Sri Lanka White-eye
Small flocks move through the tree-tops without stopping. The ring round the eye is only visible for a moment.
Sri Lanka Swallow
Once treated as a race of the Red-rumped Swallow. The richer colour of the underside is the clue, and it can only be seen when the bird banks.
Black-capped Bulbul
A clear, sweet song from the scrub. The black cap is the sign of a bird that lives only here.
Crimson-fronted Barbet
Small enough to sit in full view and still go unnoticed. It also goes by the name Sri Lanka Small Barbet.
Yellow-fronted Barbet
Heard everywhere in the hills, hard to find among the leaves. Follow the call up the trunk, then wait for it to move.
Red-backed Flameback
A garden bird many Sri Lankans see every week, and it lives nowhere else on Earth.
Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill
A hornbill with no casque, easily overlooked for that reason. Listen for the wingbeats overhead.
Layard’s Parakeet
Most parakeets shout their way across the sky. Follow the softer call and find the grey head.
Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot
It sleeps hanging upside down like a bat. Look up into the flowering trees, and then look again at what you took for a leaf.
Sri Lanka Green Pigeon
In a fruiting fig the whole flock vanishes against the leaves. Watch for what moves, not for what is green.