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| Sunday, 20 March 2005 |
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Junior Observer |
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News Business Features
Editorial
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A day with the birds of Yala
They sing. They dance. They brighten the sky with their colourful and artistic flight. We love to wake up to their song. Yes, they are the many birds that enrich our lives. And some, taking this to heart, practise birdwatching and studying of birds. It is a very good hobby, I must say. But there are very few places where you can see them in great variety. Yala National Park and its surroundings is one such place to experience birds, says Gehan De Silva Wijeyeratne, a wildlife enthusiast, writer and photographer in his contribution about birds, to the book Leopards & Other Wildlife of Yala. Birds from different habitats could be seen there, he says. We bring you excerpts from this book, for your own discovery of birds the next time you visit Yala and its surroundings. A common response when he proposes Yala for birdwatching is "No, no, no, Yala is for elephants and leopards. Bundala is the place for birds," says Gehan. But, though not known to many, in Yala and surroundings, you can spot over a hundred species in a day, he points out. But, "of course, the birding route must be selected with care, taking in a range of habitats during the migrant season. If this is combined with a visit to Palatupana Lewaya, which is a few kilometres from the park (Yala National Park) entrance, then a hundred species in a day is not a difficult task at all," he says. Recalling a birding tour to Yala and surroundings in February 2002, he described how he tried to "see how many birds we could manage without trying too hard, like other casual bird watchers would, on a holiday. ... At day break we strolled across the soft sand from our chalet to the restaurant. Red-vented Bulbulls, Magpie Robins, Black-hooded Orioles, Blue-winged Leafbirds and Common Ioras were on the Welivarana and Palu trees dotted around the hotel.
Green Bee-eaters twittered on the ground with a pair of Chestnut-headed Bee-eaters competing in stakes for glamour. "We opted for a 'Birder's Breakfast', seated outside the main restaurant, so that we could keep an eye out for the airborn action. ... It was not long before a White-bellied Sea Eagle sailed into view. This is one of my favourite raptors, as it combines power with grace. In the distance, a straggling line of Black-headed Ibis wove across the sky. Showing more discipline was a V formation of the endangered Spot Bellied Pelicans. Sri Lanka is one of the best places in the world to see them. "There is excellent birding around the Goda Kalapuwa.... Across the lagoon is a cluster of enormous rocks, rounded with erosion. I wondered whether the peacock, which had flown across to it was suffering an identity crisis as it seemed out of place with the Painted Stork, Little and Intermediate Egrets and the Cormorants and the Oriental Darters.... Through the scope, I picked out a large egret,... A few Pintail Snipes probed furtively on the edge of the Kalapuwa.
Over the water, Gull-billed Terns hawked for fish. The White-winged Terns, their under-wing coverts turning black as they assumed breeding plumage, were now easily distinguished from the Whiskered Terns who were also present. The presence of the sea nearby meant that occasionally sea birds like the Lesser Crested Tern would perform a flyover. With their bright, orange red beaks, they could be easily told apart from the Large Crested Terns which have greenish yellow beaks. The seabird I enjoy most is the Caspian Tern and the sketch of coastline from Yala to Bundala is one of the easiest places to find one''. "We decided to walk the short birding trail.... After the first bend of the shoreline, the lagoon has a deep finger and you have the impression of looking across the channel. This place is a feast for shorebirds." We will bring you more on shorebirds and wetland birds later. - Compiled by Vimukthi Fernando ********** Bird varieties Little Green Bee-eater - Merops orientalis
A very common bird in the low country dry zone. Found in the open country in forest edges and in the forest. Small, about 20 cm long, it is an occasional visitor to the wet zone. Three kinds of Bee-eaters could be seen in Sri Lanka, the Green Bee-eater, Chestnut-headed Bee-eater and the Blue-tailed Bee-eater. Eurasian Hoopoe - Upupa epops A distant relative of the kingfisher, hoopoe is about 30 cm (one foot) long. A rare bird, it can be seen in the shrub areas and open forest mainly in the low country dry zone. Malabar Pied Hornbill - Anthracoceros coronatus
About two feet long. This bird has a distinctive bill about the same size as his body. A common bird in the low country dry zone, it is seen in forest and shrub areas. During the non-breeding season, Malabar Pied Hornbills could be seen roosting in flocks. Common Kingfisher - Alcedo atthis A very common colourful bird. Small, about 18 cm in length, lives close to the water and could be seen in all zones. Six other kingfisher species also could be seen in Sri Lanka, the Stork Billed Kingfisher, White-throated Kingfisher and Pied Kingfisher being more common. Black-capped Kingfisher and Black-backed Kingfisher are rare birds, while the smaller Blue-eared Kingfisher close to the common kingfisher in size and colour is extremely rare to spot. Changeable Hawk Eagle This is a bird of prey who hunts animals and other small birds for food. Commonly seen in the low country dry zone. ************ Birdwatching
Birdwatching is a great hobby, which brings you a lot of enjoyment as well as knowledge. However, if you are interested in birdwatching you have to know when, how and what to observe in birds. Some features to note in observing a bird: Plumage or feathers. Of course the colour of the feathers is the easiest to observe and helps much in identifying birds, if you are armed with a bird guide. Size and shape of the bird, are also important in identifying them. This could be done in comparing the unknown bird with a known bird - such as the house sparrow, common mynah, common crow, red-vented bulbull, domestic pigeon. Beak or bill: Shape and size of the bill plays a big role in identifying the bird. Different types of beaks show different types of feeding patterns. Painted Storks have long bills to pick food from the mud. The spoonbills have flat spoonlike beaks to sieve food. Pelicans have sacks which they use as fishing nets. The sparrows and other grain eaters have conical bills to crack and dehusk seeds. Eagles and other predators have sharp hook-like bills to tear the flesh. Legs and feet: Wetland birds have long legs (and beaks). Predators have strong claws. Length, colour and structure of legs and feet also help to identify birds. Tail: Drongos, bee-eaters, paradise fly catchers and peacocks are some birds we know, who could be easily identified by their different colours and shapes of their tails. So, are the others. Wings: The shape and size of wings tell you a lot about a bird's flying patterns, speed and distance of its flight. Eagles have large broad wings to catch the wind which helps them to glide. Humming birds have small narrow wings helping them to hover over flowers. |
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