First time bird sightings in Kerawalapitiya as migratory season kicks off-By Malaka Rodrigo
Source:Sundaytimes
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.
