Red-backed Flameback
A garden bird many Sri Lankans see every week, and it lives nowhere else on Earth.
Crimson-backed Flameback
Compare it with the Red-backed Flameback. The bill colour tells them apart, and few people ever check.
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.
Sri Lanka Junglefowl
The national bird of Sri Lanka. Everyone thinks they know a chicken, until the light finds that comb.
Sri Lanka Spurfowl
The Latin name means two-spurred. You will usually hear this bird long before a shadow moves on the forest floor.