Visit the Zoo to see Sri Lanka's National Bird

This has been published on LakbimaNews on 01.02.2010 inline with Sri Lanka's National Day which is celebrated on 04th.February. 

High pitched “chiok, chaw-choyik’ is a call that you can often hear from a corner, if you visit the zoo in the morning. You might guess that it is either a noisy gibbon or a panicked chimpanzee, but infact it is the call of a bird. Though call is bit of a harsh, the owner is neverthelessly a smart bird. It is Sri Lanka Junglefowl which is also the National Bird of our country. 

The proud Junglefowl rooster with the head somewhat depressed and the beak jerked sharply up at each syllabal making this unmistakable call can be seen in Zoo’s open aviary. It is the male Junglefowl who make this call to mark its territory and let rival males know its presence. Emerson Tennent - a naturalists observed the Sri Lankan birds during British Colonial era mentioned the bird shouts “George Joyce”. He distinguished SriLankan Junglefowl’s call from other junglefowls live in Asia. 

If it sees a rival male intruding its territory, the male junglefowl generally proceed by rigorous clapping of the wings together above the back in wild. However, though they charge at each other, actual fighting was not errupted easily. But unfortunately for the male Junglefowl in the wild, the hunters knowing bird’s urge to come out to retaliate its intruders, they mimic this ‘threatening display’ to lure out a hidden Junglefowl. But the male junglefowls in the open aviary of the zoo is living in harmony with their mates. Junglefowl’s females, that are not as big, most of the time associates the male. Female are dull brownish with spotted and streaked below and not as beuatiful as the male junglefowl. 

Sri Lanka Junglefowl is scientificaly identified as Galus lafayettii. It belongs to the Family Phasianidae of the Order Galliformes. The birds found in Glliformees group are plump birds with short, rounded wings, small head and powerful bare legs and feet as mentioned in the John Harrison’s Field Guide to the Birds of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka Spurfowl, Indian Peafowl, Patrigdges and Quails are the other relatives of this family that can be seen in Sri Lanka. 

Famously known as walikukula in Sinhala, fowl has become part of our culture too. Junglefowl is also a closer relative of the domestic hen and it has been a commonly raised in villages some decades ago. The traditional oil lamp has the symbol of a cock indicating their close cultural relationship with human. Contributing to the ancient literature, there was a sandesha kavya called savul sandeshaya where the rooster played the major role. These are mainly written considering the domestic roosters, but its wild relative Sri Lanka Junglefowl too will get its ‘fowl share’ of these cultural credits. 

The Junglefowl is also the mostly widespread endemic bird of Sri Lanka. While most of our endemic birds been restricted either to Wetzone Rainforests or Mountain Region forests, the junglefowl is abundant even in dry zone. This abundance and closer to the culture are few reasons to name this unique bird as Sri Lanka’s National Bird. 

Bird experts say that Junglefowl breeds in the first half of the year and during August-september period. They build an open nest on floor using leaf litter and lay 2-4 eggs that are off-white and very small dark spots. 

The group of Junglefowl in the zoo always on the move, scratching the aviary bed looking for small animals such as crickets, grass hoppers, centipedes or termites. However, their main diet consists of Grain, Weed-seeds and berries. They are greedy to have the meal provide by the keepers of the Aviary every day and not shy. So you can go very closer to have an ample look at them. 

On your next vist, make sure you have a good look at Sri Lanka’s National Bird in the Zoo Aviary. Perhaps, you can visit the zoo on 04th of February - the Independence Day itself - to see the National Bird to observe one of the living symbol of our nation..!! 

National birds in few other countries 

It is a common custom to name a National Bird around the world. Here are some of the birds declared as National Birds in few other countries…!! Some of these birds can be seen in Sri Lanka too. Please note birds that can be seen in Sri Lanka are indicated by marking their Sinhala names in the brackets. 

o India - Peacock (Monara) 
o Bangladesh - Oriental Magpie Robin (Polkichcha) 
o Pakistan - Perigrene Falcon (Peri kurulugoya) 
o Bhutan - Common Raven (a species of Crow) 
o United States - Bald Eagle 
o United Kingdom - European Robin (Robin Kurulla) 
o Australia - Emu (a flighless bird - can be seen in zoo) 
o Botswana - Cattle Egret (Gava Koka) 
o China - Red-crowned Crane 
o Canada - Common Loon 
o Denmark - Mute Swan 
o Estonia - Barn Swallow (Atu Wehi-lihiniya) 
o Ishrael - Hoopoe (Poroluwa) 
o Mauritius - Dodo (first recorded bird that had gone extinct due to hunting) 
o New Zealand - Kiwi (a flightless bird) 
o Sweden - Black Bird (kalu bim sariya) 
o Bahamas - Greater Flamingo