Vagrant Finches and Buntings (Family: Fringillidae and Emberizidae) recorded in Sri Lanka

     Birds that appear outside their normal range are known as vagrants. This post summarizes up to date published sight records of 3 vagrants of the family Emberizidae (Buntings) and single vagrant of the family Fringillidae (Finches)  in Sri Lanka. All four are here considered as unconfirmed vagrants*. 

*Species for which there are only one or two sight records exist categorized here as unconfirmed vagrants. Problematic records without sufficient details are also included.

     1) Common Rosefinch (Carpodacus erythrinus)

Single sight record at Horton Plains National Park in February 2002 by Uditha Hettige (Siriwardana, U., 2003).

     2) Grey-necked Bunting (Emberiza buchanani)

C.D. Kaluthota, Dammithra Samarasinghe, Dilshan de Silva and Hasith de Silva observed and photographed a bird at Nirmalapura, Daluwa area of Kalpitiya peninsula on 16^th December 2008. It is the first and only known occurrence of Grey-necked Bunting in Sri Lanka (Kaluthota et. al., 2009)

     3) Black-headed Bunting (Emberiza melanocephala)

Single sight record from Udawalawe National Park in February 2005 by Deepal Warakagoda is the first record of its occurrence in Sri Lanka (Sirivardana U. & Warakagoda  D. , 2006). Second record of it is also given by Warakagoda D. & Sirivardana U. in/near Yala Block 1 in the report of Ceylon Bird Club for 2008-2011 periods (Warakagoda D. & Sirivardana U., 2011)

     4) Red-headed Bunting (Emberiza bruniceps)

Single sight record from Udawalawe National Park in February 2005 by Deepal Warakagoda is the only record of its occurrence in Sri Lanka (Sirivardana U. & Warakagoda  D. , 2006)

References:

Kaluthota, C.D., Samarasinghe, D., de Silva, D. & de Silva, H. 2009 First record of the Grey-necked Bunting Emberiza buchanani from Sri Lanka. Malkoha 30(1):4 

Siriwardana, U., 2003. Report from the Ceylon Bird Club for 2002. Loris, 23(3&4), 36-39.

Sirivardana U. & Warakagoda  D. , 2006. Report from the Ceylon Bird Club for 2005 Loris 24(3& 4), 24 - 28

Warakagoda D. & Sirivardana U., 2011. Report from the Ceylon Bird Club for 2008-2011, Loris 26 (1&2)