Large powerful hunting birds of Udawalawe!
On safari in Udawalawe National Park with Udawalawe Ethical Safari.
Udawalawe National Park is blessed with numerous hunting bird species with incredible eyesight, massive wingspans and powerful claws. There are too many varieties for us to list in this blog but here are a few of our favourites that you could see on safari with us!
Brown Fish Owl
Sri Lanka is one of few countries that can boast high population numbers of this species. Its preferred habitat is forest and wetlands which makes Udawalawe National Park perfect for this beautiful bird as the dense jungle near the lakes, ponds and rivers is the ideal hunting ground for its favourite foods of fish and frogs.
Crested Serpent Eagle
This spectacular bird thrives in our national park with the perfect combination of wetland and grass areas and forest. As its name suggests; this agile hunter preys on snakes and reptiles predominantly. Sri Lanka is home to numerous lizards and snakes, some of which are venomous, so this species choice prey makes for a hazardous lifestyle. However, this powerful bird instantly disables its meal, such as a highly venomous viper, by crushing it with its piercing talons before severing its spine with a fatal bite. The Serpent Eagle also has thick protective scales on its legs acting as its very own armour!
Changeable Hawk Eagle
The Changeable Hawk Eagle uses its excellent eyesight to its advantage to spot its next meal from high up in the in the jungle canopy. Once it has spotted a tasty snack it quickly swoops and strikes its unsuspecting prey. Favoured meals for this species are birds such as Jungle Fowl (the national bird of Sri Lanka which is similar to a small colourful chicken), Peacocks and some of the wetland birds found near the various bodies of water inside the national park.
White Breasted Sea Eagle
These formidable master hunters are a very regular sight in Udawalawe National Park and easy to spot circling low over the lakes, sometimes just 10 metres above the surface of the water. It is an impressive sight to watch when these large prey birds spot their meal, like lightning they speed towards the water and thrust their powerful legs forward capturing the fish or water snake or amphibian in their massive sharp claws. These are aggressive apex predators who use their hooked beaks to quickly tear apart their catch to devour it.
This is just a very small taster of the numerous incredible bird species you can see in Udawalawe National Park. Contact us now to plan your extraordinary adventure.