Posts Tagged ‘Butorides striata’
Bitterns in the City
Black Bittern (Ixobrychus flavicollis) stepping out of the shadows at Nugegoda Wetland Park (17 March 2019).
During the last three months I have been making frequents visit to Colombo’s urban wetlands, looking to photograph interesting species and build enough material for an article on birding in these sometimes overlooked spots. The visits follow a pattern of exploring the urban wetlands as places for teaching and learning that highlight biodiversity and urban water issues. I started going more frequently when Colombo’s wetlands started to be better protected several years ago (see the list of past posts below).
Bitterns (Ixobrychus sp.) have been the focus of these recent efforts but I have also been looking to see and photograph other wetlands species. The article has now been completed and awaiting publication-recent tragic events in Sri Lanka have regrettably put on hold the publication. This post shares a few samples of some of the avian highlights.
There are a variety of other species that are associated with Colombo’s urban wetlands.
Striated heron (Butorides striata) at Nugegoda Wetland Park. (3 March 2019).
Colombo’s wetlands and waterways in a map by the author.
PAST COLOMBO WETLAND POSTS
Lockwood, Ian. “Rock Star Crake at Diyasaru” 8 February 2018. Web.
” . “Striated Heron at Beddagana.” Ian Lockwood Blog. 1 April 2018. Web.
” . “Teaching & Learning in Colombo’s Suburban Wetlands.” Ian Lockwood Blog. October 2016. Web.
REFERENCES
“18 cities recognized for safeguarding urban wetlands.” Ramsar Secretariat. 18 October 2018. Web.
Amerasinghe , Priyanie. “What’s next now that Colombo’s an official Wetland City?” Sunday Times. 25 November 2018. Web.
Kotagama, Sarath and Gamini Ratnavira. Birds of Sri Lanka: An Illustrated Guide. Colombo: Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka, 2017. Print.
Ramsar. Web.
Ranasinghe, Piyumani. “Rebranding Colombo as a Wetland City.” Sunday Times. 18 November 2018. Web.
Rasmussen, Pamela C. and John Anderson. Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide. Volumes 1 &2, Second Edition. Washington DC: Smithsonian, 2012. Print.
Ryder, Craig. “The Growing Importance of Colombo’s Shrinking Wetlands.” Roar. 2 February 2018. Web.
Warakagoda. Deepal et. al. Birds of Sri Lanka (Helm Field Guides). London: Helms Guides, 2012. Print.
Wijeyeratne, Gehan de Silva. A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Sri Lanka. Colombo: Vijitha Yapa Publications, 2017. Print.
Striated Heron at Beddagana
Striated heron (Butorides striata) in morning light on the edge of parliament lake.
Colombo’s wetlands, as especially the ones that surround Sri Lanka’s parliament in Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, continue to provide a fine place for birdwatching and ecological teaching and learning. This post highlights the Striated Heron (Butorides striata) which I have had the chance to photograph at Beddagana Wetland Park over the last month. The species is associated with wetlands and mangrove habits where it feeds on small aquatic and marine creatures. There are close similarities between the Striated Heron and the Green Heron (Butorides virescens) found across North America. The striated heron is not easily seen in our wetlands, but I have observed it more than the Cinnamon and Black Bitterns which are both found in similar wetland habitats. Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne lists it as “an uncommon resident”. Professor Kotagama categorizes the same species as the “Green-backed Heron” in his recently published Birds of Sri Lanka: An Illustrated Guide.
Lenny on an early morning birding and Odonata walk on the Beddagana walkway
The Striated Heron (Butorides striata) in the midst of a hunt. Taken from quite a distance (@50 meters) at Beddagana.
REFERENCES
ARKive. “Striated heron (Butorides striata).” Web.
Kotagama, Sarath and Gamini Ratnavira. Birds of Sri Lanka: An Illustrated Guide. Colombo: Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka, 2017. Print.
Lockwood, Ian. “Teaching & Learning in Colombo’s Suburban Wetlands.” Ian Lockwood Blog. October 2016. Web.
Rasmussen, Pamela C. and John Anderson. Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide. Volumes 1 &2, Second Edition. Washington DC: Smithsonian, 2012. Print.
Ryder, Craig. “The Growing Importance of Colombo’s Shrinking Wetlands.” Roar. 2 February 2018. Web.
Warakagoda. Deepal et. al. Birds of Sri Lanka (Helm Field Guides). London: Helms Guides, 2012. Print.
Wijeyeratne, Gehan de Silva. A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Sri Lanka. Colombo: Vijitha Yapa Publications, 2017. Print.
