v4i1.69

ISSN: 1800-427X (print)
eISSN: 1800-427X (online)
DOI:10.47605/tapro.v4i1.69

Submitted date: 9 May 2012
Accepted date: 15 May 2012
Published date: 28 May 2012
Pp. 59.

First record of the dollarbird (Eurystomus orientalis) from Colombo District, Sri Lanka

D.M.S.S. Karunarathna*, N. Hapuarachchi, D.H.P.U de Silva, A. Kumarasinghe, U.T.I. Abeyawardene & M. Madawala
*E-mail: dmsameera@gmail.com

The Dollarbird, Eurystomus orientalis is one of the rarest and endangered bird in Sri Lanka. During a pilgrimage to Ambulgala Rajamaha Viharaya on 6 July 2009, one individual of dollarbird was sighted at Ambulgala (6° 54’ 20.98” N, 80° 03’ 03.01” E) between Hanwella and Ranala around 17:20 h. The dollarbird perched on a branch of a Jack tree (Artocarpus heterophyllus) around 10 m from ground level. During 40 minutes the bird flew away two times and came back and perched on the same tree. The villagers reported that the bird has been roosting on the same tree for past two months. Dollarbirds have been previously reported from many locations, but this is the first record from Colombo District, which is 40 km away from the nearest previous record from Kalutara District, Sri Lanka.