Activities
Photo Credits - Rukmal Ratnayake
FOGSL organizes a number of activities geared towards both academic and non-academic sectors of society
Workshops
Workshops are conducted on an year-round basis and focus on building fundamental birding skills and field work. A total number of 3 workshops are conducted annually. Each of these is set in different environments and present new challenges to an amateur birder
Beginners Workshop - Mihintale
Photo Credits - Uvini Senanayake
Geared towards amateur birders. This workshop focuses on building the fundamentals of birdwatching including identification, capturing, recording, and identifying calls
Bird Flock Workshop - Sinharaja
Photo Credits - Uvini Senanayake
Focuses on improving birding skills in a tropical forest setting. Sinjaraja rainforest and surrounding areas carry a disproportionate number of endemic species to our countries. This workshop will be of immense benefit to those who are keen to know more about these species.
Wetland Workshop - Bundala
Photo Credits - Uvini Senanayake
Seabirds are considered as an important component of Sri Lankan birds. Not only are most of them migratory, but they are quite different from forest birds in regards to their physiology. Wetlands are an important ecosystem which are important in bird ecology. This workshop focuses on introducing these fascinating ecosystem and giving an introduction about the National Bird Ringing Program
Field Visits
Photo Credits - Uvini Senanayake
Field Visits are conducted throughout the year. The main objective of field visits is for FOGSL members to engage in birding and field activities. Different parts of the country is visited by these excursions and they provide an unforgettable experience to our members.
Research and Conservation
FOGSL has contributed towards both local and global research. Research activities are undertaken regarding a wide range of topics. Conservation efforts have also been a focal part of what FOGSL is about. Several national projects have been initiated to protect and conserve many sensitive and degrading natural ecosystems.
Urban Wetland Conservation Project
Photo Credits - Rukmal Ratnayake
The Urban Wetland Conservation Project is an initiative from FOGSL aimed at conserving urban wetlands. Urban wetlands are an important ecological habitat for a number of species, especially birds. Urban wetlands located in tropical countries attract a high number of bird species many of which are under threat from human activity.
The objectives of this project are
- Create urban ecological awareness among citizens including school children
- Initiate monitoring and data collection programmes in selected urban wetlands by employing the citizen science approach involving public volunteers and school children.
- Develop ecological sustainability in the selected urban wetland systems as models for conserving the biological wealth contained in these parks with the involvement of general public and relevant line agencies
Loris Conservation Project
The Loris Conservation project was a five year study conducted by FOGSL in collaboration with the Open University of Sri Lanka and the Zoological Society of London.
The main objectives of this project was to study taxonomy, occupancy and distribution of slender lorises in Sri Lanka
National Bird Ringing Program
Photo Credits - Uvini Senanayake
The National Bird Ringing program is an initiative of FOGSL in collaboration with the Department of Wildlife conservation which aims to capture and tag migratory birds visiting Sri Lanka. Tracking of migratory birds is an important component of Bird studies and a useful tool to understand the behavior of these animals.
Currently, this project is carried in the Bundala National Park has been in existence since 2005.