Ceylon Spurfowl Galloperdix bicalcarata

Sri Lanka Spurfowl

Sinhalese - Haban Kukula

Tamil- Sinna Kattu Kolii

The Ceylon Spurfowl is about the size of a partridge but more rotund. It is possibly the most elusive of the island’s endemics. Though not uncommon in its habitat of deep forest and heard very often, sighting it is indeed difficult. Early mornings the bird may venture in to the open, feeding along a jungle path, but disappears with the slightest disturbance running into cover with great agility. Sometimes however it visits backyards of houses within the forest to feed on food matter thrown out by the inmates affording an opportunity to observe it.

The Spurfowl is commoner in the deep forests of the wet zone but is also found in hill forests as well as some riverine forests of the dry zone near foot hills.

The bird usually associates in pairs, keeping in touch with their distinctive loud calls. The male Spurfowl is indeed a handsome bird with its deep maroon plumage and black bordered white spangled markings. The female is plain reddish brown.  Both sexes have red beaks and legs.

The Spurfowl builds a scrape of a nest consisting of a few twigs placed on the ground under the trunk of a large forest tree between roots. The female alone incubates. The breeding season is in the early part of the year and usually two cream coloured eggs quite similar to a domestic chicken’s but smaller, are laid.