Tickell’s Flycatcher (Cyornis
tickelliae) is a small beautiful bird.
Sub species Jerdoni is endemic and residing in Sri Lanka. In Sinhalese it is known
as කෝපි
කුරුල්ලා (Kopi Kurulla). Male bird’s upper part is bright
blue,while the throat and the breast is yellowish orange. Rest of the body is
white. The beak is black. The female is duller blue with a brighter blue brow,
shoulder, rump and tail. They have short, broad flat beak.
Other than the breeding
period this bird can be seen singly and they inhabits dense scrub jungles and forests.
They sit upright in shades. They are active in mornings and evenings. Food
mainly consists of flying insects but relishes on termites and other insects found on the
ground. The breeding season is March to June. It nests in a hole in a tree or
amongst rocks that is lined with fine grass and plant fiber and shaped like a cup. They
lay 3–5 eggs and the juveniles are different from the adults by being darker
brown in colour
