Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher - Yala, Sri Lanka

Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi ceylonensis) - Yala, Sri Lanka

The Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher is similar in appearance to the immature Indian Paradise Flycatcher, which is a winter migrant to Sri Lanka. I came across a number of these birds in Yala and Anuradhapura during the month of July. I was fortunate to photograph a number of them at fairly close proximity on a number of occasions during these sightings.

More photographs after the jump.

Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi ceylonensis) - Yala, Sri Lanka

Adult males are easily identified by their long tail feathers which can grow up to about 30cm in length. It is found in wooded habitats throughout the island and breeds in the dry lowlands and the lower hills. It is known to visit other areas during the migration season.

Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi ceylonensis) - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

The female, pictured above, has a smaller tail but a similar body size to the male. The birds can be located relatively easily as they have a high pitched call which is used often. The male's long tail also gives it away in flight.

Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi ceylonensis) - Yala, Sri Lanka

One of the main challenges in photographing these birds is getting the shutter speed correct. Although this is dependent on the speed of the lens being used, the available light also plays a part in this. I tend to push up the ISO on my camera to compensate for the aperture of f5.6 on the 400mm end of the lens I use.

Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi ceylonensis) - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

All photographs on this post were taken with the Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens.

Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi ceylonensis) - Yala, Sri Lanka

Asian Brown Flycatcher

The Asian Brown Flycatcher is an insectivorous species which breeds in Japan, Eastern Siberia and the Himalayas. It is a migrant and winters in Southern India and Sri Lanka.  More info after the jump.

This species is about 13cm in length and is similar in shape to the larger spotted flycatcher.  The dark bill is relatively large and is broad based. The adult has grey-brown upper parts which become greyer as the plumage ages. The under parts are whitish with brown tinged flanks. Younger birds have scaly brown upper parts, head and breast.

   

This bird is quite vocal and is a canopy dweller. It is found in different habitats, including urban gardens, as long as there are plenty of mature trees. It is usually detected by its regular somewhat loud calls. It has a habit of flying in a loop to catch prey and return to its perch.

I hadn't seen this species in our garden until December 2009. It turned out to be a regular visitor and was frequently seen feeding in the evenings. As usual it was it's call that gave away its presence. In order to capture these images I climbed up onto the roof near one of the birds regular perches. I used a Canon 7D with the 100-400mm lens to capture these images.