A Slaty-legged Crake – a migrant bird with long toes and distinctive chestnut head that is not very common in Colombo was rescued near the Bambalapitiya flats on November 28.

Those who spotted the unusual bird alerted Tariq Abideen, a member of the Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka (FOGSL) - the birdwatching society that works on studying and conserving birds. The bird was provided some water and sheltered from possible predators. It was later handed over to FOGSL.

Sri Lanka is visited by nearly 200 migratory bird species and this is the height of 2009 bird migration season. After their long migratory flight, exhausted Slaty-legged Crakes are sometimes found in Colombo suburbs. Several Indian Pittas too have been found in Colombo neighbourhoods in previous weeks.

Courtesy: SundayTimes

Posted on Sunday, December 06, 2009 @ 13:19:12 LKT by SaNDun

   239 Article Reads.