The migratory bird season this year, has taken off with the first-time sighting of a Black-Winged Pratincole (Glareola nordmanni), a ‘near-threatened’ migratory bird in Kerawalapitiya – a birding spot bordering Colombo. This bird has never been seen before in this area during the migratory season.
The rare bird was spotted and identified by Malika Jayathilake and his two sons who frequent this rich birding spot. The bird was first spotted by 17-year-old Navodha on October 17. A pair was spotted by the Jayathilake family, keen birders, who identified the pair as pratincoles – a bird with short legs and pointed wings.
But the bird was different from other pratincole species found in Sri Lanka, so the family made several visits to the site to observe the bird closely. It was 14-year-old Dinidu who was interested in comparing this bird’s distinctive features with pratincoles found across the world and concluded that what they had spotted in Kerawalapitiya was a Black-winged Pratincole.
Malika posted their images of the birds on social media and expert birders confirmed their identification, adding another bird to Sri Lanka’s check list.
The Black-winged Pratincole breeds in Europe and migrates to Africa during the European winter. This is also the first time that a Black-winged Pratincole has been recorded in a South Asian region.
The Jayathilake family also spotted other firsts for the country, all from the Kerawalapitiya birding spot. A day before the Black-winged Pratincole sighting, the family observed an Ortolan Bunting, a first sighting in Sri Lanka. They had also spotted the Eastern Marsh Harrier, another rare migratory bird.
Located near Wattala bordering Colombo, Kerawalapitiya is a paradise for birds, says Malika Jayathilake. Over the past few years it has become a favourite spot for birders who have recorded sveral rare sightings. The Amur falcon, Easter marsh harrier, grey-necked bunting and the Mongolian short-toed lark are some of them.
Kerawalapitya is an entrance to Sri Lanka where birds migrate through the Western Flyway, and therefore attracts a higher number of rare migrants, says Prof.Sampath Senevirathne, an Ornithologist of the University of Colombo. The site is adjacent to the Kerawalapitiya garbage processing plant and the flies attract insectivorous birds.
As a high-level UN summit on climate change starts today in Egypt, Sri Lanka and other climate-vulnerable countries will push for the need of having more funds for loss and damage caused by climate change impacts.
The country is also looking to make climate change an opportunity to develop technologies and gear towards a low-carbon economy, said Environment Ministry Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe, who is heading the official delegation representing Sri Lanka.
The climate summit will be attended by around 100 heads of state and Sri Lanka will be represented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe. He will address the summit, and will also launch Sri Lanka’s Climate Prosperity Plan.
This will detail Sri Lanka’s future action plan to achieve economic growth while having a low-carbon pathway, Dr. Jasinghe said.
Climate change, including long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns caused by increased greenhouse gas emissions, is seen as the worst challenge humanity faces in this century.
When scientists pointed out the risk, the world gathered at the 1992 Earth Summit to set up the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) and address this issue.
The 198 signatory countries meet every year at the Conference of Parties where the 27th such gathering (COP27) is happening at Sharm al-Sheikh in Egypt from November 6 to 18.
Studies show that emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities have been responsible for roughly 1.1°C of global warming since 1850, and they also found that over the next 20 years, global temperatures were expected to reach or exceed 1.5°C of global warming. If no action was taken immediately, this would cause catastrophic and severe climate change, scientists warned.
“The main livelihoods of many Sri Lankans are agriculture, fishing, and tourism which are sectors that will be impacted by climate change. So we are a country that is severely vulnerable to climate change,” Dr. Jasinghe said.
A global climate risk review that analysed to what extent countries had been affected by the impact of weather-related disasters such as storms, floods and heat waves, ranked Sri Lanka 2nd in 2017 and 6th in 2018, in terms of vulnerability due to weather and climate-related disasters caused by global warming.
According to the study, rising sea levels, intense rainfall and floods, and long dry periods and droughts are only a few of the major issues Sri Lanka would face in the coming years.
Sri Lanka’s greenhouse gas emission was only 0.03%, which was negligible, but the country aimed to achieve a net zero level said Dr. Jasinghe.
Sri Lanka also signed the 2015 Paris Agreement where one of the clauses was the reduction of such emissions.
Under the Paris agreement, Sri Lanka released its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), which was a climate action plan to cut emissions–including 4% unconditional and 10.5% conditional emission reduction commitments.
Last month, Japan signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with Sri Lanka on the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) for Low-Carbon Growth Partnership. Under this programme, the Japanese Government and private sector would provide technical assistance and capital investments to implement climate-friendly mechanisms in Sri Lanka. These include projects in energy, industry, transport, waste, forestry, and agriculture for reducing GHG emissions which are to be set up soon, a statement from the President’s Office said.
Last month, President Wickremesinghe proposed to establish an International University on Climate Change in Sri Lanka with the support of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to enable students from any country to engage in educational activities.
“It is heartening to see a President of this country taking serious note of climate change. While it is too early to comment or review the intentions, what is missing is a clear plan and strategy to show how Sri Lanka will take a critical path towards sustainability, which is the end objective of climate action,” said Former Ministerial Sustainable Development Advisor Uchita de Soyza, who is also a climate activist.
“Sri Lanka needs to adopt a long-term sustainability plan derived through proper data-based assessments feeding into a strategic foresight mechanism. We have conducted preliminary assessments through collection and analysis of data by hundreds of experts which is not used by ignorant and self-serving authorities, thus leaving the political hierarchy in the dark,” Mr. de Soyza said.
President Wickremesinghe recently appointed Ruwan Wijewardene as his climate change advisor, and he also appointed Norway’s former Environment Minister Eric Solheim as his international advisor on climate change-related matters.
“Since the economy and the environment are linked, a long-term plan will be presented to prevent increasing climate changes,”Mr. Wijewardene said, at the opening session of the Climate Finance conference held recently at Bangkok in Thailand.
COP27 would consist of leaders’ roundtables on November 7 and 8 and President Wickremesinghe would take part in the food security roundtable, Dr. Jasinghe said. As the changing climate would impact food yield and crop production, this is a timely topic for Sri Lanka, he added.
Loss and damage–a mechanism of compensation for vulnerable countries already suffering from climate-related extreme weather and weather-related disasters would also be a part of the summit’s formal agenda.
At last year’s COP26 in Glasgow, the United States and the European Union rejected calls for a fund to compensate such losses, but Sri Lanka would support such a mechanism in the global arena, Dr. Jasinghe said.
“There are some funds already available for adaptations, mitigation and to cover the damage under global climate change mechanisms. But to request money under these, a country needs to submit proper proposals with accurate technical data,” said Centre for Environmental Justice Spokesperson Hemantha Withanage.
“Sri Lanka needs to enhance this technical capacity as other countries such as India and Brazil are securing these funds,” Mr. Withanage added.
Sri Lanka has reiterated its call for climate compensation pointing out that his country is one of the worst affected by rising emissions from the industrialised world.
The call was made when President Ranil Wickremesinghe addressed the 27th Conference of Parties (COP27) of the signatories of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) which started on November 6 in the Egyptian city of Sharm al-Sheikh with the participation of about 100 heads of state.
Mr. Wickremesinghe’s address came as Sri Lanka launched its Climate Prosperity Plan (CPP), outlining its national investment strategy from the near to long-term (current decade to mid-century perspective) for climate-proofing the nation and in doing so to secure Sri Lanka’s pathway to prosperity in a climate-insecure world.
Sri Lanka’s Climate Prosperity Plan is anchored around three major goals focused on energy, finance, and resilience. This plan proposes several renewable energy projects, and adaptation programmes, and would cost at least USD 26.53 billion through 2030. The plan aims to secure a large portion of this funding from international sources.
During his speech, Mr. Wickremesinghe also tabled his proposal for setting up the world’s first-ever international university on Climate Change in Sri Lanka with an ancillary institution in the Maldives. “This seat of learning can be a trans-disciplinary global centre for green and blue studies – for scientists, environmentalists, researchers, policymakers, development practitioners, and students the world over offering both short-term courses and postgraduate academic awards to build capabilities for mitigating and adapting to climate change,” Mr. Wickremesinghe told.
Participating in the Round Table discussion on “Food Security”; Mr. Wickremesinghe proposed a global meeting of agriculture ministers to evaluate the food requirements over the next two years.
Reports indicate that food prices on a global level have increased to unprecedented levels due to several reasons ranging from the Ukraine war and agriculture failures. This global food security round noted that it is essential to finalise this plan by February 2023 and should be implemented by the end of the first quarter of 2023, if not the damage caused to the political and social structures of countries will be irreparable.
The President also highlighted the urgent need of compiling a medium-term plan to ensure global food security At COP28.
President Wickremesinghe said he hoped the climate prosperity agenda would build confidence with creditors and investors that our country is on the road to recovery, a clean and green recovery.
As expected, one of the main aims of Mr. Wickremesinghe’s visit to this global event also seems to be an attempt at seeking aid to bail out cash-strapped Sri Lanka’s economy. The president also took the opportunity to meet World Bank President David Malpass and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. President Ranil Wickremesinghe also met the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres.
Delivering the opening remarks of COP27 on November 6, the UN Secretary-General said, “We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot still on the accelerator as the emission of the greenhouse gases like Carbon dioxide keeps increasing.”
Climate Finance is expected to play an important role in the COP27 where parties are expected to review progress on the goal to channel US$100 billion a year to developing countries like Sri Lanka grappling with the climate crisis, a pledge that was made in 2009 at COP15 in Copenhagen. A new report from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) finds that the world will need more than US$300 billion a year by 2030 to deal with the effects of the climate crisis, which include droughts, rising seas, and more severe storms which Sri Lanka is pretty much vulnerable to.
Sri Lanka has enough plans and reports addressing various environmental issues, but we need to actually implement these to make them meaningful and else, all these would be meaningless, Hemantha Withanage, environmentalist of the Center of Environmental Justice (CEJ) told the Sunday Times. In keeping with the Paris Agreement, each signatory nation must submit its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Sri Lanka submitted its NDCs last year.
However, CEJ filed a petition against the government and then president Gotabaya Rajapaksa alleging that Sri Lanka did not take actions aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and even slashed some of the schemes such as encouraging roof-top solar power generation. The petition was recently taken up in the courts and the hearing is ongoing.
With the hope of getting a good catch, a group of fisherfolk gathered at Nawakkadu beach in Puttalam on Monday. They laid a large ma dela (seine fishing net) in the morning and began pulling on the ropes after some time.
The ma dela felt heavier than the other days, and this brought smiles to their faces, but their joy fell short after they discovered a large whale shark that was entangled in the net, making it heavier.
Whale shark meat does not have commercial demand, and it is prohibited to catch these creatures in Sri Lankan waters. The fisherfolk also felt sympathy for the whale shark that was struggling for its life while it was entangled in the ma dela so they tried to push it back into the ocean.
The giant fish was about 38 feet long and might have been more than 4000 kg heavy, so it was not an easy task for the fisherfolk.
As the fisherfolk’s efforts to push the whale shark back into the water failed, field officers at the Puttalam Wildlife Department office sought help from the Sri Lanka Navy. The Puttalam Navy camp sent a team to assist the distressed giant who had been beached for several hours. They secured a rope around the whale shark’s tail and with the assistance of water jets, pulled the creature towards deeper waters.
Fisherfolk tried to push the entangled whale shark back into the ocean. Pic by Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe
While the rescue operation took several hours and the whale shark was in distress, Puttalam Wildlfie Department officers said the creature may have survived.
The area was an active fishing ground, which was visited by hundreds of fishing boats every day, but the fact that no whale shark carcass was found was a positive sign, the officers said.
Several incidents much like this one were annually reported in Sri Lanka, said Dr. Sisira Haputantri, Head of the Marine Biological Division at the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA).
A whale shark could grow up to 40 feet or more and could weigh around 20 tonnes. Whale sharks were around eight metres in length globally, but the gentle giants who swam in Sri Lankan waters were usually around six to seven metres in length, said Dr. Haputantri, adding that Sri Lanka banned catching whale sharks in 2015 as it was an endangered species.
Whale sharks were not uncommon in Sri Lankan territorial waters and stormy conditions in the ocean may push them toward shallow seas, said marine mammals expert Dr. Ranil Nanayakkara. Whale sharks were more common in the Gulf of Mannar and the Northern waters, but they could even be found in the sea close to Colombo, Dr. Nanayakkara said.
Blue whales were said to be the largest marine creatures, but as they were mammals and not fish, whale sharks were said to be the world’s largest fish. Scientifically classified as Rhincodon typus, the whale shark was called ‘mini muthu mora’ in Sinhala.
Whale sharks were actually a species of shark and not whales, but unlike other sharks, they did not have teeth and were filter feeders that fed mainly on plankton. They were gentle creatures that did not pose any danger to humans, and divers even swam with them.
“We do not know much about whale shark movements in our waters, so it is important to have a specific research programme,” said Dr. Nanayakkara, adding that the Maldives conducts a whale shark study programme.
The spots on a whale sharks body were unique to each creature, much like human fingerprints, making it easy for scientists to identify individual creatures. From 2009 to 2022, 647 individual whale sharks were identified in the Maldivian waters under the study programme.
February 26 was just another day in Yullifield Estate in Hatton, when a worker in the Erroll division stepped into the toilet in his small backyard. He got the shock of his life on seeing a leopard cub inside. The estate management informed the Department of Wildlife Conservation’s (DWC) regional office of the find.
The wildlife officers from both Nallathanniya and Hakgala soon arrived at the scene. As there were lots of people gathered outside and there was no chance of the mother returning to the location during the daytime, the cub was carefully transported to the Randenigala wildlife veterinary unit.
Wildlife veterinarian Dr Akalanka Pinidiya believed that the cub was a 4-month-old healthy female and the best course of action would be to reunite the cub with its mother.The cub found inside the toiletThe cub in the cage and right, cub and mother reunited
Since the location the cub was found in was in the middle of a human settlement, it was believed that the mother would not visit the same area if there was too much activity. The DWC team therefore found a relatively quiet spot about 200 metres away from the initial location of the cub.
The team secured the cub in a small cage. The cage was unlocked but a small rock was placed to keep the door closed so that the cub couldn’t push open the door, but the mother could if it turned up.
Since the DWC team’ stationed themselves far away from the spot they set up camera traps to record what was going on. The camera captured a male leopard coming and inspecting the cage, but there was no sign of the mother.
The DWC team stayed on at the Yullifield Estate, but there was no sign of the mother on the second day either.
But on the third day, to everyone’s joy, the cub was not in the cage. When the DWC team checked the camera it showed the mother and cub reuniting.
“I was in tears seeing the cub reunite with her mother,” said Sankha Wanniarachchi of the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) who was available for helping the reunit.
The ocean covers more than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface and each country is given the right to manage an area of oceans extending 200 nautical miles (about 370km) from the shore which is known as the ‘Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)’.
The rest of the oceans are called ‘High Seas’ or international waters. As all countries have the right to fish on the high seas, marine life there becomes particularly vulnerable to unchecked exploitation.
Over 90% of the sharks and ray species are threatened due to overfishing and the Marine Protected Areas proposed under the High Seas Treaty could provide a much needed lifeline for their survival. (c) Ocean Image Bank
According to the Global Red List of Threatened Species published by the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN), more than 1,550 of the 17,903 marine animals and plants assessed on the red list criteria are at risk of extinction.
However, now there is hope as countries reached an agreement on a crucial treaty on Saturday, March 4. The treaty’s official name is the “Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ)”. It now awaits adoption by UN member-states.
Sri Lanka has officially welcomed the agreement. In a statement, the Foreign Ministry says Sri Lanka welcomes the commitment of developed countries under the BBNJ agreement to fund capacity-building projects which will assist developing countries to undertake conservation measures.
The talks of managing the world’s high seas started in 2004 – almost two decades ago under the provisions of the Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Adopted in 1982, the UNCLOS, of which Sri Lanka is a signatory, came into force in 1994. The UNCLOS set a legal framework for all marine and maritime activities under national jurisdictions, introducing the concept of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
As marine biodiversity is mainly threatened due to overfishing and natural resources being over-exploited, the need to manage the ‘high seas’ or the areas beyond EEZ assumed greater importance, but UNCLOS does not provide a framework for areas beyond national jurisdiction.
The UN then established an intergovernmental conference on the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ). The conference was convened on six occasions. The marine conservationists had hoped for a final deal at last year’s conference, but the talks failed without an agreement.
The new agreement sets a framework for establishing marine protected areas (MPAs) on the high seas. This was absent in previous drafts. A new body (A UN Conference of Parties) will be empowered to establish these MPAs with the goal to establish a connected network of high-seas MPAs. This includes the development of a new body to consider an MPA management plan and establish associated measures.
“We act as if ocean resources are inexhaustible that will keep on providing an unlimited harvest of fish and can dump everything, but, ocean resources also need to be used sustainably, otherwise it will be like killing the goose that lays the golden egg,” says Prof. Terney Pradeep Kumara, of the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences & Technology at the University of Ruhuna.
Many marine species are on the brink of extinction due to overfishing, so establishing large MPAs on high seas would benefit such species, Prof. Kumara said.
Sri Lanka has multiday boats that do fishing on the high seas and the Fisheries Ministry has a High Seas Fisheries Unit to manage such activities. The Ministry has issued about 2,674 High Seas fishing licences, but in reality, only around 1000 multiday boats conduct fishing in the High Seas, says Multiday Boat Owners Association president Tyron Mendis.
In case an MPA is set near Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean, local fishermen may have an impact, but as it helps to increase fish stocks – such MPAs may also benefit them, Prof. Kumara said. However, Sri Lanka needs to assess the clauses of the agreement and should set local legislation in a manner that benefits the country, he said.
Other than providing fish, there are many other benefits from the ocean. Since any country can do research on the high seas, developed countries with their advanced technologies freely conduct research aimed at, among other things, finding genetic resources.
These genetic resources, for example, may be used to produce a pharmaceutical product and earn a colossal amount of revenue. To manage this, the high seas treaty calls for a fair sharing of benefits from marine genetic resources.
The treaty will balance the freedom of marine scientific research with fair and equitable sharing of benefits, states the High Seas Alliance (HSA), an international organisation that pushes for the protection of the high seas. The agreement contains obligations for States to share both non-monetary benefits — for example, access to samples and increased scientific cooperation — and monetary benefits, HSA says.
The treaty also set the need for Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) for activities on the high seas, such as large-scale geoengineering projects, and high-seas aquaculture.
To benefit from the agreement in a fair and equitable manner, developing countries such as Sri Lanka focus on capacity building and transfer of technology, knowledge sharing, and cooperation to fulfill rights and responsibilities in a meaningful manner.
The Foreign Ministry also notes that Sri Lanka’s participation during the negotiations ensured that the conference took into account these concerns.
However, even though the text of this new treaty was agreed upon, its implementation will take years, says Daniel Fernando of the Blue Resources Trust (BRT). According to the UN process, the countries need to meet again to formally adopt the agreement and then keep it open for countries to sign the treaty.
The High Seas Treaty will only enter “into force” after 60 countries sign it and pass supporting legislation in their home countries. “But it is a big step forward in conserving marine biodiversity as there are a lot of unsustainable exploitations,” Mr. Fernando told the Sunday Times.
Humpback whales in the ocean. Image courtesy of Toby Matthews / OceanImageBank
Piladuwa is a hamlet in Matara close to where the famous poet ‘Gajaman Nona’ lived. Piladuwa ela flows through the village and crocodiles inhabit this stream. This stream links with the Nilwala River, so occasionally, oversized crocs have been observed. One such giant croc had been seen for several days and the villagers trapped it on the night of March 5. They then informed the Department of Wildlife Conservation’s Mirissa office. Officers relocated it.
Crocodile caught in Piladuwa. Pic by Krishan Jeewaka Jayaruk
“The crocodile captured was 14.5 ft long and a well-grown male salt-water crocodile,” said M P Sanjeewa, wildlife ranger, Mirissa regional office. As crocodiles are important to the ecosystem, the croc had been released upstream in the Nilwala. But Piladuwa residents were not pleased.
Mr Sanjeewa said the translocations are not a solution as males are territorial and when a croc is removed, another one takes over. There are reports that already another crocodile is roaming in the area, he said.
Malindu Gajaweera, a Matara Provincial Councillor said Piladuwa villagers are at risk from crocodiles, and is urging assistance.
Sri Lanka has two species of crocodile namely the mugger crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) – ‘hala kimbula’ and the salt-water crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) ‘geta kimbula’. The Nilwala, Walawe, Gin, Kelani rivers and estuaries along the southern and western coasts are home to the salties. But the conflict with humans is worst in the Nilwala where several humans, as well as crocodiles, are killed annually.
Six months ago, a fisherman who stepped into the water from the Malimbada area was killed and only parts of his remains were found.
Some crocs end up being killed. One that had been killed was about 13.5 feet and its carcass was badly decayed. DWC officers used a backhoe to remove it from the water. Another croc died from wounds caused by the hook used to catch it, Mr Sanjeewa told the Sunday Times.
Crocodile in the sea near Ahangama. Pic courtesy DWC
Several weeks ago, a crocodile was captured from the sea off Ahangama. Another crocodile was frequently seen in the sea.
According to Hikkaduwa Wildlife office, they get several calls a week these days informing them of the presence of crocodiles in the sea.
Salties, as a rule, are solitary animals. Adult males dominate their territory and will not hesitate to kill an intruder. During the breeding season, mature males move in search of a female, said Dr Anslem De Silva, regional chairman of the crocodile specialists group of the IUCN, South Asia and Iran.
Breeding season is February-April and it corresponds with the recent activity, Dr De Silva told the Sunday Times.
Dr De Silva said that saltwater crocs survive at sea where they can excrete excess salt in the body from ‘salt glands’ (modified salivary glands). The coastal migration of crocs is also common where they migrate from one canal or river to another via the sea. This phenomenon is known, and publications over 100 years old have made references to this.
He said the sea route for crocs is safer considering the hindrances such as “houses, (road) traffic, long queues for gas, petrol, and worse, ‘udghoshana’’’.
Big males generally move further, even more than 100 kilometres sometimes when looking for females. Dr De Silva said saltwater crocs have been recorded several 100 km out to sea. On one occasion a saltie from Sri Lanka had swum to the Maldives. Also, a 9-foot saltie from Sri Lanka, which had got entangled in the nets of South Indian fishermen, is now in a Madras crocodile farm.
Dinal Samarasinghe, another herpetologist who has been surveying crocodiles of the Nilwala since 2015, says the river has a healthy crocodile population and they are found 40-50 kilometres upstream from the river mouth. He said human deaths had been caused largely because safety has been ignored.
Having Crocodile Excluding Enclosures (CEE) was the main method to ensure safety of people using rivers, Mr Samarasinghe said adding that on his regular surveys he noted that many CEEs upto Akuressa needed urgent maintenance.
Pioneering herpetologist Anslem leads regional panelDr Anslem De Silva who is considered the father of modern herpetology of Sri Lanka, was recently appointed as regional chair of the IUCN/SSC snake specialist group for South Asia.Dr De Silva studies reptiles, especially snakes, crocodiles, and amphibians. He has produced a record number of publications of over 400. He has also groomed a number of young herpetologists in the country and organised a number of herpetological events in Sri Lanka. He is the regional chair of the IUCN/SSC crocodile specialist group for South Asia.
This year, the southern coasts of Sri Lanka saw a resurgence of turtles coming to nest. The birth of rare leatherback turtles in a protected area of the Matara beach this week was the high point of this phenomenon. From a clutch of about 80 eggs, 45 baby leatherback hatchlings emerged and were released to the sea.
This egg clutch was collected from Kamburugamuwa beach by the Wildlife Conservation Department’s Mirissa regional office about two months ago and protected at one of its hatcheries. It is usually the green turtle and olive ridley turtle that come to the southern beaches to lay eggs; the leatherback turtle is rare.
Race to the waves: Newborn leatherback turtles released soon after they were born on Friday.
“The egg clutches also rarely hatch properly, so we were thrilled to see a single baby leatherback turtle emerge on March 15, as this is a special occasion,” said Mirissa wildlife ranger M.P. Sanjeewa.
On Thursday evening, 30 baby leatherbacks emerged, and on Friday evening another 15 emerged and were released immediately, said Mr Sanjeewa.
The leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) known in Sinhala as ‘dara kasbewa’ is the largest turtle in the world. It can grow up to 1.8 metres (5ft 11in) and weigh 500 kilograms. Unlike other turtles, it does not have a bony shell, instead its carapace is covered by oily flesh and flexible, leather-like skin which gave it the name. Adult leatherback turtles mainly feed on jellyfish.
Beaches like Rekawa, Kosgoda are famous for nesting turtles, but some beaches in Matara also are good turtle nesting sites.
The Mirissa wildlife office has been carrying out a turtle conservation project on beaches in Matara over the last decade. They have egg-protective pens on several beaches and release thousands of baby turtles into the sea every year.
The department continues to raid human egg poachers, but there are also other threats such as dogs, and rats also attack and dig the nests to eat the eggs.
“This year, there is a resurrection of nesting turtles on the Matara beaches,” Mr Sanjeewa told the Sunday Times. This year, about 80% of the nesting turtles are olive ridley turtles known as ‘batu kesbewa’ in Sinhala.
The Mirissa wildlife office collects about 1,500 to 2,000 eggs daily and itstwo main hatcheries are now full. The hatchery in Kamburugamuwa known as Lantern beach hatchery has about 20,000 eggs while the SK beach hatchery has about 10,000 eggs, Mr Sanjeewa said.
Leatherbacks are now rare, and it is indeed a special occasion to have leatherbacks born on the southern coast, says Thushan Kapurusinghe, head of the Turtle Conservation Project (TCP). He said that on January 27, a leatherback turtle laid eggs on Panadura beach, but the nest was destroyed by human poachers.
Usually, it is the green turtles that lay eggs on southern beaches, but this season the olive ridleys bypassed the green turtles. Two other species, the hawksbill turtle and the loggerhead turtle, are also rare, so these species need to be protected. Sri Lanka needs to regulate turtle hatcheries as baby turtles need to be released as and when they are born since they need to have the energy to swim far off into the ocean to catch ocean currents, Mr Kapurusinghe said.
‘Panu kota’, an elephant in Sinharaja forest made an appearance last week close to villages in Neluwa. The elephant was first spotted on March 13 in Kosmulla before it started making its way through the villages in an attempt to make an annual migratory route. The appearance of the elephant saw wildlife officers of the Sinharaja range scrambling to avert in confrontation with villagers.
Panu kota seen at the border of a tea estate and below, descending a tea estate in the heavy rain. Pix by Nisal Pubudu
Udawalawe range officers too supported the difficult mission, following the elephant day and night amidst heavy rains in leech-infested territories. After an operation that lasted five days wildlife officers succeeded in chasing the elephant back to the wilds, Pubudu Prasanna attached to the Sinharaja wildlife office said.
Sinharaja is reportedly home to two male elephants who make a round trip of the range through villages annually, from March to August, sometimes resulting in conflicts with villagers They usually head towards Morningside of Sinharaja and spend the remaining time of the year roaming inside the forest habitat.
These two elephants, believed to be siblings are in their fifties, say villages who remember them as calves along with their mother. The female elephant has not been spotted since the 90s, but these two elephants make an appearance from time to time.
Several attempts to translocate them did not materialise due to concerns raised by environmentalists who pointed out that the only two elephants in the reserve are important representations of the biodiversity that Sinharaja is renowned for,
In the past Sri Lanka’s wet zone had a healthy population of elephants but many were either hunted down by the British in colonial times or caught using kraals to be tamed and used for hard labour.
Monday, March 27, was the first day of a brand new school term for 5-A students of Sujatha Vidyalaya, in Matara and students rushed early to school But they were not the first to step into the freshly painted classroom. A pair of fluffy baby birds who were in a nest on a broken wall fan had also stepped out for the first time, hopping around marking a special day for them too.
The little girls were excited as this was the first time they had had such a close encounter with bird fledglings. Though the children did not do any harm, the baby birds who were trying to take their first flight got agitated and tried to fly away. One managed to fly to a nearby tree, but the other whose flight feathers were not so strong hid under a cupboard getting separated from the family.
The parent bulbul feeds its young in the classroom
However, Later in the day, the happy family with the two little ones were seen together in the school garden. The one that that was still finding it difficult to fly was seen getting a helping hand from its parents. “The bird was more cuddlesome than any of my toys, and I’m happy that it found its parents,” said an excited schoolgirl Dulithi Nethumsa.
The birds that were nesting in the Sujatha Vidyalaya 5-A class were the common Red-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer) or ‘konda kurulla’. They usually build nests inside buildings, away from predators like hawks, snakes, monkeys etc that prey on eggs and fledglings.
Though these baby birds were lucky, there are many young birds who get lost or fall from nests, especially during this peak breeding season of many common garden birds.
“These days we find many baby birds — red-vented bulbul, brown-headed barbet, and the spotted dove being the most common,” says Dr.Suhada Jayawardane, a veterinary surgeon of the Department of Wildlife Conservation’s animal rehabilitation facility at Atthidiya.
According to the bird guide, ‘Sirilaka Kurullo’ by Prof.Sarath Kotagama, yellow-billed babbler (demalichcha), oriental magpie-robin (polkichcha), white-bellied drongo (kawda), brown-headed barbet (polos kottoruwa), long-billed sunbird (sutikka), mynah, greater coucal (ati kukula), collard scops owl (karapati kan bassa), white-throated kingfisher (pilihuduwa), tailor bird (battichcha) are some of the common garden birds that breed during this time of the year.
“If one finds a baby bird that has fallen the best thing to do is to place it on a nest or keep it in a nearby location so that it can reunite it with its parents,” says Prof.Kotagama. It is important to keep a watch on the bird from a distance to protect it from predators, the ornithologist says.
If the lost bird is unable to reunite with its parents then it needs care. If the bird looks weak, then the first thing to do is try to rehydrate it with an oral rehydration liquid such as ‘jeevani’,” says Dr.Jayawardena.
The baby bird lands close to the schoolgirls who were playing while mother bird keeps a watchful gaze Pic by Malaka Rodrigo
Rukmal Rathnayake, a biologist who is involved in the rehabilitation of animals says it is also important to try to identify the bird species as different birds have different kinds of diets. For example, the Oriole feeds mainly on worms while barbets mainly have a fruit diet. But the babbler can be omnivorous. ‘Samaposha’ mixed with water is a good supplement for omnivorous as well as frugivorous birds. The mealworms available as aquarium food, egg, or smashed beef, mixed with water can also be given to insectivorous or predatory birds, Mr. Rathnayake told the SundayTimes. If the bird is too small, use a syringe to feed it, the expert says.
It is not easy to identify the species especially if the fledglings are just a few days old. However observing the beak curves or the patterns of the claws can be useful to identify the species and experts are available to give guidance on social media. “However, you should not feed milk to the bird,” Mr.Rathnayake emphasised.
Since the nights maybe too cold for lost little birds it would be a good idea to put a light bulb into the enclosure where the little bird is being kept, Dr.Jayawardane said.
Among the many dansal that were organised across the country to mark Vesakwas a special dansala held in Weheragampita, Matara, offering fresh kirala juice mostly unique to the southern part of the country.
The Kirala fruit grows in the marshes and the drink made from it is known to be very refreshing.
Though older generations are familiar with the taste, the present day generations have not even seen the fruit, said Malindu Gajadeera who organised the Kirala juice dansala with a team of villagers. He said the team had gone by boat along the Nilawala river banks and its streams and walked through muddy marshes in search of the fruits. “It wasn’t an easy task, but we wanted to do it to bring back memories of this forgotten fruit,” Mr.Gajadeera told the Sunday Times.Going in search of Kirala fruits along the Nilwala river banksThe Kirala fruit juice dansala
Kirala (Apple Mangrove) is a mangrove found in coastal wetlands. The tree grows up to 40 metres high and has a white flower with a reddish base. Kirala has a special rooting system that grows upward like spikes out of the mud and water to get atmospheric oxygen while its other roots remain submerged. These roots were used to seal bottles decades ago, popularly known as ‘kirala aba’. This mangrove is mainly found in East Africa, Asia, Australia and Western Pacific regions.
There are three species of Kirala found in Sri Lanka, said Prof. Siril Wijesundara, former Director General of the Botanical Gardens Department. The most common species, scientifically categorised as Sonneratia calceolar is found in Southern and Southwest Sri Lanka while S.apetala grows on the East coast and S.alba in Puttalam area, he said.
Kirala has both a sweet and sour taste. The Kirala drink is prepared the same way as wood apple juice by adding coconut milk and putting sugar and salt to taste. In Ayurveda, Kirala juice is believed to be a cooling drink.
Prof.Wijesundara pointed out that Kirala was an underutilised fruit found in Sri Lanka’s rich biodiversity and sadly like other mangrove plants, Kirala too was fast losing its habitat.
Connect with nature by stepping into one’s own home gardens, is the message from the Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka (FOGSL), as tomorrow (June 5) marks World Environment Day.
“Most home gardens in Sri Lanka still harbour a lot of biodiversity, but we do not pay enough attention,” says FOGSL president Prof Nihal Dayawansa, explaining the objectives of an initiative named Garden Birds and Biodiversity Watch 2023 (GBBW 2023).
At least a dozen birds can be observed in and around home gardens even in a congested city. “The focus of GBBW would be common birds, but even they can be threatened with time, so GBBW invites people to share their observations to initiate a citizen science programme,” Prof Dayawansa told the Sunday Times.W
In some instances, birds that once frequented a home garden may no longer be visiting that particular garden, and the population of those birds may have decreased. However, there could be other bird species that may be visiting that garden. Without proper observation and record keeping one cannot study such a trend. Scientists appear to focus more on studying birds that are endemic and threatened, with little emphasis being given to common birds, he pointed out.
Well known Ornithologist Prof Sarath Kotagama pointed out that citizen scientists and enthusiasts can extend a helping hand by collecting and classifying data, thus improving the scientific community’s research, especially on common birds. He cited successful examples of citizen science programmes in other countries such as the Christmas Bird Count that is ongoing for over 122 years and the Big Garden Birdwatch that has been conducted for 20 years,
Veteran environmental lawyer and ardent birdwatcher, Jagath Gunawardana says he has been observing his garden for more than 40 years continuously. Mr Gunawardana’s home is located close to congested Nugegoda, but he still gets many birds visiting his garden. “Birds that were common decades ago such as the Oriental White-eye, Iora are now missing from my garden, but new additions that were not here earlier such as the White-bellied Drongo, Greater Coucal, Oriental Magpie-Robin show increased visitations,” he said.
Even a number of migratory birds such as the Paradise Flycatcher, Forest Wagtail, and Brown Flycatcher are frequent visitors he said. It was during his observations that Mr Gunawardana realised that the Asian Koel (Koha) this time had a short peak period in its bird call at the start of April, then faded away for awhile, but started to peak again towards the end of the month and continued throughout May. Likewise, there are lots of interesting things to observe in a home garden, Mr Gunawardana emphasised.
To celebrate global citizen science month in April, FOGSL organised the Sri Lanka Citizen Science Forum in collaboration with the Young Zoologists’ Association of Sri Lanka (YZA), Wildlife Conservation Society of Galle, Young Biologists’ Association (YBA), and Base for Enthusiasts of Environment Science and Zoology (BEEZ) with the aim of popularising the concept in Sri Lanka.
Pointing out that youngsters today are glued to electronic devices, Prof Dayawansa emphasised that GBBW 2023 would be a great opportunity to get them more connected with nature by just stepping into their gardens.
Anyone interested in registering for Garden Birds and Biodiversity Watch 2023 please see FOGSL website http://fogsl.cmb.ac.lk.
The rain has become a hassle for most Sri Lankans these days, but keep an eye on your garden as these damp conditions could wake up sleeping mushroom beauties.
“Sri Lanka has very good mushroom diversity, but as these are largely understudied, perhaps the mushroom in your garden too can be a species new to science,” says Dr Aseni Ediriweera, a scientist who studies mushrooms.
Dr Ediriweera made this comment as two mushroom species new to science that she discovered recently were not from wilderness or wetlands, but one from a home garden and another from the busy premises of the University of Ruhuna. The mushroom found in the University of Ruhuna was named Candolleomyces ruhunensis by the research team after the university, and the mushroom found in the home garden was named Termitomyces srilankensis.
The Termitomyces srilankensis mushroom was first found by nature photographer Hemachandra Kularathne from his home garden in Kegalle. He shared the photos with Dr Ediriweera, whose further studies confirmed it is also a mushroom new to science. Quite interestingly this has been an edible mushroom that villagers commonly called ‘weli hathu’ and Mr Kularathne’s family would have enjoyed the delicacy of these endemic wild mushrooms for generations.
There are several species of mushrooms called ‘weli hathu’ which are called ‘Termite mushrooms’ in English. They grow near termite colonies. This has a scientific reason, as these mushrooms have a symbiotic mutually beneficial relationship with termites, says Dr Ediriweera. Termites feed on spores or the tiny seeds of mushrooms and as they use their faecal matter to build nests, they naturally provide a substrate for the mushroom to grow. During the rainy seasons, these fungi fruit as a response to adequate moisture and nitrogen levels in soils, Dr Ediriweera said.
Termitomyces srilankensis – the edible mushroom found in a home garden in Kegalle
There are several other varieties of edible wild mushrooms, and those who lived in a by-gone era knew how to distinguish wild mushrooms from the poisonous ones, but that traditional knowledge is mostly lost, said Prof Samantha Karunarathna, another Sri Lankan mushroom expert now at Thailand University.
“I have also noticed people have a lot of misleading folklore regarding edible/poisonous mushrooms, so the country urgently needs a proper mushroom guidebook,” Prof Karunarathna told the Sunday Times.
Mushrooms are fungi that silently grow on moist soil, leaf litter or on decaying woods as tiny threadlike strands. These strands form colonies that are scientifically called mycelium. The familiar fleshy part that emerges from soil is the fruiting of this fungi colony. The mushroom produces millions of tiny particles called spores usually under its hood. When these spores land on a new place, they start creating a new fungi mycelium colony.
Not just mushrooms, Sri Lanka needs to enhance studies on fungi urgently, says Prof Karunarathna. The predicted number of fungal species in Sri Lanka is about 34,000, but only about 2,500 species are known. There are only new publications related to fungi published in recent years, so the scientific effort too, should be increased as some species might become extinct before being discovered due to climate change and many other factors, Prof Karunarathna added.
Compared to the past, we do not get enough mushrooms.
“This is mainly due to changes in soil biology and soil chemistry,” points out Dr Ediriweera.
Soil chemistry has drastically changed due to the addition of excessive amounts of chemicals. Chemicals change the composition of soil by changing the concentration of nitrogen and phosphorus which are highly significant to mushrooms.
Perenniporiopsis srijayewardenepurana – the mushroom discovered in Kadawatha home garden
The microbial community supports the balance of ecosystems that is destroyed by chemical additions. Due to less diversity of soil microorganisms, the supportive mechanisms for the growth of mushrooms become weak, so their numbers also decrease, Dr Ediriweera said.
Meanwhile, to raise interest on mushroom studies, a workshop on mushroom identification and best practices in taking high quality mushroom photographs for undergraduates and post-graduates was recently held in the faculty of technology of the Rajarata University. Experts Stephen Axford and Catherine Marciniak from Planet Fungi which promotes fungi studies were in Sri Lanka. “Even a mobile phone can be used to photograph the fungi, and our goal was to teach these scientists how to take accurate, identifiable and aesthetically pleasing fungi photographs, especially using the camera on a phone,’’ the experts stated.
The latest addition to mushroom from a home garden is from Kadawatha.
A few weeks ago researcher Kasun Thambugala described another woody mushroom that grows on decaying timber and named it Perenniporiopsis srijayewardenepurana after the Sri Jayewardenepura University. Quite interestingly, Dr Thambugala first found this mushroom from his own home garden in Kadawatha, and is urging the public, too, to be more vigilant of the largely unexplored world of mushrooms and fungi.
This the season when our feathered winter visitors arrive in Sri Lanka, and ornithologists have urged the public to keep a lookout for them.
October is usually the month when the majority of migratory birds arrive. However, some of them are exhausted after their long flight.
The Indian Pitta (Pitta brachyura), known as Avichchiyain Sinhala, is a colourful migrant commonly found exhausted in home gardens during this period. In the last few weeks, a number of sightings of exhausted Indian Pitta were recorded, from Colombo and its suburbs.
The poor bird who didn’t make it: Indian Pitta found in Colombo Port. Pic by Megha Attanayake
One fell dead after flying straight into a glass door in a building in Colombo Port. “The bird was flying at a high speed and died after a few minutes of the impact,” Megha Attanayake, who found the bird, said.
In another incident, an exhausted Indian Pitta who was found in a home garden in Colombo 03 was handed over to the Wild Animal Rescue Centre in Attidiya, which is managed by the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC). Sadly, attempts to save it failed, said veterinary surgeon Dr.Suhada Jayawardana.
Late October to early November is the time the Indian Pitta arrives here. Being a stocky bird, it can get exhausted by the continuous flight and can be found in home gardens, particularly in areas like Colombo, said Dr.Jayawardana. “Such a bird should be protected from dogs, cats, rats, crows, shikras, etc. Keep them in a dark, quiet, and warm place,” he said.
If it is too weak to fly, try giving it small amounts of low-concentrated glucose saline with Vitamin C if they are conscious, Dr. Jayawadana advised. If the bird is able to fly, release it as soon as possible in a safe environment, ornithologists urge.
The Attidiya rescue centre also received a Malayan Bittern (Gorsachius melanolophus) found in Colombo Port. This is another bird commonly found exhausted in home gardens, Dr.Jayawardana told the Sunday Times.
Meanwhile, bird lovers have reported sightings of rare migrants. Serious birdwatchers make it a point to observe birds, especially during the migratory period.
“We were at Mannar at the peak of the migration and observed many Booted eagles and a common buzzard flying from India to Sri Lanka,” Moditha Hiranya Kodikara Arachchi, an ardent birdwatcher, said. The team observed birds including the blue-throated flycatcher, Indian Pitta, orange-headed thrush, Indian Paradise Flycatcher, Indian Blue Robin, and Green Warbler. A Dunlin was also spotted in Vankalai, Mr.Kodikara Arachchi said.
About 2500 species of the 10,000 population of birds migrate due to reasons including climate change, the availability of food, and spending time in two different countries. Nearly half of the birds out of a total of around 500 bird species recorded in Sri Lanka are migratory. They start arriving in late August and stay in Sri Lanka until about March-April the following year, when they head back to their country’s of origin for breeding purposes.
The Indian Pitta arrives here late October to early November. Pic by Mohan Hathnapitiya
Recent reports of unsuspecting swimmers being stung by Stonefish in Galle, have raised concerns.
Stonefish are considered one of the most venomous fish in the sea. Senior lecturer, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna, Dr. Janaka Ruben, said the venom is not only painful, but more dangerously, a big dose could be fatal to humans. He said it was important to get medical assistance as soon as possible if you get stung by a stonefish.
Stonefish is a bottom-dwelling fish, usually found in the shallow sea in the Indian and Pacific oceans. The fish live around corals or rocks at the shallow sea bottom. They are not attractive like other marine fish. They are stocky and have a large head, mouth, small eyes, and rough skin covered with wart-like lumps.
Stonefish (c) Devid P. Robinson – Ocean Image Bank
The stonefish has a spine on its back that is attached to a venom sac, and these stiff spines are strong and sharp enough even to pierce a rubber slipper. Since this well-camouflaged fish blends with its surroundings and rests on the bottom without moving, someone could easily step on it, Dr.Ruben said.
He said if someone is stung in the sea, immediately take the victim out of the water and keep the foot in warm water. One must get medical treatment as early as possible.
A few individual stonefish in the shallow sea near the Galle lighthouse in the Fort were removed, but be aware if you are stepping into the sea, warns Dr.Ruben.
When someone steps on a stonefish, the spine injects an amount of venom proportional to the amount of pressure applied to it. The stonefish is also able to extend its sharp, specialised spines as an additional defence mechanism.
Marine biologist and author of “The Field Guide to Reef Fishes of Sri Lanka,” Arjan Rajasuriya, says there are several species in the family Scorpaenidae, and all are venomous. This is a family of fish that includes venomous fish such as scorpionfishes, lionfishes, stone fish. It is also possible that the victims were stung by Scorpaena sp., known as the Scorpion Fish, which is also a bottom dweller and a true Stonefish species, Mr. Rajasuriya told the Sunday Times.
The stonefish are widely distributed but not found in large numbers as they are solitary. Unless your eye is trained to spot them, you will not notice them as they are highly camouflaged, and most people will swim over them without even noticing, Mr.Rajasuriya said. You notice it only when it moves to avoid you when you get too close to it, the expert added.
scorpion-fish (c) Image by Franziska Stier from Pixabay
The lionfish is a more good-looking member of this same family and has proven to be a fatal attraction. Even Mr. Rajasuriya fell victim when his left-hand fingers got stung by a lionfish with six dorsal spines while he was doing studies in the 1970’s. “I nearly passed out for the excruciating pain; however, I recovered with pain killers,” he said.
Fireflies are interesting insects as they produce a greenish light. While continuing their ongoing research on fireflies in Rammale Forest, a team of researchers from the University of Ruhuna noticed a few flying firefly species that looked different.
In addition to fireflies, there were wingless alien-looking glow worms [known in Sinhala as’re badulla’] that emit light on their abdomen, in the leaf litter on the ground.
The team has also observed a firefly descending to mount a glow worm on the ground. The glowworm is, in fact, the female. So it was a mating that the team observed.
An odd looking mating pair – the male Diaphanes olivieri firefly mates with a glowworm which is the female of the same species
Further studies revealed that the species they observed is a firefly scientifically known as Diaphanes olivieri, which has not been recorded in Sri Lanka for the last 128 years.
“This is also the first time a female of this species was recorded from Sri Lanka,” says Dr. Dammika Wijekoon, a scientist at the University of Ruhuna.
A lot of people think the glow worm is a different species altogether, but it would either be a larva or a female of a firefly species. While the female of the D. olivieri firefly species is in the glow worm form, many of the other firefly species, both male and female, are in the insect form, Dr. Wijekoon told the Sunday Times.
Fireflies are bioluminescent insects that can produce light. They have specialised light organs beneath their abdomens that produce light. These insects take in oxygen, and within specialised cells, the oxygen has a chemical reaction with a substance known as luciferin to generate light, emitting minimal heat in the process. The light pattern is unique to each species and is used to attract mates, Dr. Wijekoon said.
In addition to the firefly species discovered after a century, researchers at the University of Ruhuna also detected two species new to science.
One endemic species was named Pygoluciola ruhuna in honor of the university.
All these species were discovered at Rammale Forest Reserve in Walasmulla, Hambantota.
The other endemic species was named Pygoluciola rammale to honour this biodiversity rich forest patch. These are the first records of fireflies from the genus Pygoluciola, according to the scientists.
There are 18 species of fireflies in Sri Lanka, but there is potential for more new species to be found. There are significant knowledge gaps due to insufficient research and information following the original species descriptions.
Fireflies grab attention due to their bioluminescent features, but after the colonial era, naturalists, very little research on them. Filling the void, the University of Ruhuna scientist Prof. Hemantha Wegiriya, together with Dr. Wijekoon, began new research in 2009. They discovered a number of new species and rediscovered species unseen over a century.
Researchers usually go to the field around 5:30 p.m. to study these nocturnal creatures that emerge at twilight and continue working until around 10 p.m. They also carry insect-catching nets.
Folklore has it that if one is bitten by a glowworm, treatment will need mud from the oceans and stars from the sky. No treatment, in fact.
“Glowworms also have a neurotoxin venom similar to that of some snakes, but their mouths are very small, and the venom released is negligible,” says Dr. Wijekoon. Researchers on many occasions had been bitten, but nothing happened, so there is nothing to fear, he said.
Glowworms mostly feed on snails and slugs that are harmful to agriculture; hence, they are also friends of farmers, researchers say.
Fireflies used to be a common sight in village gardens at twilight. But while village gardens still have some surviving populations, people living in populated areas, especially children, may have never seen these flashing insects.
Dr.Wijekoon says factors ranging from pollution to habitat loss to changing climate could impact the fireflies, but light pollution, too, can be a factor in declining populations. “Excessive outdoor lighting disrupts the communication between fireflies, impacting their reproduction cycles,” he said.
During an early April visit to the Peradeniya Royal Botanical Garden, Dr. Ruwan Perera, a bird enthusiast, spotted a young Common Hawk Cuckoo perched on a branch. Capturing several photographs, he was surprised to see a Yellow-billed Babbler approach the young Hawk Cuckoo and feed it, despite the latter being larger in size. Yellow-billed Babblers, commonly known as “demalichcha,” live in groups. Dr. Perera, speaking to the Sunday Times, said that other birds in the babbler group also feed the Hawk Cuckoo, despite the obvious differences.
Birds that find foster parents to raise their kids
While some might interpret this as babblers caring for a lost cuckoo offspring, the reality is that this bird emerged from an egg laid by the mother Hawk Cuckoo in the babbler nest. The babbler parents are deceived into adopting the baby Hawk Cuckoo as one of their own.
“This phenomenon known as brood parasitism is quite common among birds in the Cuckoo family,” said Prof. Sampath Senevirathne, an ornithologist at the University of Colombo.
Brood parasitic birds choose to lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, relinquishing parental duties of raising their offspring. The unsuspecting surrogate parents incubate, hatch, and raise the changeling eggs to maturity, driven by the instinct to care for the young emerging in their nests. This strategy gives the parasitic parents more time to forage and produce additional offspring. Spreading eggs across different nests reduces the risk of losing an entire brood to a predator attack, Prof. Senevirathne noted. Many species of cuckoos are brood parasites, with the Asian Koel or Koha being the most notable example in Sri Lanka.
Brood parents employ various strategies. One method involves matching the colour and texture of their eggs to those of the host’s eggs. Some cuckoos even remove a few eggs from the host’s nest to eliminate any suspicion.
In most cases, the offspring of brood parasites are more social than the host’s chicks, enabling them to monopolise the food brought by the parents and grow rapidly. However, in the case of the Koha, which lays eggs in crow nests, they coexist with the host’s offspring, says Dr. Jagath Gunawardana who has studied this bird’s behaviour over several decades.
Various parasitic species employ different techniques to achieve the task of approaching the host’s nest, with the Asian Koel often using a distraction strategy. (see graphic)
Professor Enoka Kudavidanage, Head of the Department of Natural Resources at Sabaragamuwa University said that back in 2020 he had the opportunity of observing a case of brood parasitism where two baby Pied cuckoos were cared for by the babbler family. Prof. Kudavidanage said that the birds exhibited behaviour mimicking that of the juvenile babblers.
Although the call of the Pied cuckoo is recognizable, it was somewhat toned down to mimic the babblers’ call. When it came to feeding, the larger Pied cuckoo even attempted to steal food, possibly a habit acquired through instinct, according to Prof. Kudavidanage.
Two Pied Crested Cuckoo chicks with Babblers in Sooriyawesa Nov, 2020 (c) Prof.Enoka Kudavidanage
In a tragic incident earlier this month, a fisherman from Jaffna died when a fish pierced his neck.
This incident occurred while two fishermen were out at sea in a small motorboat at night, according to J. Sudagaran, Assistant Director at the Jaffna district office of the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. While they were fishing, a fish with a long, sharp snout leaped from the water and pierced the neck of one of the fishermen. It was likely a jumping halfbeak, a slender fish about 30 cm long, known for its extended lower jaw that resembles a beak and its tendency to jump out of the water, Mr. Sudagaran said.
With its strong snout and lightning speed, the jumping halfbeak can injure fishermen, and in this case, it struck the neck, causing extensive bleeding, Mr. Sudagaran told the Sunday Times. The fishermen were about three kilometres from the shore when the incident occurred, and he was rushed to the hospital.
Sadly, doctors were unable to save him due to severe blood loss, said Deputy Director of Jaffna Teaching Hospital, Dr. Jamunanantha Sivanathan, who explained that the impact had severed a major vein in the neck, leading to extensive bleeding.
The jumping halfbeak (Hemiramphus archipelagicus), known as ‘Moralla’ in Sinhala, is a commercially important fish. Typically silver or grey with bluish or greenish hues, it can camouflage itself in its aquatic environment. These fish live in schools and are known for their ability to leap from the water; a high-speed collision with their elongated, sharp lower jaw can result in serious injuries, noted Arjan Rajasuriya, former Research Officer at the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA).
These fish usually jump to evade predators or navigate their environment, with no intention of harming humans. The unfortunate fisherman was likely struck accidentally as the fish tried to escape a threat or obstacle, Mr. Rajasuriya explained.
However, it’s important not to shine a flashlight at night while in a boat, as this can cause halfbeaks to jump and potentially lead to injury, Mr. Rajasuriya warned. There have been previous incidents of accidental spearings, but he emphasised that these fish are not poisonous, despite some claims.
Last year, another fisherman in Jaffna was injured when a jumping halfbeak pierced his stomach, Mr. Sudagaran recounted to the Sunday Times. Fortunately, he was hospitalised and managed to recover from his injuries.
Understanding the behaviour of local fish species and remaining vigilant while fishing can help prevent such incidents. Dr. Jamunathan emphasises the importance of basic first-aid training for fishermen to manage injuries until professional medical assistance is available.
The jumping halfbeak is a unique and ecologically important fish, with its jumping behaviour and physical adaptations.
This unfortunate accident underscores the potential dangers faced by fishermen and others working near wildlife. However, experts note that wild animals typically do not attack humans unless provoked or cornered.
In the past, clouds of butterflies flying in one direction were a sight to behold. According to folklore, these butterflies were flying towards the holy mountain, Adam’s Peak (Sripada), to pay obeisance to Lord Buddha’s sacred footprint. This phenomenon gave rise to the commonly used name ‘Samanala Kanda’.
Whether these butterflies were actually flying towards Adam’s Peak or simply performing ad-hoc movements has long puzzled naturalists. To shed some light on this mystery, a group of butterfly enthusiasts conducted a coordinated study of butterfly movements across the country. Their findings were recently published in the scientific journal Taprobanica.
ALbatross butterly feeding on mud
Researchers observed the movements of two butterfly species, the Lesser Albatross (Appias galena) and the Common Albatross (A. albina), during the inter-monsoonal period from March to April 2023. Researchers conducted observations at 60 random locations to determine the starting points and directions of the migration. The results indicated that most Albatross butterflies migrated towards the northwest of the country.
“We first observed a large group of butterflies swarming over Talawakele and Kandy on March 6, 2023,” said Lakshman Kumara, secretary of the Butterfly Conservation and Research Group of Sri Lanka. “We immediately began gathering information from other locations across Sri Lanka.”
The butterfly enthusiasts observed the butterflies’ movements from March 6 to April 1, 2023, recording the direction of butterfly flight and the average number of butterflies passing each observation location per minute, Mr. Kumara told the Sunday Times.
After marking their observations on the map, three major migratory directions were identified; one from the southeast to northwest, the second from east to west in the northern part of the country, and the third from the north to south in the eastern part of the country.
Researchers also calculated the flight speed of the migrating butterflies by timing how long it took for 10 individual butterflies to travel 10 metres at each observation location. The average flight speed was 11 km/h.
The direct distance from Kumana National Park through the central mountains to Wilpattu National Park is 280 km. If the butterflies fly eight hours each day (from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) without stopping, they would travel 88 km per day. According to these findings, they could reach Wilpattu National Park within three days. However, accounting for stops for feeding and adverse weather conditions (e.g. headwinds), the migration from Kumana to Wilpattu is more likely to take four days or more, according to the researchers.
In addition, at Kebiliththa in Kumana National Park, several hundred Albatross butterflies were observed moving in a northwest direction. This suggests that Kumana National Park in the southeast could be a breeding location for these butterflies. “The Sunday Times exclusively reported on this phenomenon, requesting readers to report any notable butterfly movements to the researchers. This resulted in a good response, which significantly helped the study,” said Mr. Kumara with gratitude.
“Our findings differ from the traditionally common understanding and previous records that butterflies migrate towards Adam’s Peak,” says Prof. Kapila Dissanayake of Sabaragamuwa University. “It is possible that the species migrating towards ‘Samanala Kanda’ were different, and their population has now dwindled.”
“This research is only an important first step,” he told the Sunday Times. “We need to conduct more studies to establish the butterfly migration patterns before it is too late, as we are already losing this wonderful phenomenon of nature.”
“This migration is an essential part of the butterflies’ life cycle, allowing them to find optimal conditions for feeding and breeding,” says Prof. Dissanayake.”We still need to unravel many mysteries surrounding this migration, but it is generally believed that changes in weather patterns, such as the onset of the monsoon or dry season, can trigger it. The availability of food resources and breeding grounds also plays a critical role in triggering migration.”
“The butterfly migration can also be an important ecological event, contributing to the pollination of various plants,” says Rajika Gamage, an author of several butterfly guidebooks. “Traditionally, an array of butterflies formed large clouds that migrated, but currently, there is a drastic reduction in butterfly numbers and the species involved,” Mr. Gamage told the Sunday Times.
“In addition to the Albatross butterfly species, the Lemon Emigrant (Catopsilia pomona) still continues the legacy of migration to some extent,” says Mr. Gamage. “However, another butterfly species, the Mottle Emigrant, has seen a drastic reduction in numbers. Butterfly enthusiasts believe that the loss of their host plants is a major contributing factor.”
“The Mottle Emigrant typically lays its eggs on ‘thora’ plants (Cassia tora and similar species), which were once commonly found growing wild along roadsides and in empty spaces. Now, invasive plants like Guinea grass (Megathyrsus maximus) have taken over these open areas. The lack of host plants is likely contributing to the decline of this butterfly species,” Mr. Gamage pointed out.
“The Albatross butterflies lay their eggs on ‘weera trees,’ which grow tall, while the other emigrant butterflies lay their eggs on ehala trees. These trees are still plentiful, as they are commonly used in landscaping,” Mr. Gamage added.
“During migration, butterflies also rely on nectar plants for survival. In the past, there were many wildflowers available, but these have been replaced by invasive species. For example, lanthana (gandapana in Sinhala) is now extensively used by butterflies as a nectar source. Nowadays, if you analyse butterfly photos, about 70 out of 100 will show butterflies on such invasive flowers,” Mr. Gamage points out.
“Home gardens can play a vital role in supporting butterflies,” Mr. Gamage said, urging people to get to know the butterflies commonly seen in their areas and to plant relevant host plants where butterflies could lay eggs, as well as plants with nectar-bearing flowers.
Lahiru Walpita, an avid birdwatcher based in Mannar, spends his days combing the beaches in search of seabirds. On the morning of July 22, at around 5.45 a.m., something caught his attention; a large seabird appeared on the horizon. The bird was following a boat.
Eagerly peering through his spotting scope, Mr. Walpita hurriedly noted the bird’s features and was thrilled to identify the unmistakable beak pattern of an albatross. Later, around 10 a.m., he spotted the bird again. This time, he managed to take some clear photographs.
There are several species of albatross, so Mr. Walpita shared the photos with more experienced birders. With their help, the bird was identified as a grey-headed albatross (Thalassarche chrysostoma), based on its distinctive features—primarily a white body and a slate-grey head and neck.
“This could be one of the biggest finds of the century for Sri Lankan birds,” says Prof. Sampath Senevirathne, an ornithologist at the University of Colombo. There are about 30 species of albatross worldwide, most of which inhabit the Antarctic and other southern polar regions, except for three species. This is the first recorded observation of a living albatross in the Northern Indian Ocean, says Prof. Senevirathne, highlighting the significance of the sighting.
The grey-headed albatross photographed by Lahiru Walpita off Mannar.
Albatrosses are large seabirds that travel long distances. The grey-headed albatross, for example, has a wingspan of 2.2 metres (7.2 feet), making it a gigantic bird when it spreads its wings. The large wingspan of albatrosses, including the grey-headed albatross, is a remarkable adaptation that enables these birds to thrive in their oceanic environment, says Prof. Senevirathne. Some species, like the wandering albatross, can have wingspans of up to 3.5 metres (11.5 feet). Their wings are long and narrow, and this shape is ideal for gliding and soaring, as it reduces drag and allows for sustained flight. Their large wings distribute their body weight, making it easier to glide efficiently over the ocean, explains Prof. Senevirathne.
The grey-headed albatross primarily flies around the South Polar region and only comes to land to raise its young. The birds lay their eggs on islands, and the parents take turns caring for the young. While one stays with the chick, the other goes to sea to forage for food, a process that can take a week or two and involves travelling across the southern ocean. Upon returning, they feed the chick a nutrient-rich substance, and then the other parent leaves to forage.
Prof. Senevirathne explained to the Sunday Times that this feeding cycle requires incredible stamina and endurance.
Albatrosses have a long lifespan, with some species reaching the age of 70 years. They require predator-free islands to lay their eggs, as they nest on the ground where small mammals like mice or snakes can threaten entire colonies. Albatrosses also have a tendency to follow fishing boats in search of an easy meal, but they often become entangled in long-line fishing hooks when attempting to take bait, resulting in drowning.
Additionally, albatrosses often mistake plastic debris for food, leading to injury, starvation, and death. Overfishing reduces the populations of squid and fish that albatrosses rely on, further threatening their survival. These factors collectively make the species vulnerable, as increased adult mortality can cause a drastic decline in the population, says Prof. Senevirathne.
The grey-headed albatross is categorised as endangered, with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimating their global population to be about 250,000 to 300,000, with a declining trend. Some species of albatross have nearly become extinct, with only a few dozen surviving, Prof. Senevirathne said, adding however that international conservation organisations are taking action based on scientific methodologies to minimise the threats faced by albatrosses. This has led to some conservation successes, with populations of most being stable, he said.
Climate change is also expected to impact albatross species, as changes in ocean temperatures and currents affect the availability of prey such as squid and fish. Rising sea levels and increased frequency of storms can damage breeding sites on remote islands, which can be particularly harmful for species like the albatross that have fewer broods.
Prof. Senevirathne, who conducts research in Mannar, praises Mr. Walpita’s dedication to seabird observation, noting that seabirds are one of the most challenging groups of birds to study. He said Mr. Walpita has provided a number of dead seabird specimens he found on the Mannar coast, some of which are first-time records.
Meanwhile, Mr. Walpita told the Sunday Times that he began birdwatching seriously in 2020 and focused more on studying seabirds in 2021, inspired by a few other birdwatchers who started engaging in seabird observations. Mr. Walpita begins his birding sessions daily at 5.30 a.m., walking a 5 km stretch along the beach in search of seabirds. He also rescues seabirds that have difficulty flying and collects carcasses to send to the University of Colombo’s specimen collection.
