Nov 11

Bird of the day

Sri Lanka bush warbler

Elaphrornis palliseri

The Sri Lanka bush warbler (Elaphrornis palliseri), also known as Ceylon bush warbler or Palliser's warbler, is an Old World warbler which is an endemic resident breeder in Sri Lanka, where it is the only bush warbler.

This is a medium-large warbler at 14 cm. The adult has a plain brown back, pale grey underparts, a broad tail and short wings. There is a weak supercilium, and the throat is tinged orange. The sexes are identical, as with most warblers, but young birds lack the throat colouration.

The Sri Lanka bush warbler is a skulking species which can be very difficult to see. Perhaps the best site is Horton Plains National Park. It keeps low in vegetation and, like most warblers, it is insectivorous.

Males are often only detected by the loud song, which has an explosive queet.

Aliases

Elaphrornis palliseri, Palliser’s warbler

Data retrieved on October 14, 2025 at 9:22 PM