The Raptors of Sri Lanka
Majestic, deadly and beautiful, raptors seem like Nature itself given wings. They, like all predators, are evolved to fill their ecological niche with their hooked, razor-sharp bills and curved talons, incredibly acute vision and prowess in flight.
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| Crested Serpent Eagle, Wilpattu National Park, Sri Lanka |
Raptors - known by most as birds of prey, which mainly hunt vertebrates - are found all around the world, and are classified into a number of orders, depending on evolutionary relationships and genetics, as well as physical characteristics. You can read more about the basics of classification and taxonomy here.
According to the Clements Checklist of the Birds of the World (2019 version), birds of prey can be classified as follows:
- Cathartiformes - New World vultures
- Accipitriformes
- Sagittariidae - secretarybird
- Pandionidae - osprey
- Accipitridae - hawks, eagles, kites and Old World vultures
- Strigiformes - owls
- Falconiformes - falcons and caracaras
- Cariamiformes - seriemas
The owls of Sri Lanka will be covered later in another post, while this will discuss some of the diurnal birds of prey seen in the country (Accipitriformes and Falconiformes). Unlike the post on ducks, this will follow the order of classification, instead of a chronological order.
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Pandionidae
The family Pandionidae has only one species - the Osprey, one of the few birds to be found almost worldwide. In Sri Lanka, it’s a scarce winter visitor to lagoons, estuaries and reservoirs, and after years of looking out for a sighting, I was finally able to spot one in Bundala National Park.
Read more about how I first saw the Osprey here, along with some very interesting details on what makes it such a proficient fisher.
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| Osprey at Bundala National Park, Sri Lanka |
Read more about how I first saw the Osprey here, along with some very interesting details on what makes it such a proficient fisher.
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Accipitridae
The Black-winged Kite (Elanus caeruleus) is a beautiful little raptor, with its sleek grey-white plumage, black shoulders and piercing red eyes. I first glimpsed it in flight while our family was driving past the Udawalawe National Park, on the way to Bundala in 2010. The small size, pale appearance with a flash of black were unmistakable.This sleek, falcon-like bird is often seen hovering over open country or gliding with its wings at a shallow V-shaped angle. It can be found throughout the island but prefers the dry zone lowlands.
I’ve since seen it in Jaffna, Chundikulam and once more in Udawalawe National Park, when we visited it in 2018.
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| Black-winged Kite, Udawalawe National Park, Sri Lanka |
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While I did see the (vagrant to Sri Lanka) Egyptian Vulture once, it was in India and is a story for another time, so we shall move on to the Oriental Honey-buzzard (Pernis ptilorhynchus).
This scarce resident raptor, whose population is temporarily increased every “winter” with incoming migrants, is variable in appearance, which makes it annoying to identify - if not for its slender head and neck. The first time I saw it was a soaring bird in Kukuleganga while on a group trip; afterwards, I suspect I saw one soaring over Bulugahagoda, too.
The most memorable sighting was in Embilipitiya, in January 2019, in the middle of a field visit for myself and my university colleagues.
My boyfriend and I were strolling down a wooded path during one of the free afternoons we had, watching birds and generally keeping to ourselves. I can’t remember which one of us spotted the strange bird, but we both were rooted to the spot, hoping that vehicles or other people would not pass by and disturb it. It was flying back and forth between trees on the roadside, and I initially thought it could be a Crested Serpent Eagle. I was proven wrong when I finally glimpsed its head - too slim and without the yellow cere.
We crouched low and stalked it, trying to keep a respectful distance from it, as we watched it fly down to the ground onto a bed of fallen leaves and poke around.
Eventually it perched on a cement post and then flew off, but luckily I was able to snap this very, very blurry record shot on an iPad.
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| Oriental Honey-buzzard, Embilipitiya, Sri Lanka |
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Next up is one of the commoner eagles widespread in Sri Lanka: the Crested Serpent Eagle (Spilornis cheela). The first one I saw was a juvenile in Bundala National Park that had been rescued by park officials and was calmly perched on an electricity meter by the ticket office. When we visited a year later, it had moved to the woods nearby, and watched us pass under the tree it was perched in.
Crested Serpent Eagles became a staple sight during our trips to dry zone national parks, often seen perched in trees or flying over woodland game trails, seeming to glare down at us from above.
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| Crested Serpent Eagle, Wilpattu National Park |
A few even visited Bulugahagoda. I was out in the garden when I heard a distant piercing whistle, going wheeee-whiyyy-whiyyy-whiyyy, and my sisters and I immediately began to investigate. It sounded like an eagle, and we thought it was an Oriental Honey-buzzard and we began consulting our bird guides. After a few days of looking, we finally spotted the bird, soaring high above, with the unmistakable underwing pattern of a Crested Serpent Eagle. The calls began to make sense, too. Seeing this relatively small but majestic eagle visit our village felt like a privilege indeed, especially when one day it perched on a tall tree by our very own garden.
The Crested Serpent Eagle can also be seen, if you’re lucky, while travelling along the Southern Expressway (E01), usually in the mornings and evenings, especially while passing wooded hills and rubber plantations.
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The Crested Hawk Eagle (Nisaetus cirrhatus), also known as the Changeable Hawk Eagle, is yet another widespread eagle, commoner in dry lowlands. It is generally unmistakable except in the hills, where it may be confused with Legge’s Hawk Eagle (Nisaetus kelaarti).
I first saw two adults perched on a dead tree in Bundala National Park, in 2010, and like the Crested Serpent Eagle, these too became typical sights on our safaris. In Udawalawe National Park, we were shown a pair with a nest and probably a nestling, far away.
We also spotted a pale immature eagle flying around and calling out in the outskirts of the Sinharaja Rainforest.
We visited the historic, quaint Adisham Bungalow in Haputhale in 2016 - and my most memorable experience there was looking into the clear sky to see an immature Rufous-bellied Eagle (Lophotriorchis kienerii), soaring high above.
This scarce resident, in Sri Lanka, prefers forested hills, and is commoner higher up in altitude. As an adult it would have a beautiful rufous belly, whose colour would extend onto part of its underwings.
Another hill resident is the Black Eagle (Ictinaetus malaiensis). It is commoner than the Rufous-bellied Eagle, and consistently prefers forested outcrops, sometimes in lowlands but especially higher in the hills.
I remember visiting a Buddhist temple somewhere in the Gampaha district (I can’t recall the exact place), and seeing this jet-black eagle with its yellow cere gracefully soaring in the updrafts alongside the surrounding hills.
The Shikra (Accipiter badius), whose name refers to “the hunter” in Hindi, is the commonest hawk in Sri Lanka. Its loud calls can be heard wherever there are enough trees and small animal prey - and are mimicked by White-bellied Drongos.
We often had Shikras visiting our garden and the surrounding woodlands in Bulugahagoda, which would always send the squirrels into a panic.
Shikras, being small raptors, are unfortunately subjected to bullying, mostly by crows and drongos - a sight that could be witnessed often anywhere - even above my school in Colombo.
I first saw the Black Kite (Milvus migrans) all the way in India, where it is a widespread and common scavenger. Before that, I used to look at every juvenile Brahminy Kite and wonder whether it could possibly be a Black Kite. It took a trip all the way to Jaffna to see one for sure again, and unfortunately I wasn’t able to capture a good enough photograph there, and instead must settle for this flock in India:
In Sri Lanka, Black Kites are mostly restricted to the coastal areas of the north, but rarely visit the rest of the coastline in winter.
The more widespread kite, in Sri Lanka, is the unmistakably coloured Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus) - with its white head and neck, and chestnut body with black wing-tips. Like its bigger northern cousin, the Brahminy Kite often scavenges, but also likes to catch fish.
The Brahminy Kite can be seen almost anywhere in Sri Lanka: soaring over thermals in the heart of Colombo on a hot day, being harried by crows in a fishery, or hunting in a national park. It is the characteristic “eagle” known to the layman.
While the adult is very distinctive, the juvenile is problematic, being an overall dark brown. Its rounded tail helps distinguish it from the Black Kite, whose tail is forked.
I first saw two adults perched on a dead tree in Bundala National Park, in 2010, and like the Crested Serpent Eagle, these too became typical sights on our safaris. In Udawalawe National Park, we were shown a pair with a nest and probably a nestling, far away.
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| Crested Hawk Eagle, Yala National Park |
We also spotted a pale immature eagle flying around and calling out in the outskirts of the Sinharaja Rainforest.
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We visited the historic, quaint Adisham Bungalow in Haputhale in 2016 - and my most memorable experience there was looking into the clear sky to see an immature Rufous-bellied Eagle (Lophotriorchis kienerii), soaring high above.
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| Rufous-bellied Eagle, Adisham Bungalow |
This scarce resident, in Sri Lanka, prefers forested hills, and is commoner higher up in altitude. As an adult it would have a beautiful rufous belly, whose colour would extend onto part of its underwings.
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Another hill resident is the Black Eagle (Ictinaetus malaiensis). It is commoner than the Rufous-bellied Eagle, and consistently prefers forested outcrops, sometimes in lowlands but especially higher in the hills.
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| Black Eagle, Matale |
I remember visiting a Buddhist temple somewhere in the Gampaha district (I can’t recall the exact place), and seeing this jet-black eagle with its yellow cere gracefully soaring in the updrafts alongside the surrounding hills.
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The Shikra (Accipiter badius), whose name refers to “the hunter” in Hindi, is the commonest hawk in Sri Lanka. Its loud calls can be heard wherever there are enough trees and small animal prey - and are mimicked by White-bellied Drongos.
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| Juvenile Shikra, Matale |
We often had Shikras visiting our garden and the surrounding woodlands in Bulugahagoda, which would always send the squirrels into a panic.
Shikras, being small raptors, are unfortunately subjected to bullying, mostly by crows and drongos - a sight that could be witnessed often anywhere - even above my school in Colombo.
***
I first saw the Black Kite (Milvus migrans) all the way in India, where it is a widespread and common scavenger. Before that, I used to look at every juvenile Brahminy Kite and wonder whether it could possibly be a Black Kite. It took a trip all the way to Jaffna to see one for sure again, and unfortunately I wasn’t able to capture a good enough photograph there, and instead must settle for this flock in India:
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| Black Kites in Delhi, India |
In Sri Lanka, Black Kites are mostly restricted to the coastal areas of the north, but rarely visit the rest of the coastline in winter.
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The more widespread kite, in Sri Lanka, is the unmistakably coloured Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus) - with its white head and neck, and chestnut body with black wing-tips. Like its bigger northern cousin, the Brahminy Kite often scavenges, but also likes to catch fish.
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| Brahminy Kite, Wilpattu National Park, Sri Lanka |
The Brahminy Kite can be seen almost anywhere in Sri Lanka: soaring over thermals in the heart of Colombo on a hot day, being harried by crows in a fishery, or hunting in a national park. It is the characteristic “eagle” known to the layman.
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| A pair of Brahminy Kites on the outskirts of Kumana National Park |
While the adult is very distinctive, the juvenile is problematic, being an overall dark brown. Its rounded tail helps distinguish it from the Black Kite, whose tail is forked.
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One of the biggest eagles resident in Sri Lanka, the White-bellied Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster) is unmistakable as it soars calmly with its broad wings in a shallow V. It prefers dry lowlands and can often be seen wherever there is a large enough water body to hold its preferred prey: fish.
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| White-bellied Sea Eagle, Wilpattu National Park |
The first time I saw one was while coming home from school, near the Kelani River, looking way too big to be a Brahminy Kite and its wings oddly positioned. Since then, I’ve seen it fishing several times, and even attempting to pick up and carry away a freshwater turtle (in Kumana National Park).
Although said to be rare in the hills, I’ve spotted one soaring above Gregory Lake in Nuwara Eliya, the highest town in Sri Lanka.
The Grey-headed Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus ichthyaetus), also known as the Tank Eagle in Sri Lanka, is rarer, and marked Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. It is an uncommon resident preferring the dry lowlands, mostly seen in national parks. Its alternative name comes from its preference for large irrigation reservoirs, known colloquially as “tanks” or wæw in Sinhala.
I first saw the Grey-headed Fish Eagles in Yala National Park, the first time we visited in 2009, and afterwards, I’ve only been able to see them in dry zone national parks. We saw a pair of mates guarding their nest in Bundala National Park in January 2020, close to water as usual.
The Common Kestrel is a small falcon that is mostly a winter migrant, but also a rare breeding resident in the drier parts of the eastern hills. It frequently hovers before stooping to catch small prey, and sometimes eats on the wing.
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| A pair of White-bellied Sea Eagles in Udawalawe National Park |
Although said to be rare in the hills, I’ve spotted one soaring above Gregory Lake in Nuwara Eliya, the highest town in Sri Lanka.
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The Grey-headed Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus ichthyaetus), also known as the Tank Eagle in Sri Lanka, is rarer, and marked Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. It is an uncommon resident preferring the dry lowlands, mostly seen in national parks. Its alternative name comes from its preference for large irrigation reservoirs, known colloquially as “tanks” or wæw in Sinhala.
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| Grey-headed Fish Eagle, Wilpattu National Park |
I first saw the Grey-headed Fish Eagles in Yala National Park, the first time we visited in 2009, and afterwards, I’ve only been able to see them in dry zone national parks. We saw a pair of mates guarding their nest in Bundala National Park in January 2020, close to water as usual.
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Falconidae
I’m pretty sure I’ve seen the Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) in Bulugahagoda, occasionally soaring in the sky and sometimes perched in the woods. However, I finally had a definitive sighting of a female in Wilpattu National Park in 2013.The Common Kestrel is a small falcon that is mostly a winter migrant, but also a rare breeding resident in the drier parts of the eastern hills. It frequently hovers before stooping to catch small prey, and sometimes eats on the wing.
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That’s it with the definitive sightings of raptors in Sri Lanka. I have had tentative sightings of Crested Goshawks (Accipiter trivirgatus) - once in Ratnapura and once near Wilpattu; an Eastern Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus calidus) around Kurunegala. I have recorded a sighting of a Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus) near Colombo, but now I’m doubtful; it could’ve been a juvenile Brahminy Kite.
There are so many other raptors that are resident and migrant to Sri Lanka (and a long list of vagrants) that are yet to be seen - you can definitely expect this post to get longer as more sightings are recorded.
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Here’s a list of raptors (excluding owls) that can be/have been seen in Sri Lanka.
Accipitriformes
Pandionidae
- Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) - scarce winter migrant
Accipitridae
- Black-winged Kite (Elanus caeruleus) - uncommon resident
- Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus) - vagrant
- Oriental Honey-buzzard (Pernis ptilorhynchus) - uncommon resident, winter migrant
- European Honey-buzzard (Pernis apivorus) - vagrant
- Jerdon’s Baza (Aviceda jerdoni) - uncommon resident
- Black Baza (Aviceda leuphotes) - very rare irregular winter migrant
- Crested Serpent Eagle (Spilornis cheela) - resident
- Crested Hawk Eagle (Nisaetus cirrhatus) - resident
- Legge’s Hawk Eagle (Nisaetus kelaarti) - scarce resident
- Rufous-bellied Eagle (Lophotriorchis kienerii) - scarce resident
- Black Eagle (Ictinaetus malaiensis) - resident
- Greater Spotted Eagle (Clanga clanga) - vagrant
- Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus) - scarce winter migrant
- Bonelli’s Eagle (Aquila fasciata) - very rare irregular winter migrant
- Tawny Eagle (Aquila rapax) - vagrant
- Eurasian Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus) - uncommon winter migrant
- Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus) - uncommon winter migrant
- Pied Harrier (Circus melanoleucos) - very rare winter migrant
- Montagu’s Harrier (Circus pygargus) - uncommon winter migrant
- Crested Goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus) - scarce resident
- Shikra (Accipiter badius) - common resident
- Besra (Accipiter virgatus) - scarce resident
- Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) - vagrant
- Black Kite (Milvus migrans) - uncommon resident, rare winter migrant
- Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus) - common resident
- White-bellied Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster) - resident
- Grey-headed Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus ichthyaetus) - uncommon resident
- Himalayan Buzzard (Buteo (buteo) refectus) - uncommon winter migrant
- Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus) - very rare winter migrant
Falconiformes
Falconidae
- Black-thighed Falconet (Microhierax fringillarius) - vagrant
- Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni) - vagrant
- Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) - uncommon winter migrant, very rare resident
- Red-necked Falcon (Falco chicquera) - vagrant
- Amur Falcon (Falco amurensis) - rare winter migrant
- Eurasian Hobby (Falco subbuteo) - vagrant
- Oriental Hobby (Falco severus) - very rare winter migrant
- Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)
- Eastern Peregrine Falcon (F. p. calidus) - scarce winter migrant
- Shaheen Falcon (F. p. peregrinator) - uncommon resident
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This is very interesting!! How many raptors!! Greetings from Spain!!
ReplyDeleteBruno
Thank you, Bruno! Looks like you can see quite a few of them in Spain, too.
DeleteHi, thank you for visiting my blog. Beautiful birds of prey in your country. Greetings Caroline from the Netherlands
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting and commenting, Caroline!
DeleteSo many wonderful big birds. I enjoyed seeing them.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting and commenting, Tammie!
DeleteHi
ReplyDeletethis report is very interesting. You don't get to see such birds here in Germany and if only in the zoo or wildlife park, I really liked it
Regards Frank
Thank you for visiting and commenting, Frank!
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