The Sri Lanka thrush or Sri Lanka scaly thrush is a member of the thrush family Turdidae. This bird is an endemic resident breeder found in south western rainforests of the island of Sri Lanka.
Region
Southwestern Sri Lanka (Wet Zone)
Typical Environment
Primarily inhabits lowland and foothill evergreen rainforests with dense, shaded understory and deep leaf litter. It favors mature, undisturbed forest but may use adjacent secondary growth if cover is thick. Often found along damp gullies, stream margins, and mossy slopes where invertebrate prey is abundant. It typically avoids open areas and plantations, remaining within interior forest.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called the Sri Lanka scaly thrush, it was long treated as a subspecies of the scaly thrush but is now recognized as a distinct species. A shy, ground-dwelling bird, it forages by flipping leaf litter in dim rainforest understory. Its bold scale-like pattern provides excellent camouflage on the forest floor. It is highly sensitive to habitat disturbance and is most reliably seen in protected wet-zone forests such as Sinharaja.
Temperament
shy and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats in low, direct flights through understory
Social Behavior
Usually solitary or in pairs, keeping to dense cover. Nests are typically cup-shaped and placed low, on banks, roots, or in tangled vegetation. Both parents are thought to share incubation and chick-rearing duties, with small clutches typical for forest thrushes.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a series of clear, fluty whistles delivered from concealed perches, interspersed with pauses. Calls include thin, high-pitched seeps and soft contact notes. Vocalizations carry softly through dense forest, often heard at dawn.
