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Goliath Heron
(යෝධ කොකා)
Ardea goliath

Yet to capture image

Vagrant species
Goliath Heron
Purple Heron
(කරවැල් කොකා)
Ardea purpurea

Images 1 and 2 from Kuchaveli in the extreme east of Sri Lanka where he was basking in the morning sun.

 

Extremely sensitive to human beings I am amazed by there size of the feet.

Image 5 from Diyasaru park, Thalawathugoda where it was hunting fish. Image 6 from Thalangama tank area.

Purple Heron
Grey Heron
(අලු කොකා)
Ardea cinerea

First one seen in the waterhole inside the Dehiwala zoo.
 

Others are from the Bundala National Park.

Grey Heron
Eurasian Bittern
(යුරැසියා පන්-කොකා)
Botaurus stellaris

Yet to capture image

Vagrant species
Eurasian Bittern
Intermediate Egret / Median Egret
(සුදු මැදි-කොකා)
Egretta intermedia

Seen in the paddy fields around Malabe.

Image 7 is with breeding plumage photographed at Lunugamwehera National Park.

Intermediate Egret
Great Egret / Large Egret
(මහ සුදු කොකා)
Egretta alba

This one is a constant visitor to the Diyawanna waterway at Baththaramulla. I have seen him many times while traveling on the road and finally decided to get down and take a picture using my point-and-shoot which I have kept in my vehicle most of the time.

 

The last image is from Bundala National Park where a big one was catching fish at the water's edge.

Great Egret
Little Egret
(පුන්චි ඇලි කොකා)
Egretta garzetta

Photographed first during 'Madu Ganga' river safari, this guy was perched atop a Prawn farm enclosure.

Next set of photographs from Diyawanna Oya area. Image 7 from Weeravila tank.

Little Egret
Western Reef Egret / Indian Reef Heron
(බටහිර පර ඇලි-කොකා)
Egretta gularis

The dark morph of a Western Reef Egret was first captured at the Talai Mannar beach. He was roaming around in the mud and garbage around the fishing huts in the beach. 

I came across another in Bundala National Park on a later date.

Western Reef Egret
Cattle Egret
(ගව කොකා)
Bubulcus coromandus

Seen in Galle next to my father's ancestral home. It has a beautiful orange tint which is its breeding plumage.

Image 2 and 3 are of an egret in non-breeding plumage.

Images 4 to 8 are from the Thalngama lake area where this beauty in breeding plumage put on a show for me.

Image 9 was taken on a gloomy day in Kuchchaveli.

Cattle Egret
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