Yellow Wagtail/කහ හැලපෙන්දා[Kaha Halapendha] (Motacilla flava thunbergi)

Winter migrant to the island where it can be occurred as several races while Grey-headed wagtail (M.f. thunbergi) is the commonest of them which can be seen throughout the country in grasslands and marshes.  There are few other races (M.f. bema [Syke’sYellow wagtail], M.f lutea [Yellow-headed Wagtail], M.f. melanogrisea [Black-headed Yellow wagtail], M.f. simillima [Siberian Yellow Wagtail], M.f. feldegg) those are rare to very rare migrants and vagrants to the dry lowlands. During its stay in Sri Lanka Grey-headed wagtail  feeds as scattered flocks on grasslands, dry tank beds, paddy fields, etc often accompanying with cattle.  It roosts communally in reed-bed or swamp scrub during the night. Grey-headed wagtail  breeds from North-eastern Europe to North-western Siberia. 

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Plain prinia (Prinia inornata insularis)

A resident bird locally common in paddy fields, scrub and marsh lands from lowland to lower hills while commoner in the dry zone. Its food mainly consists of insects and spends its time mostly on hopping actively among grass stems solitarily or as pairs in search of them. It breeds probably throughout the year and nest a deep cup of grasses place in grass-tussock or low bush often few feets above the ground (or water since usually it is situated in a swamp). 

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ඇටිකුකුලා[Ati Kukula]/Greater Coucal/Southern Coucal /Common Coucal (Centropus sinensis)

Common breeding resident of home gardens, cultivations, scrublands, forest edges of wet zone and dry forests throughout the island. It is a ground feeder and food consist of almost any animal which is small enough to tackle such as snails, lizards, insects, frogs, small snakes, eggs and nestlings of birds etc. It hunts solitarily or as pairs. It appear to be pair for life time and when feeding keep contacts with each other with call which sound like hoop oop oop .... Breeding season is from February to September and again from October to December. It lays two or three eggs in a domed nest concealed in deep cover in thorny bushes or crown of a palm.

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Zitting Cisticola/Fantail warbler/Streaked Fantail warbler/Hambu kurulla[S] (Cisticola juncidis)

Common resident bird in tall grasslands, marsh lands, tank edges and paddy fields throughout the island from sea coast to higher hills like Horton plains national park. It feeds manly on insects like grasshoppers. Breeding season last from March to April and July to September. It build  a nest a cylindrical pocket with a small circular opening at the top well hidden among middle of a tussock of grass and lays three or four pinkish white eggs.

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Kalukichcha/Indian Robin/Black-backed Robin (Saxicoloides fulicatus)

Common breeding resident of drier open areas of the dry zone while rare and local in the wet zone up to mid hills. It prefers gardens, cultivation and scrub lands and avoids heavy forest areas. Indian Robin lives as pairs and feeds actively on ground in searching insects.  The breeding season is from March to September and it builds its nest in a hole of a bank, tree-trunk or sometime in a cavity in a building where it lays 2-3 eggs. 

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Great Black-headed Gull/Pallas’s Gull (Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus)

 Common winter migrant to the lagoons, sand spits and tidal flats of Northern and North-western coastal areas.  Its food mainly consists of fish but also feeds on any small animal it can catch and also carrion. Though usually encounters as solitary birds during November to April period, sometimes large flocks of several hundreds resting on sand-spits or tidal flats can be observed. It breeds in Russia and Central Asia.

Hill Swallow/කඳු වැහිළිහිණියා/හෙල් වැහිළිහිණියා[Kandu Wehilihiniya/Hel Wehilihiniya] (Hirundo domicola)

Hill swallow is a common breeding resident found in grass lands, plantations and open areas in villages and towns of the hill country while occasional visitor to the foot hills of the wet zone. Its food consist of small flying insects capturing on the wing, usually as small flocks of its own members or others of the family like red-rumped swallow, Barnswallow.etc.The breeding season is from February to May and again in September. It lays 2 or 3 eggs in a mud and straw cup nest, lined with feathers and bracketed on a wall, road-bank or earth-slip. 

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Black-naped Monarch (Hypothymis azurea)

Common breeding resident in forests and adjoining well wooded home gardens of lowlands and hills up to 1700m a.s.l., while more frequent in the wet zone and riverine habitats of the dry zone. It feeds on flying insects in usual flycatcher habits and constantly travels about in the canopy solitary or in pairs. The breeding season is from March to May and, the nest a small deep cup placed in a fork of small sapling few feet from the ground to higher levels of the canopy. 

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Common Iora (Aegithina tiphia)

Common Iora is a very common breeding resident distributed mainly in gardens, scrublands, and forest edges of low country and lower hills up to 1000m a.s.l. But it is much common in dry zone. Iora lives in pairs and feeds on insects, especially on caterpillars among leaves of trees. While feeding it keeps in touch with each others by frequently calling in variety of whistling sounds. Breeding season is mainly from April to June and the nest a little cup made out of fibers and cobwebs fastened to a twig of a tree where it lays 2 or 3 eggs.

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Little Green Bee-eater (Merops orientalis ceylonicus)

Little Green Bee-eater is a very common breeding resident of open areas, cultivations and open spaces of forests in dry lowlands.  Sometime perching birds on wires are not uncommon in suburban areas and it is occasional visitor to wet zone too.  It usually encounters as pairs and communal roosting during the night are observed in bushy trees. Like all other bee-eaters its main food consists of varies type of flying insects like beetles, bees, butterflies, dragonflies, etc. and it darts out to feed on them from its favorite perching wires or branches of a tree and often return to same place to swallow its catch. Little green Bee-eater breeds during April to August and lays 3-5 white color eggs in a nesting burrow which it dug into the side of a bank. 

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Eurasian Thick-knee/ගොළු කිරළා[Golu Kirala] (Burhinus oedicnemus)

Eurasian Thick-knee is a breeding resident of mainly coastal dry zone areas, though occasionally found in wet zone coastal areas as well. It lives in pairs or as small flocks, spending day time squatting on ground in the shade of small bush and as dusk descends it become active. It is mainly a crepuscular and nocturnal bird feeds on ground insects such as grasshoppers, beetles, termites, etc. and such small animals. Breeding season is from June to August and nest, a shallow scrape on the ground where it lays two eggs, well camouflaged with the ground by color and difficult to locate. 

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White-browed Bulbul/ගළුගුඩු කොණ්ඩයා/බැම සුදු කොණ්ඩයා [Galugudu Kondaya/Bema Sudu Kondaya] (Pycnonotus luteolus insulae)

Common breeding resident of  entire low country and hills up to about 1000m a.s.l. while most common in dry lowlands. It inhabits home gardens, secondary forests, plantations and scrub lands. White-browed Bulbul feeds largely on varies type of berries as well as many insects. The main nesting season is from February to March and the nest, a cup of small twigs, rootlets etc. place on a bush, usually of 2-3 feet above the ground. 

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පොල්කිච්චා[Polkichcha]/Oriental Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis)

Very common breeding resident of gardens, cultivations and scrublands of all zones. It avoids deep forests. Oriental Magpie Robin feeds mainly on insect, hopping on the ground solitary or in pairs. But vegetable foods such as rice, bread and etc thrown out of the houses are also taken. It is active even after dusk and territorial call of the male can be heard again before sunrise often uttered from a top of  tall tree or a lamppost. Fierce combats between males occur occasionally. Main breeding season is from March to September and the nest is a mass of grasses in a tree hole.

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බළල් සේරා(Balal Sera)/Pheasant-tailed Jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus)

Common breeding resident bird of weed covered tanks and marshes in the low country. It lives as scattered flocks walking on the floating vegetation using their long toes and claws. It has a cat-like high-pitch mew, mew…. loud call and hence the Sinhala name Balal Sera. It feeds on seeds of varies water plants, grains and some aquatic insects, shrimps etc.. Breeding season is from February to July and nest, usually a water-logged pile of weeds among lotus leaves where it lays 3-4 bronze brown color eggs.

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කිරලා[Kirala]/Red-wattled Lapwing/Did-he-do-it (Vanellus indicus)

Common resident of tank edges, paddy fields and open areas, usually not far from the water in the low country and lower hills while much common in dry zone. Usually it is encountered as pairs or small groups feeding on ground-dwelling insects such as grasshoppers, beetles, ants, termites, etc. walking hither and thither in typical plover fashion.  Breeding season is from April to September and lays four eggs in a shallow scrape on the ground among stones or debris. If an intruder approaches the nest it takes to wing and circles around the disturber screaming with its loud call did-he-do-it until the enemy has withdrawn.

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Thamba Seruwa/Lesser whistling Teal ( Dendrocygna javanica)

Common resident bird found in tanks, paddy fields and marshes of low country of the island. It lives as flocks of a dozen or so birds and feeds on paddy, insects and other small animals.  It is partially nocturnal and uttered its whistling call frequently in flight when heading to its feeding grounds during dusk from the day retreat which is usually a small islet in a tank or boughs of a dead tree standing in water. Breeding season is from December to January and again from July to August. Nest often place in a water side vegetation or holes in trees usually standing in water.

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Little ringed plover/පුංචි මාල ඔලෙවියා ( Charadrius dubius jerdoni)

Little ringed plover is a resident bird of marshes, mud-flats, drying tanks and paddy fields, sand banks etc. of the dry zone coastal areas supplemented by race curonicus during winter migrations. Occasionally it is recorded from Colombo and near by marshy areas like Kotte and Bellanwila-Attidiya, probably of migrant race. It feeds on varies small animals taken from dry ground or shallow water. Often feed as scattered flocks and when alarmed mass together and fly in a dashing manner. It breeds from May to July on gravely shores, sand dunes or islets of large tanks. Usually three stone colored eggs are laid in a small hollow scraped in a gravel bank.

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රෑන ගිරවා/මාල ගිරවා [Raana Girawa/Mala Girawa]/Rose-ringed Parakeet(Pstittacula krameri)

Very common breeding resident of low lands and foot hills of the island. It has a characteristic fast and noisy flight often in flocks. Rose-ringed parakeet feeds on fruits, buds and seeds and does considerable damages to ripening paddy. The breeding seasons is from November to June and nest usually a hole in a dead tree or decaying palm trunk.  

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වී කුරුල්ලා[Wee Kurulla]/Scaly-breasted Munia/Spotted Munia (Lonchura puntulata)

Very common resident bird of grasslands, gardens and paddy fields throughout the island. It lives as flocks of about ten birds and feeds on grass seeds and paddy. Scaly-breasted Munia breeds throughout the year though most nests are found in the period of October to May. The nest is a ball of grass blades in trees or shrubs. Thorny trees like lime or orange and sometime areca palm flowers are much favored nesting sites.  

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Blue-tailed Bee-eater (Merops philippinus)

Mainly a winter visitor to the Sri Lanka, arriving in August and spread throughout the island avoiding deep forests, till May of next year though scarce breeding populations reported from South-Eastern coast. It preys on flying insects such as bees, wasps dragonflies and butterflies sallying out from top of trees where it perch often as flocks of few birds usually less than ten. It frequently bath in rivers and tanks plunging into the water while on the wings.

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