Footsteps at Mihintale

Mihintale is a dry zone area in Sri Lanka with the estimated terrain elevation of 106 meters above mean sea level (MSL) has well diversed unique forests consist of many flora and fauna species.

Photographs in this article are captured at the Bird Ringing Program conducted by the Field Ornithology group of Sri Lanka (FOGSL) and special thanks to the crew from Rajarata University of Sri Lanka.

(Some captures are subject to low quality due to the distance of observed)

“Mahakanadarawa Tank at Mihintale”

 

Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill

(Ocyceros gingalensis)

Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill is a relatively large bird with grey wings, black primary flight feathers and a long blackish tail with white sides. Male Grey Hornbills can be differentiated from it’s cream colour curved beak among the female’s black beak with a cream colour stripe.

 

Malabar Pied Hornbill

(Anthracoceros coronatus)

Malabar Pied Hornbill or lesser pied hornbill is a common resident breeder in India and Sri Lanka. Female hornbill has a white patch around it’s eye.

 

Shikra

(Accipiter badius)

Shikra is a small predatory bird, widely distributed among Asia and Africa. They are also called as little banded goshawk and these photographs were captured while he was foraging at a pond.

 

White Throated KingFisher

(Halcyon smyrnensis)

 

Common Kingfisher

(Alcedo atthis)

 

Lesser Whistling Duck

(Dendrocygna javanica)

 

Indian Roller

(Coracias benghalensis)

 

Green Bee Eater

(Merops orientalis)

Oriental White Eye

(Zosterops palpebrosus)

 

Cormorant Flocks

Little Cormorant (Left)  |  Oriental Darter (Right)

 

Brahminy kite

(Haliastur indus)

 

Grey Headed Fish Eagle

(Haliaeetus ichthyaetus)

 

Crested Hawk Eagle

(Nisaetus cirrhatus)

 

Blue Tiger

(Tirumala limniace)

 

Dragonflies

 

Common Green Forest Lizard

(Calotus calotus)

 

Bird Ringing

Bird ringing is an individual bird identification method by placing a small ring or tag to the bird to keep track of the movements of the bird and its life history.

Read more at Wikipedia

Purple Rumped Sunbird looking at his newly placed ring.

 

Asian Paradise Flycatcher at hand.

 

Mist nets are used to capture birds without harming them.

 

 

Holding a Sri Lankan Grey Hornbill. (Capture Credits – Himidu Himansi)