Annotated checklist of vagrant Shrikes (Family: Laniidae) 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 vagrants of the family Laniidae (Shrikes) in Sri Lanka.

Great Grey Shrike [Northern Shrike/Southern Grey Shrike](Lanius excubitor meridionalis)

First sight record of it is from a scrub jungle on the outskirts of paddy cultivation near Kekirawa during December 1940 (Phillips W.W.A, 1978). Second record is from 6-7^th mile of Murunkan - Silavaturai Road in May 1974 (Hoffmann, T. W., 1975).

Several other sightings are - 

1) Single bird from Maho in January 1978 (Hoffmann, T. W.,1979), 

2) Single bird (Pied Shrike?) from Pannikar villu-Wilpattu in January 1983 (Hoffmann, T. W., 1984), 

3) Single bird at Hantana in January 1985 (Hoffmann, T. W., 1986), 

4) Two sighting in February 1986 - one at Buttuwa in Yala and other one at Horton plains (Hoffmann, T. W., 1987) 

5) Sighting of two birds at Ampitiya in January 1992 (Hoffmann, T. W.. 1993)

Reference:

Hoffmann, T. W., 1975. Notes From The Ceylon Bird Club, 1974. Loris, 13(5), 275-276.

Hoffmann, T. W., 1979. Note from the Ceylon Bird club 1978. Loris, 15(1), p6-8.

Hoffmann, T. W., 1984. Notes from the Ceylon Bird Club 1983. Loris, 16(6), 299-301.

Hoffmann, T. W., 1986. Notes from the Ceylon Bird Club 1985. Loris, 17(3), 99-101.

Hoffmann, T. W., 1987. Notes from the Ceylon Bird Club 1986. Loris, 17(5), 209-210

Hoffmann, T. W., 1993. Notes from the Ceylon Bird Club, 1992. Loris, 20(1), p12-14.

Phillips W.W.A, 1978. Annotated checklist of the Birds of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) 1978 revised edition