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Sri Lanka Philatelic Bureau of the Department of Posts has issued a set of Stamps depicting Endemic Birds of Sri Lanka in the denominations of Rs.10.00, Rs.15.00, Rs.25.00 and Rs.35.00 on16th December 2017.
| Date of Issue | 16th December 2017 |
| Denomination | Rs.4.00, Rs.10.00, Rs.15.00, Rs.35.00 |
| Catalogue No: | Rs.4.00:CSL2265 |
| Stamp Designer | Mr.KalumGunasekara |
Stamp Size: | 30mm x 41mm |
| Sheet Composition: | 20 stamps per sheet |
Pycnonotusmelanicterus (Gmelin, 1789)
l¿ bieisfldKavhd, 18-19 cm. Yellowish green above. Yellow below. Black head. No crest. Tail brownish ending in whitetip. Irides, red eyes in male, brown in female
Habit: A very shy bird, calling softly from feedingtrees. Generally seen as pairs except in feeding trees.
Voice: (RA)- Has a number of different songand calls. “Song- cherlmlt-cherlcit/CHINK\U T/CH INK\U T; series of short, mellow, quavering, almostbarbet-like rising then falling notes pwwit, puwit, puwit/wit/wit; a quavering, gradually rising mellowjowu-10w’u-pu ’w/WI Tl; series of subdued, slightly guttural, urgent prrt, prrt, yorrt notes”. (H)- Its call-note is a plaintive, minor-key Whistle on an ascending scale, something like yer, yer ye, or werwerwewe each syllable higher than the last. (HA)- A rising yoryeryee and werwerweewee.
Breeding:Between March-April and again in August-September. l\lest- open, small cup in a fork of a branchwith fibers and small twigs. Clutch 2. Eggs rose—white with numerous brownish spots, measuring21x16 mm.
Habitat: Forest, wooded~areas, gardens.
Distribution: All zones. More plentiful in DZriverine habitats.
Status: Endemic. (N) LC / (G) LC. Common. BrR. List 1.
Sri Lanka Warbler (Sri Lanka Bush-warbler)
Elaphromispalliseri (Blyth, 1851) A
15-16 cm; 9-14 g. Dark, almost blackish above. Pale grey supercilium Eye-ring, throat light buff.
Underparts: yellowish grey. Belly yellowish. Irides, male - red, female- buff. Young male, irides
pale reddish buff. Young female, irides white.
Habit: A very secretive bird moving among theunder growth.
Voice: (RA)- Song- a short, rather musical, slightly squeaky, jaunty outbursttaCH I Kat/WEE, ta/WEE; call - a rich, rather chat-like, abrupt, short, shrill single note squeet. (H)-Sharp alarm-note which is well likened by Legge to the Word quttze though sometimes it soundsmore like quee/~c. (HA)- A squeaky song from an exposed stem and a hard, metallic ohmic call.
Breeding: Between February to Mayand again in September. l\lest~ open, a cup shaped dense,deep nest of fibers and litter, padded with mosses, close to the ground in the under growth.Clutch 2. Eggs whitish-rose with one or two fine long dark brown streaks on the broad side anddar1< purple patches in the rest, measuring 23x17 mm.
Habitat: Confined to vicinity of forestedareas with dense under growth.
Distribution: HZ.
Status: Endemic."(l\l) / (G) NT. Rare. BrR.List 1. ’
Sri Lanka Chestnut-backed Owlet
Glaucidiumcastanonotum (Blyth, 1846)
19cm. Upperparts reddish-brown closely barred with brownish-buff. Underparts, chin, moustachial
streak, middle of breast and abdomen white. Rest barred dark yellowish-green, brown and white.
In flight: Brownish-red patch on underwing.
Habit: Calls in the evenings and morning as the feedin to the early hours of the day.
Voice: (RA)- A loud, resonant, barbet-like, musical, vibrato series ofpurr, PURR, BURRR-BURRR... (HA)- A rising, trilling 0000, 0000, 0000... (H)- Similar to Jungle-owlet. The kraw call of the Jungle.OWlet is uttered in descending scale, wheareas the Chestnut~backedowlets lcrrew is on a kevel scale and somewhat slower.
Breeding: Between March-May. l\lest- closed,in a tree cavity no nest material. Clutch 2. Eggs white, measuring 35x28 mm.
Habitat: Forest, scrub,cultivation.
Distribution: LCWZ and HZ.
Status: Endemic. (L).VU / (G) NT. Uncommon. BrR. Near- threatened species. List 1.
Sri Lanka Drongo (Sri Lanka Crested Drongo)
DicruruslophorinusVieillot, 1817
30cm. Similar to the Raquet~tailedDrongo, but has a characteristic shor and rounded nasal crest.
The tail is also more deeply forked and lacks the prominant ‘raquets’ seen” in the former species.
Plumage glossy black. Often a member of feeding flocks. Very noisy.
Habit: A regular member ofthe mixed speeies feeding flocks of the wet zone. Show ”kleptoparasitism" (grabing food from otherspecies.
Voice: Songs rapidly alternating jangling, clear, silvery, musical notes; (nyit),CH Ll/WlT\CH LI..., (nyit); calls include nasal, mechanical pealing urDLE/BEE”. (HA) - Loud, fruity,often bell-like Whistles and ratchet-like chucks Noisy.
Breeding: Between January-May. Nest- openvery shallow cup attached to the upper surface of a branch made withfibers and covered withlichens. The nest is almost invisible when the bird sits to incubate. Clutch 2-4. Eggs White or rosecoloured with Grey-purple and reddish rose streaks, measuring 27x21 mm.
Habitat: Forest.
Distribution: Wet zone. Confined to forests.
Status: Endemic. (N) VU / (G) LC. Common. BrR. List
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