Having lived in Colombo, Sri Lanka, for a few years, I had plenty of chances to explore local birding possibilities. While as in any city most common birds quickly become routine sights, Colombo offers a great diversity of species and with several small wetland areas throughout the city, uncommon species show up pretty regularly. One of my favourite sites to visit, partly because it is pretty close to my home, was Diyasaru Wetland Park.
The open areas in Diyasaru with dry ground always host a good selection of arboreal and terrestrial species. Rosy Starlings are sometimes around on migration, and I once saw a vagrant Daurian Starling (which, it turned out, had already been found by other birders). Orange-headed Green-Pigeons are among the nicer birds that can be seen here as well.
The canals and flooded areas are great for a range of waterbirds. Impressively, I’ve seen four kingfishers here: Pied, Common, White-throated, and the huge Stork-billed. Few birds can compete for colour splendour with kingfishers, but orioles are surely a good bet. Indian Golden Oriole is sometimes spotted in the park, but Black-hooded Oriole is guaranteed. In fact, it is probably one of the most common garden birds in the area.
A star bird of Diyasaru was a Ruddy-breasted Crake that hung around for a few weeks, providing great photo opportunities. The bird was quite approachable for a crake and didn’t mind some of the commotion induced by the visitors (not least some bird photographers desperate for a photo).
The lookout tower at the end of the path gives you a sense of the whole park and surrounding urban areas. Herons can be seen well from here, and I once saw a Greater Painted Snipe in the flooded grass below. If you visit in the evening, this is a great spot to watch large flocks of Indian Flying Fox and Rose-ringed Parakeets fly over.
If birders spend a day or two in Colombo before or after heading out on a trip to the rest of the island, I greatly recommend Diyasaru. Not only does it provide a good introduction to birds of the country, but also some funding that helps maintain this all-important urban green space.
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