WILDLIFE AROUND HABIBI HOSTEL

Interesting facts: Peacocks are a symbol of enlightenment, purity, and wisdom in Buddhism. Peacocks eat a variety of foods, including seeds, fruits, insects, reptiles, and small mammals. Only male peacocks have colorful feathers, which they use to attract mates
Size: Male - 100 to 120 cm (from bill to tail), Female - 95 cm
Average lifespan: 15 to 20 years in the wild

Interesting facts:Purple-faced langurs often swing through the trees, usually in family groups. These shy monkeys are found only in Sri Lanka and are considered a threatened species.
Size: Female - 45 to 60 cm; Male - 50 to 67 cm
Average lifespan: 23 years to 26 years

Interesting facts: Indian palm squirrels are known to be the most vocal mammal in Sri Lanka. They make a "chip chip chip" sound when they are in danger. Indian palm squirrels eat a variety of foods, including nuts, fruits, leaves, seeds, insects, and other small mammals. They are very protective of their food sources and will defend them from other squirrels and birds. Palm squirrels are very active during mating season and can become extremely active and chase each other.
Size: about 20 cm long
Average lifespan: 2 to 4 years

Interesting facts: They are often seen on the ground, but are good climbers and can grip crevices and termite hills. Monitor lizards have a strong sense of smell, are intelligent, and use their tails as weapons. Land monitors spend the nights in burrows, where their body temperature decreases. Land monitors in Sri Lanka are generally harmless unless provoked
Size: can grow up to 175 cm long
Average lifespan: up to 40 years in the wild

Interesting facts: This lizard is usually green, but can change the color of its head to yellow, orange, or red. The green garden lizard eats insects and other small invertebrates. Their tails can be up to three times the length of their body, helping them balance and move gracefully across branches. These lizards are known for their "head-bobbing" behavior, which they use to communicate dominance or attract mates. They are incredibly quick and can dart away into the greenery in the blink of an eye
Size: from 50 to 65 cm long
Average lifespan: 5 to 7 years in the wild

Interesting facts: These woodpeckers communicate by "drumming" on trees, a rapid tapping sound made with their beaks. It serves as a territorial signal and a way to attract mates. Their neck muscles are specially adapted to absorb the impact of constant pecking, which helps them drill into tree trunks without injury. Red-backed Flamebacks are generally monogamous and often seen in pairs or small family groups. While primarily insectivorous, they also consume fruits, seeds, and nectar
Size: about 28 centimeters long
Average lifespan: 5 to 10 years in the wild

Interesting facts: They have a rich, mellow, fluty song and raspy, nasal calls. Their flight is strong and direct, similar to a thrush. They eat fruit and insects, especially figs, which they find in tree canopies. Males are predominantly yellow with a black hood, wings, and tail center. Females are drabber with greenish underparts but still have a black hood
Size: about 23 - 25 cm long
Average lifespan: can live for 8 - 12 years

Interesting facts: The birds dig a burrow into a vertical embankment or wall, usually 50 cm to 1 m deep. The tunnel slants upward and ends in a wider nesting chamber. The white-throated kingfisher's diet includes insects, earthworms, rodents, lizards, snakes, fish, frogs, and occasionally small birds. The white-throated kingfisher is highly territorial and fiercely defends its territory. The white-throated kingfisher makes a loud rattling scream when it takes flight
Size: 27 - 28 cm long
Average lifespan: 7 - 10 years in the wild

Interesting facts: Red-vented bulbuls eat fruits, flower buds, nectar, insects, and sometimes house geckos. Red-vented bulbuls are active and restless, often seen high in trees or perched on wires. Red-vented bulbuls make a distinctive call that sounds like "ginger-beer" or "cark cark". The red-vented bulbul builds small, flat nests in bushes, trees, or even inside houses
Size: about 20 cm
Average lifespan: more than 11 years

Interesting facts: The greater coucal can be found in many habitats, including dense jungles, cultivated areas, and urban gardens. The greater coucal is a strong walker and spends a lot of time on the ground. It is not a strong flier and prefers to fly in short bursts. The greater coucal is an omnivore that eats insects, snails, small mammals, reptiles, fruits, seeds, and bird eggs and chicks. The greater coucal is known for its deep, resonant "oop-oop-oop" call. It also makes other calls, including a rapid rattling "lotok, lotok" and a harsh scolding "skeeaaaw"
Size: 47 - 56 cm long
Average lifespan: 6 - 12 years in the wild

Interesting facts: The Asian koel lays its eggs in the nests of other birds, such as crows, shrikes, and starlings. The male Asian koel has a loud, repeated "koo-Ooo" song during breeding season. The Asian koel is mainly frugivorous, but also eats insects, eggs, and young birds
Size: 39 – 46 cm
Average lifespan: 12 - 15 years

Interesting facts: The green imperial pigeon eats fruits from trees. The green imperial pigeon makes a variety of calls, including croaks, coos, roars, and a booming call. They fly fast and directly. The green imperial pigeon roosts in the same places year after year
Size: 45 cm
Average lifespan: 6 - 7 years in the wild

Interesting facts: They are common in Sri Lanka, found in cities, forests, and wet zones. Spotted doves are often seen in pairs or small groups. They forage on the ground for seeds, grains, and fallen fruit. They may also eat insects, such as winged termites. When disturbed, they fly quickly to leafy cover. Spotted doves build nests in trees or bushes near open areas
Size: from 28 to 32 cm
Average lifespan: can live up to 8 years

Interesting facts: They can be seen in gardens and near bird feeders. Rose-ringed parakeets are social and noisy, and are known for their loud, screeching calls. They are also intelligent and can mimic human speech. Rose-ringed parakeets are herbivores that eat fruits, nuts, berries, seeds, nectar, and more
Size: measure on average 40 cm in length
Average lifespan: 20 - 30 years

Interesting facts: The blue-tailed bee-eater is a migratory bird that spends the winter in Sri Lanka. They are expert hunters that catch insects in mid-flight. Blue-tailed bee-eaters bathe in sand to clear parasites from their feathers. They are social birds that live in flocks and are often seen in groups. Blue-tailed bee-eaters eat bees, wasps, hornets, dragonflies, and beetles. They make a rolling chirping whistling teerp call while in flight
Size: 23 - 26 cm long
Average lifespan: 6 - 12 years

Interesting facts: The Sri Lanka white-eye's song is a series of fast-paced "chuk-chuk-chuk" notes, similar to a bunch of keys being shaken. The Sri Lanka white-eye is mainly insectivorous, but also eats nectar and fruit. They are known for their love of nectar and play a crucial role in pollination. As they hop from flower to flower, they inadvertently help plants reproduce, making them an essential part of the ecosystem
Size: about 11 cm long
Average lifespan: can live up to 10 - 15 years

Interesting facts: They are social birds that live in flocks of 3–15 individuals. They are noisy and gregarious, and are often seen calling and foraging in groups. They mainly eat insects and caterpillars, but have also been known to eat lizards and whip-scorpions. They are relatively inactive during the hot hours of the day. They like to take baths, sometimes visiting birdbaths in the late afternoon or evening
Size: about 23 cm long
Average lifespan: 4 to 5 years in the wild

Interesting facts: White-rumped munias build large, domed nests out of grass in trees, bushes, or grass. They eat seeds and algae, especially in paddy fields. White-rumped munias are gregarious birds that move in groups through the undergrowth. They may join other species like the puff-throated babbler. White-rumped munias make soft calls described as “pirrit” or “prrrit”
Size: about 10 - 15 cm long
Average lifespan: has a maximum lifespan of 10 years

Interesting facts: Changeable hawk-eagles are diurnal, meaning they are active during the day. They are known for their high-pitched screams, especially during breeding season. Changeable hawk-eagles are opportunistic predators that eat small mammals, birds, and reptiles. Changeable hawk-eagles build large stick nests in trees. It spends a lot of time perching on exposed branches in the canopy of trees in clearings and at forest edges. When not perching, it frequently soars high in the sky
Size: 51 - 82 cm long
Average lifespan: 12 to 15 years in the wild

Interesting facts: Common mynas can learn to mimic human speech and other sounds. Common mynas are monogamous and mate for life. They breed throughout the year, depending on their location. Common mynas build their nests in holes, tree cavities, and other openings. Common mynas are omnivorous and eat fruits, vegetables, insects, scraps, and more
Size: 51 - 82 cm long
Average lifespan: 12 to 15 years in the wild