2009-08-31T03:30:00.000-07:00

Cormorants are found on just about any body of water in the sub-continent. These two were sunning themselves on the edge of Kandy Lake, in the hill country of Sri Lanka. We're pretty sure the one on the left is a Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax niger, but the one on the right remains unidentified. Given its size, we can guess it is the slightly larger Indian Cormorant or Indian Shag Phalacrocorax fuscicollis, but the gulag pouch beneath the bill (with which one can distinguish one species from another) is not visible, so we're not sure. All cormorants need to dry their wings after swimming and they're often seen with wings spread wide in the sun. They swim with their necks and head just out of the water, then dive for fish which they capture in their long, strong bill. (Kandy)

Smaller than the Blue-tailed Bee-eater, is the more commonly seen Green Bee-Eater Merops orientalis. this gregarious brightly colored bird may appear green all over, or, in the right light, show off its blue throat, black band between throat and belly, and chestnut crown. Both male and female have elongated pin (central tail) feathers although at times an individual may not. Like other bee-eaters, they perch and roost communally, taking winged insects as prey. We saw them repeatedly throughout Sri Lanka in wooded areas, near homes, in the hills and on the coast.

A member of the plover family, the Great Thick-knee Esacus recurvirostris (literally "re-curved nose") is commonly seen on the rocky, sometimes sandy, edges of lakes, river banks, and coastal shores. This is a tall wader (49‑54cm or 20‑22 in) with striking facial markings: strong black and yellow upturned bill, gray head with white "spectacles" and black bars. The Great Thick-knee is territorial and give off a rising whistle call: "kree-kree-kree kre-kre-kre-kre..." We were lucky to get this photo on the rocky shore of a small pond in Yala National Park, as these birds are normally crepuscular (meaning they come out at twilight) and nocturnal. In flight these birds appear duck-like.

Head swiveled around, and casting an alert eye, this Gray or Spot-Billed Pelican Precancels philippensis was not very interested in leaving its perch in a sturdy tree on the edge of Kandy Lake, in the town of Kandy, Sri Lanka. This bird is named for its plumage which is more dirty-white than the White Pelican, and the bill which shows small gray spots on the upper mandible on adult birds. These pelicans can be found alone or in large colonies. They breed in colonially in Sri Lanka and India and are found near large inland lakes and coastal waters. (Kandy)

Yala National Park is a fantastic place for viewing some of Sri Lanka's 5 species of stork. Strutting along the road was a small flock of Woolly Necked Storks (also known as White Necked Storks) Ciconia episcopus. These large storks (up to 92 cm or 33 inches tall) have black bodies with white "woolly" necks, black caps, bills and wings, with red legs. They are not very gregarious, nor noisy. The main sound they make is the sound of their mandibles clacking when their heads are thrown back. They, like other storks, often soar on thermals.

Birds