endemic

Sri Lankan Leopards

"Of the four species of wild cats found in Sri Lanka, the leopard is the largest. No information exists for all the species of cats in regard to their population, distribution and status. There is also small scale poaching of all the species of cats for their skins, teeth and meat.- slwcs"

• Sri Lanka - Own Endemic Lepords
• Sri Lankan leopard Project (In Sri Lanka the current population of leopards in the island is unknown. What is known is however is the numbers of these elusive animals have decreased substantially over the last century.)
• Cat News: leopards in Sri Lanka (Charles Santiapillai reports that the leopard Panthera pardus kotiya in Sri Lanka is now "clearly endangered" and that existing protected areas are unlikely to support more than 600 animals.)
• Sri Lankan leopards in Yala (Fierce but beautiful, they are the pride of the jungles of Sri Lanka. Growing to about six to seven feet in length and weighing from 75 to 170 pounds, they are feared by all save perhaps the elephant.)

Sri Lankan Birds & Bird Watching

• New bird discovered by Sri Lankan ornithologist (A previously unknown species of a bird (a type of owl) has been discovered recently in Sri Lanka - the first such discovery in 132 years)
• A Birdwatcher's Guide to Sri Lanka
• The endangered birds of Sri Lanka (by Elmo Alles)
• Endemic Birds in Sri Lanka (via mysrilanka.com) (26 birds have been identified as endemic birds of Sri Lanka. Most of this birds are threatened by rapid destruction of forest and drying off of water flows. )
• Birds of Sri Lanka - Picture Gallery (© Forestry and Environment Society 1998-2001)
• Birdwatcher's Trip Reports to Sri Lanka
  • October 22-28, 2000 || December 24, 2000 to January 8, 2001 || December 2-17, 2000
  • March 28 - April 10, 1999 || 24th March 1999 - 7th April 1999 || December 1-20, 1997
• Common Sandpiper: Longest staying migrant ( This family has 39 species recorded in Sri Lanka and all are winter migrants or vagrants with no resident species.)
• Bundala - a wetland of international importance ( Bundala is a haven for migrant and resident birds, and is home to over 20,000 migrant birds. According to 'A Guide to Bundala' by Channa Bambaradeniya, a total number of 383 plant species are found while 324 species of vertebrates are also found, 11 being endemic while 29 are nationally threatened species.)
• Flamingo Serenade (Among the190 odd species of migrant birds that grace our shores during the bird migration season (September - June), the Greater Flamingo can be ranked as one of those stately migrant birds. )
• Watching seabirds on the West Coast of Sri Lanka ( In favourable years as many as 400,000 birds fly southwards during daytime - well within sight of land. )
• CROWS ( There are two species in Sri Lanka. The Black crow and the House crow. Crows are one of our smartest and most sophisticated birds. )
• White-browed Bulbul: Common and voluble but shy ( Bulbuls are medium-sized birds with short, round wings, medium or long tails, short sturdy legs and soft plumage. They belong to the family Pycnonotidae that is represented by six species in Sri Lanka.)
• BIRDS OF CEYLON (a book by G.M. HENRY) ( The book, which contains sixteen coloured plates of exquisite drawings of birds endemic to Ceylon with an accompanying brief but very informative accompanying text written by W.E. Wait and published by the Ceylon Government, is undoubtedly one of the finest legacies left behind by the colonial masters for bird lovers in this country.