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Sri Lanka 2002. From the set "The Beauties of our Country. Sinharaja Forest Reserve.
Sinharaja Forest Reserve
(1988)
Sri Lanka
Located in south-west Sri Lanka, Sinharaja is the country's
last viable area of primary tropical rainforest. More than 60% of the
trees are endemic and many of them are considered rare. There is much
endemic wildlife, especially birds, but the reserve is also home to over
50% of Sri Lanka's endemic species of mammals and butterflies, as well as
many kinds of insects, reptiles and rare amphibians.
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Sri Lanka is a birds-and-ornithologist's paradise. Of the 435 recorded species, 230 are resident, and no less that 23 are endemic to the island. Most of the endemic birds are restricted to the wet zone. Others can be found throughout the island, although confined to small areas of humid forests. Each bird's ordinary name and Latin name are shown in the two columns on the right.
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Black-necked Stork | Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus |
| Purple Swamphen | Porphyrio porphyrio | |
| Grey Heron | Ardea cinerea | |
| White-throated Kingfisher | Halcyon smyrnensis | |
| Black-crowned Night-Heron | Nycticorax nycticorax | |
| Scarlet Minivet | Pericrocotus flammeus | |
| White-rumped Shama | Copsychus malabaricus | |
| Malabar Trogon | Harpactes fasciatus | |
| Asian Paradise-Flycatcher | Terpsiphone paradisi | |
| Green Bee-eater | Merops orientalis | |
| Brown Wood-Owl | Strix leptogrammica | |
| Crested Serpent-Eagle | Spilornis cheela | |
| Crested Goshawk | Accipiter trivirgatus | |
| Jungle Owlet | Glaucidium radiatum | |
| Rufous-bellied Eagle | Aquila kienerii | |
| Black-headed Munia | Lonchura malacca | |
| Pompadour Green-Pigeon | Treron pompadora | |
| Plum-headed Parakeet | Psittacula cyanocephala | |
| Coppersmith Barbet | Megalaima haemacephala | |
| Emerald Dove | Chalcophaps indica | |
| Blue-faced Malkoha | Phaenicophaeus viridirostris | |
| Indian Scimitar-Babbler | Pomatorhinus horsfieldii | |
| Painted Francolin | Francolinus pictus | |
| Black-rumped Flameback | Dinopium benghalense | |
| Malabar Pied-Hornbill | Anthracoceros coronatus |
A variety of indigenous plants and animals, flowing rivers and silent streamlets cover up nearly 9800 hectares. Out of a total of 830 indigenous flowering plants in the Island, Sinharaja has nearly 500 plants and out of 21 native bird species in the country 17 species have made Sinharaja their home.
Sources and links:
Other World Heritage Sites in Sri Lanka (on this site). Please refer to the UNESCO-listing, Sri Lanka section, for further information on the individual properties.
Revised 21 jul 2006 |
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