Endemics
Sri Lanka, being a tropical island, is a hotspot for biodiversity, one of whose hallmarks is a high degree of endemism among its flora and fauna. There are, in total, 506 species that can be or have ever been sighted in Sri Lanka (Lepage, 2020), and 34 of them are endemic - they cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
The taxonomy of the endemics is constantly under revision and debate, and new research often elevates subspecies to full species status, making things somewhat confusing. You can find an introduction to taxonomy, and an explanation for the debate here.
 |
| The montane forests of Riverstone, Matale - a good area to seek endemics |
From this page I’ll be linking to my experiences with sighting the endemic birds of Sri Lanka, as and when I see them. Some accounts are small, but some are adventures in their own right.
Here’s the list of endemic species according to the Clements classification (2019 version).
- Sri Lanka Spurfowl - Galloperdix bicalcarata
- Sri Lanka Junglefowl - Gallus lafayettii
- Sri Lanka Woodpigeon - Columba torringtoniae
- Sri Lanka Green Pigeon - Treron pompadora
- Green-billed Coucal - Centropus chlororhynchos
- Red-faced Malkoha - Phaenicophaeus pyrrhocephalus
- Serendib Scops Owl - Otus thilohoffmanni
- Chestnut-backed Owlet - Glaucidium castanonotum
- Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill - Ocyceros gingalensis
- Crimson-fronted Barbet - Psilopogon rubricapillus
- Yellow-fronted Barbet - Psilopogon flavifrons
- Crimson-backed Flameback - Chrysocolaptes stricklandi
- Red-backed Flameback - Dinopium psarodes
- Layard’s Parakeet - Psittacula calthropae
- Sri Lanka Hanging-parrot - Loriculus beryllinus
- Sri Lanka Woodshrike - Tephrodornis affinis
- Sri Lanka Drongo - Dicrurus lophorinus
- Sri Lanka Blue Magpie - Urocissa ornata
- Sri Lanka Bush Warbler - Elaphrornis palliseri
- Sri Lanka Swallow - Cecropis hyperythra
- Black-capped Bulbul - Rubigula melanicterus
- Yellow-eared Bulbul - Pycnonotus penicillatus
- Sri Lanka White-eye - Zosterops ceylonensis
- Sri Lanka Scimitar-babbler - Pomatorhinus melanurus
- Brown-capped Babbler - Pellorneum fuscocapillus
- Orange-billed Babbler - Turdoides rufescens
- Ashy-headed Laughingthrush - Garrulax cinereifrons
- Sri Lanka Myna - Gracula ptilogenys
- White-faced Starling - Sturnornis albofrontatus
- Sri Lanka Scaly Thrush - Zoothera imbricata
- Spot-winged Thrush - Geokichla spiloptera
- Dull-blue Flycatcher - Eumyias sordidus
- Sri Lanka Whistling-thrush - Myophonus blighi
- White-throated Flowerpecker - Dicaeum vincens
Comments
Post a Comment