Saturday, 8 March 2014 00:00
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The Sinharaja World Heritage Site, one of the most important natural treasures in our country, is home to an amazing array of flora and flora found nowhere else in the world. A boon for birders and nature lovers, this unique forest is visited by many tourists who are interested to experience the unique biodiversity this rainforest has to offer. There are several entrances and trails within the forest, with Kudawa which is off Kalawana being the most visited.
Having a particular interest in endemic birds which are found only in Sri Lanka, I was particularly interested in photographing the elusive and rare Sri Lanka Spur Fowl. This shy bird has hardly been photographed and when I heard of a sighting in Sinharaja I was determined to find them.
A member of the pheasant family, this bird is endemic to the rainforests of Sri Lanka. A very secretive and shy bird, it is known for its loud call but rarely seen as it slips through the dense undergrowth. The call is loud and consists of a whistle of three syllables. The best placed to find them is Kitulgala, Kaneliya and Sinharaja. The birds nest on the ground with the female laying around two to three eggs at a time. The bird is a seasonally territorial species, and scratches and feeds on the forest floor on molluscs and insects.
I was advised to reach the location before daylight and set up a hide. Remaining still and patient are key in order to catch a glimpse of this rare bird. Reaching the spot at around 5:30 a.m., I set up behind some branches and bushes which I draped with a khaki bed sheet under which I set up my tripod and lens. The morning calls of the various birds are just astounding – from the loud orange billed babblers and black bul buls in their mixed feeding flocks to the cacophonic calls of the Sri Lanka jungle fowl which first appeared in the open to feed on the worms and grubs.
After about an hour the bird arrived on cue; it was the male bird which had white streaks running across his body and a red patch on his face. Unfortunately the light was still too low in the dense forest for my lens to focus and hence I missed the photo opportunity. After walking around and pecking at the ground, the bird disappeared into the dark forest, giving a very loud echoing call.
Determined not to give up, I remained in the spot, and my patience paid off when the female appeared and shortly afterwards the male came out. Despite the low light, the sun was high enough to capture some good images. Later I was told of a chick being a sighted few times with the adult couple. Such a young bird as far as I know has never been photographed before and this knowledge made me want to come back again to the location a few weeks later.
Back in the same spot again two weeks from the first sighting, I set up again in my usual spot before dawn. The morning dew makes the surroundings moist and leeches are found everywhere. Hungry for blood these critters managed to make be bleed from the onset, but I remained determined in order to capture my quarry on film.
As expected the birds arrived with the young chick in tow, but their stay was short-lived as an aggressive jungle fowl chased them away. Remaining patient throughout the day, I caught short glimpses of this shy and elusive family several times, enough to get some good photographs. The chick was a young male and was showing signs of plumage akin to his father.
I felt honoured to have been witness to this rare sight and I hope that they remain undisturbed by the many visitors who frequent this pristine forest.
May the call of the Spur Fowl echo across the vales, streams and canopies of this amazing world heritage site for years to come.
(Read more from Rajiv at www.wildlifediaries.blogspot.com. You can view his photography portfolio at www.flickr.com/photos/rajivw and contact him via email on [email protected].)
