger in size. Their black and yellow coloration, long spidery legs and bicoloured pterostigma can be used to identify this species. More info after the jump.

A Dancing Dropwing photographed in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

The female of this species has tinted wings and yellow anal appendages. it's abdomen is also shorter and thicker than that of the male. The abdomen area is around 26 - 32mm in length and the wing span is also around 30-36mm in length. They can usually be found on the banks of tanks (man made lakes), ponds, paddy fields and slow flowing streams. Their range covers areas of both the dry and wet zones.

A Dancing Dropwing photographed in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

I was photographing Asian Groundlings in an abandoned paddy field on the banks of Tissa wewa (sinhalese word for a man made lake) when I saw a couple of Dancing Dropwings among them. I miss took them for the more common Green Skimmer and only captured a few images of the species. I was surprised as I was able to get within about a meter of them to capture these images. As usual I was unable to get closer to them because of the minimum focusing distance of the 100-400mm lens. I think I see a new macro lens on the horizon.

These images were captured using a Canon 7D and a 100-400mm lens.

A Dancing Dropwing photographed in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

Another post on the Green Skimmer can be found here.

* I initially made a mistake and identified this species as a Green Skimmer.Thanks to Amila Salgado for the the correction.

Lemon Pansy

A Lemon Pansy photographed in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

The Lemon Pansy is a common butterfly found throughout southern Asia. It is the most common of the six pansies found in India. The Lemon Pansy is known to be territorial and aggressive. I came across a number of these butterflies in Anuradhapura and found them quite easy to photograph. Their flight is strong and consist of strong wingbeats with less fluttering.  However, they do spend a fair bit of time perched on shrubs and flowers. More info and images inside.

A Lemon Pansy photographed in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

Like the Chocolate Soldier,  the Lemon Pansy rests on or close to the ground with it's wings spread. It settles in wet patches on the ground more frequently than other Pansies. When I was photographing these butterflies they were feeding or basking in the warm early morning sunlight. They are a small to medium sized butterfly with prominent "eyespots" on the upper sides of both wings.

A Lemon Pansy photographed in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

Male Lemon Pansies are known to perch at strategic locations with the aim of intercepting females and inspecting potential mates. It is quite well camouflaged when it sits still with its wings held above its abdomen. The male is known to move into new locations if their current locations are unsuitable.

A Lemon Pansy photographed in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

This butterfly loves to feed on Nectar and can frequently be seen settling on shrubs and other small plant's to feed.  During this time it displays the upper sides of its wings. In the evenings they move into thickets and settle on a tall grass stems with their wings folded above their abdomen, to spend the night. It is known to have a typical posture, which it takes when it spreads its wings. As a result a lot of the photographs taken of this species look similar. 

A Lemon Pansy photographed in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

I photographed these butterflies in an overgrown plot of land in Anuradhapura. There were a number of large bushes with flowers in bloom and these butterflies were feeding on them. They didn't seem to be too bothered with my presence and I was able to get quite close to photograph them. I had the 100-400mm lens on the 7D and was able to get some frame filling images.

A Lemon Pansy photographed in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

A Lemon Pansy photographed in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

Cattle Egret

A Cattle Egret photographed in Battaramulla, Sri Lanka

The Cattle Egret, is widespreadspecies belonging to the Heron family.  It is found throughout most of the tropics, sub tropics and warmer temperate regions of the world. This is the smallest of the Egrets found in Sri Lanka and is common in the lowlands and the mid hills of Sri Lanka. I saw these birds throughout the dry zone when travelling to Anuradhapura and Trincomalee. These birds can also be seen in and around Colombo.

The Cattle Egret can be differentiated from other Egrets by its size, its stocky build and its rounded head. It also has black legs and feet. It also has a shorter and broader-based yellow beak when compared to other Egrets. During the breeding season its bill may become darker and its mantle turns a golden-buff. 

A Cattle Egret photographed in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

The Cattle Egret breeds in colonies in trees which are often, but not always close to large lakes with reed beds or other large wetland areas. They are often seen around the tanks and paddy fields in Sri Lanka. The Cattle Egret is generally considered to be a successful species with an expanding range. Its range was originally limited to Asia, Africa and Europe but it has now colonised much much of the rest of the world. 

A Cattle Egret photographed in Battaramulla, Sri Lanka

It feeds in shallow water or drier habitats, mainly feeding on frogs, fish, crickets and, in some cases moths and spiders. It hunts by spearing its prey with its sharp long beak. It stays still and allows its prey to come within striking distance. It is often thought that these birds feed on parasites of buffaloes as they are often found in close proximity of each other. In actual fact the Great Egrets feed on grasshoppers and other insects which are disturbed when buffaloes move around. They are also known to follow farm machinery for the same reason but are forced to move more frequently.

A Cattle Egret photographed in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

These images were captured in Anuradhapura and Battaramulla. I used a Canon 7D and a 100-400mm lens for all them. 

* I had made a mistake earlier and identified this bird as a Great Egret. Thanks to Amila Salgado for pointing it out.

Brown Headed Barbet

A Brown Headed Barbet, also called the Large Green Barbet, photographed in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

The Brown Headed Barbet, also known as the Large Green Barbet, is a common resident throughout the island and frequently visits our garden in Colombo. It is a resident breeder in India and Sri Lanka. It is often found in heavily built up areas where there is heavy tree cover.  Read on for more images and info.

A Brown Headed Barbet, also called Large Green Barbet, photographed in Colombo, Sri Lanka

The Barbet gets its name from the bristles which fringe their heavy beaks. The family of Asian Barbets comprises of 26 species and range from Indonesia to India and north to Tibet. They are usually plump looking birds with large heads and beaks and short tails and necks. None of the Asian Barbets are considered to be threatened. However, some of the species are known to be intolerant of deforestation and require old growth forests to thrive.

A Brown Headed Barbet, also called the Large Green Barbet, photographed in Colombo, Sri Lanka

The Brown Headed barbet feeds mainly on fruit but is also known to prey on insects. It is known to visit bird trays if fruit is provided. A wide range of insects are known to be taken. These include ants, cicadas, dragonflies, crickets and beetles. Fruits are eaten whole and indigestible material such as seeds are regurgitated later. Because of this behaviour, Barbets are thought to be important in terms of seed dispersion in tropical forests.

A Brown Headed Barbet, also called Large Green Barbet, photographed in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Barbets build their nests by excavating a nesting burrow, usually high up on an exposed branch or tree trunk, out of reach of most predators. Normally a clutch comprises of 2 - 4 eggs which are incubated for 13 - 15 days.

A Brown Headed Barbet, also called the Large Green Barbet, photographed in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

The Brown Headed Barbet is around 27cm in length and is considered to be one of the larger species in the family Megalaima. It is easily distinguished form other barbets by its size, the exposed yellow skin around the eye and the streaked brown head.

A Brown Headed Barbet, also called Large Green Barbet, photographed in Colombo, Sri Lanka

I photographed these birds in DDecember and January in Colombo as well as Anuradhapura. I used the Canon 7D with the 100-400mm lens.

Other images / info on Barbets

• Brown Headed Barbet
• Yellow Fronted Barbet
• Crimson Fronted Barbet

Gray Langur

A Gray Langur photographed in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka

The Gray Langur, or the Hanuman Langur, is the most widespread Langur in South Asia.  The name "Hanuman" is derived from the Hindu monkey god from the epic Ramayana. This species is widely distributed in Sri Lanka and can even be found in Colombo. A troupe of these monkeys frequents our garden throughout the year. Although the name "Hanuman Langur" is widely used in India to refer to the group as a singe species, seven species of the Gray Langur have been identified. Of these, the Tufted Langur Semnopithecus priam can be found in Sri Lanka. More images and info inside.

A Gray Langur photographed in Anuradhapura Sri Lanka

The diet of the Gray Langur consists of leaves, fruits and flowers. The diet is also seasonal with large leaves being eaten in the winter months and fruit. Insects, tree bark and gum are used to supplement the diet. 

Although these monkeys sleep in trees, they spend a considerable amount of time on the ground. They are most active during the day and can often be seen walking on all fours. They live in medium to large groups which usually have a dominant male. Adolescent males who have been expelled from the group form their own bachelor packs. These packs are known to attack the packs that expelled them, with the aim of challenging the alpha males leadership. If they are able to kill the alpha male, a power struggle will ensue and all the infants fathered by the alpha male will be killed.

In India, a relationship seems to have developed between the Chital and troops of the Northern Plains Gray Langurs (another subspecies). The Chital seem to benefit from the Langur's keen eyesight  and the ability to have a look out in the tree tops. The look out raises an alarm when a predator is observed in the vicinity. The Langurs benefit form the chitals superior sense of smell to warn them of predators when they are feeding on the ground.    

Crimson Fronted Barbet

A Crimson Fronted Barbet (also known as the Ceylon Small Barbet) photographed in Kandy, Sri Lanka

This small, endemic barbet, also known as the Ceylon Small Barbet, is common throughout the lowlands and mid hills of Sri Lanka. It is probably the only endemic seen in major cities. Some of the photographs in this post were actually taken in the middle of Colombo. Read on for more info and images of this species.

A Crimson Fronted Barbet (also known as the Ceylon Small Barbet) photographed in Kandy, Sri Lanka

Although this bird is fairly common, it is often overlooked because of its size and its colour. Its green  body makes it virtually impossible to spot in the canopy. It can only be mistaken with the Coppersmiths Barbet which doesn't have uniform green underparts or blue on its lower face. This bird generally lives in pairs but single birds are often seen. When I was photographing this bird in Kandy, I noticed that they were actually in a group of about 10 - 12 birds. This may have been because they were feeding on a fruiting tree.

A Crimson Fronted Barbet (also known as the Ceylon Small Barbet) photographed in Colombo, Sri Lanka

I was quite surprised to see this species at our place in Kandy as I had never seen them before. I was out looking for the Yellow Fronted Barbet when I noticed a number of them feeding on one of the fruit trees in the garden. In order to find them, I had to look out for the red forehead or wait for them to move. Unfortunately I was below them most of the time and therefore couldn't get too many decent shots.  As usual, I used the 100-400mm lens and the canon 7D to capture these images.

A Crimson Fronted Barbet (also known as the Ceylon Small Barbet) photographed in Kandy, Sri Lanka

Other images / info on Barbets

• Brown Headed Barbet
• Yellow Fronted Barbet
• Crimson Fronted Barbet

Chocolate Soldier

A Chocolate Soldier photographed in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

The Chocolate Soldier is a common butterfly found in Asia. It is also known as the Chocolate Pansy. These butterflies are territorial and they spend a lot of time close to the ground. I found a number of them in Anuradhapura and they were all, rather surprisingly, within three feet of the ground. More info and images after the jump.

A Chocolate Soldier photographed in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

The wingspan of the Chocolate Soldier is around 5 - 6cm. The depth of the brown colour on the upper-sides of both the male and the female vary. The females can be identified by the white markings on the oblique line on the underside of the hind wing.

A Chocolate Soldier photographed in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

This butterfly lays its eggs on the ground or on dry twigs in close proximity to host plants. Once the larvae have hatched, they find their way to the host plants. It is unusual that the butterfly does not lay eggs on the host plants themselves. The larvae are a dark, dull brown in colour. 

A Chocolate Soldier photographed in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

Surprisingly these butterflies didn't mind my presence as they let me get very close to photograph them. I used the 100-400mm lens on the 7D. I feel I would have been able to get closer to it but was constrained because of the minimum focusing distance on the lens.

White bellied Drongo

A White bellied Drongo photographed in Colombo, Sri Lanka

A number of White-bellied Drongos started calling our garden home a couple of years ago. I first noticed them along the drive way one evening as they were feeding on insects which were attracted to one  of the lamps. They were perched on a tree and were diving after the insects which flew close to the light. After this sighting I kept an eye out for them and found them in the back garden during the early evening. In the next few days I was able to identify their routine and their perches. Photographing the birds was also made easier by the fact that they allowed me to come within 6-10 feet of them.  I was fortunate enough to be able to shoot from the same height as their perches because they frequented the trees near our balconies.

More images and info after the jump.

A White bellied Drongo photographed in Colombo, Sri Lanka

The White bellied Drongo is a common bird from the lowlands to the mid hills of Sri Lanka. Interestingly, this is the only species of Drongo to have white underparts. According to the "Photographic guide to Birds of Sri Lanka" there are two races which are endemic to Sri Lanka. The wet zone form, White vented (pictured here), has less white confined to the vent area. The dry zone  form, White bellied, which has more white on its underparts. These birds are very good mimics and can imitate a number of birds and animals. 

A White bellied Drongo photographed in Colombo, Sri Lanka

The White bellied Drongo is found only in South Asia, mainly in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal. These birds are insectivorous and mainly black in colour. The young birds are all black and can be often mistaken with the Black Drongo. The fork on the tail is not as deep as that of the Black Drongo.  the size of these birds vary clinally with northern birds being larger.   

A White bellied Drongo photographed in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Birds may be seen individually or in groups of up to 3. They perch upright and capture insects in the air with acrobatic sallies. The breeding season is from February to July. The nest is shaped like a cup and is similar to that of the Black Drongo. However, the nest of the White bellied Drongo is made up of more twigs and is well lined with grass. A clutch consists of two to four eggs which are pale salmon in colour and has reddish blotches on the broad end. 

A White bellied Drongo photographed in Colombo, Sri Lanka

  

The White bellied Drongo builds its nest around 20 - 30 feet off the ground. They are aggressive birds and will take on potential threats which are larger than themselves. They have been observed imitating the alarm calls of squirrels  and the meowing of cats when mobbing. This species is also know to join mixed species feeding flocks. Although this bird is insectivorous, it is opportunistic and will prey on small birds.

A White bellied Drongo photographed in Colombo, Sri Lanka

A White bellied Drong photographed in Colombo, Sri Lanka

All these images were captured with a Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens.