Sri Lanka Junglefowl
Gallus lafayettii
Wild chickenlike bird. Male is burnt orange with dark streaks, cockerel-like glossy black tail, and a prominent red comb marked with yellow on the crown. Gray-brown female has white streaks and prominent barring on its wings. Terrestrial, found in pairs or small groups in forests of lowlands and highlands over much of Sri Lanka. Generally keeps to cover. Only confusion is with domestic chicken; note lack of white at tail base, and yellow marking on comb of males, and bars in wings of females in Sri Lanka Junglefowl. Song a harsh “chyok-cher-chow”. Also stuttering “kik-kik-kik-kik” notes.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Gallus lafayettii
- Authority
- Lesson, RP, 1831
- Order
- Galliformes
- Family
- Phasianidae
- Genus
- Gallus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Large, stocky gull of the North Pacific. Generally fairly pale and uniform-looking; at all ages, note wingtips and back are approximately the same color. Takes four years for immatures to progress from mostly brown to fully white and gray adult plumage; intermediate plumages are often mottled and messy. Most immatures look frosty grayish-brown with smooth patterning. Found in coastal areas, including beaches, mudflats, and even city parks. Identification is complicated by frequent hybridization with Western, Herring, and Glaucous Gulls in various parts of range. Pure birds can be difficult to find and identify with certainty, and many intermediate birds are best left unidentified.
Large-billed Tern
Phaetusa simplex
Unmistakable large noisy tern, with a long, thick yellow bill, black crown, three-toned wings (black outer wing, pale middle, and gray inner wing), and a gray tail. Juveniles have a browner crown and wings. Found along large rivers and lakes and seasonally on the coast.
Philippine Eagle
Pithecophaga jefferyi
A huge and extremely rare raptor of lowland and montane forests. One of the largest eagles in the world, and the national bird of the Philippines. Dark brown above with pale feather edges, white underparts, a streaked shaggy crest and back of the neck, powerful yellow feet, a very thick silver-gray bill with a black tip, and black around the eye. Unmistakable if seen well perched. In flight, much broader-winged than other raptors. Voice is a descending, whistled “weeuuuu!” repeated at intervals.
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