Bird watching in Colombo, Sri Lanka

The bird life in Sri Lanka is varied with about 433 species recorded. Tropical Sri Lanka has three zones – the dry zone (more than half of the island), the wet zone in the southwestern quarter with rainforests, and the central hills which has a cooler climate. The administrative capital is Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and the commercial capital is Colombo on the southwestern coast of the island country.

Within the largest city, Colombo, the bird life is rich due to the waterways and lush foliage. From the hotel and its gardens, many birds can be seen, such as crows, pelicans, egrets and bee-eaters.

The white-throated kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis) has a vivid blue back with a brown head and white throat and breast. Apart from Sri Lanka, it is also found in Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan, northwest India, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, China, and Indonesia.

The house crow (Corvus splendens) is also called the Colombo crow because it is extremely common in Sri Lanka’s capital. It is large (about 40 cm high) with black glossy feathers and a light grey neck and chest.

The spot-billed pelican (Pelecanus philippensis) is a large water bird, and is also referred to as the grey pelican. It is mainly white with grey sections. It has a large beak with a pouch that is pink with large pale spots.

The little egret (Egretta garzetta) is a small white hero that was in the hotel’s large pond in which there are many goldfish.

The most colourful bird seen this morning was the small blue-tailed bee-eater (Merops philippinus). It is mainly green with a narrow blue patch near the eye with a long blue tail and a yellow-brown throat.

The wagtail (Motacilla albans) is small, black and white, with a long tail.

MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

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