Birds of Sri Lanka

As much as we appreciate the beauty and diversity of bird life in Sri Lanka, conservation and protection of birds and their habitat should be an urgent priority. The pressure exerted on bird populations via means such as destruction of habitat, use of pesticides and illegal capture are increasing. The following extract from ‘The National Red List 2012 of Sri Lanka – Conservation status of the Fauna and Flora’ summaries the threats faced by birds in Sri Lanka as follows.

 

“In Sri Lanka, wild birds are rarely exploited as a source of food. However, there is an emerging trend which began in the recent past of capturing some of the species for the illegal pet trade. As in the case of all other taxa, habitat loss is the main threat faced by the birds of Sri Lanka. Nearly one third of all the resident birds in Sri Lanka are forest birds including all the endemic species. Out of the endemic birds, more than 60% are restricted to the forests in the wet zone. These forests are being rapidly depleted to support the needs of the burgeoning human population. Therefore, loss of forest cover and fragmentation of forests are the main threats faced by the birds of Sri Lanka. Wetlands are also an important bird habitat in Sri Lanka with nearly 25% of the resident birds and more than 75% of the migrants depend on such habitats. Many of these wetland habitats are adversely impacted due to conversion, changes in salinity and hydrology, pollution of water ways, spread of invasive species (e.g. spread of Prosopis juliflora in Bundala and Wankalai, Annona glabra in Bellanwila-Attidiya), expansion of prawn farming and salt production. As a result, species richness and the carrying capacity of many wetland habitats have declined rapidly.”

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The following section identifies the bird species who are in Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN) Near Threatened (NT) and Vulnerable (VU) status according to ‘The National Red List 2012 of Sri Lanka – Conservation status of the Fauna and Flora’. They are identified based on the National Conservation Status. (not the Global Conversation Status)

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Let’s come together to preserve and protect our natures heritage for future generations!