The Layard’s Parakeet (Psittacula calthropae) aka Emerald-collard Parakeet is a parrot which is a resident endemic breeder in Sri Lanka. The common name of this bird commemorates the British naturalist Edgar Leopold Layard; his first wife, Barbara Anne Calthrop, whom he married in 1845, is commemorated in the specific epithet. In Sri Lanka, this bird is knowns as alu girawa අළු ගිරවා (ash-parrot) in Sinhala Language. This bird appears on a 50c Sri Lankan postal stamp
My photos of this stunning bird were blurry and at a distance so here’s a close-up from Wikipedia.
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They are endemic to Sri Lanka and most easily seen (albeit from a distance) flying through the rainforest opposite the town of Kithulgala. I also got a brief glimpse of one flying overhead at Sinharaja. See the red dots below. Use a Central Asian award to get to Colombo, then take a taxi or bus.
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Although they share the same habits as Alexandrine Parakeets, the Layard’s are smaller and have shorter tails. If you try to photograph them you will need all the zoom you can get and a steady hand.
