Kris Thomas
From early August through April, more than 200 migratory bird species visit Sri Lanka to escape the winters of the northern hemisphere.
This winter, a more recent migrant is expected to spend a few months on the island until the ice thaws: the Asian house martin (Delichon dasypus) was first spotted within the Sinharaja forest in early December 2021.
The Asian house martin is easily recognised by its blue-black upperparts, white rump and pale grey underbelly, and can usually be found in the Himalayas and in parts of central and eastern Asia, like Japan.
The species has been known to spend winters in lower regions or in Southeast Asia — which makes the discovery in Sinharaja significant in terms of its migratory pattern.
