Sri Lanka Thrush
It feeds in the dim, wet places beside forest streams. Scaled plumage breaks up its outline against the leaves.
Sri Lanka Scimitar Babbler
Named for its bill. Pairs sing in such close duet that one bird can sound like two, or two like one.
Brown-capped Babbler
It walks through the leaf litter, the same colour as what it walks on. Its song gives it away long before its shape does.
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.
Yellow-eared Bulbul
A hill-country bird with a face built from tiny patches of colour. Each one only shows when the bird turns its head.
Black-capped Bulbul
A clear, sweet song from the scrub. The black cap is the sign of a bird that lives only here.
Sri Lanka Drongo
Often heard first, leading the mixed feeding flocks of the rainforest. It copies the calls of other birds, so check what you think you heard.
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.