Deepal Warakagoda (born 1965) is a prominent Sri Lankanornithologist. His early working career was in electronics, but for many years he has studied birds and also works as a professional guide for birding tours of the island.
His expertise in vocalizations enabled him to realize that an owl he heard calling near Kitulgala was an unfamiliar species, and he later saw this bird in January 2001 in the Sinharaja rainforest. He had found a new endemic species, the Serendib Scops Owl.
Deepal is rarely seen without a tape recorder, and has an unmatched knowledge of Sri Lanka's bird songs and calls. He has produced the only published audio guide to the island's birds on tape and audio CD.
Although best known for his expertise in finding and identifying birds, his knowledge extends to the island's mammals and butterflies.
Deepal founded the Drongo Nature society, and is joint secretary of the Ceylon Bird Club. He is the national coordinator in Sri Lanka for the Asian Waterbird Census.
Publications
A Birdwatcher's Guide to Sri Lanka by Gehan and Nirma de Silva Wijeyeratne, Lester Perera, Jeevan William and Deepal Warakagoda.
Photographic Guide to Birds of Sri Lanka by Gehan De Silva Wijeyeratne, Deepal Warakagoda, T.S.U.De Zylva, ISBN 1859745113
A Guide to the Birds of Sri Lanka (Third Edition) by G. M. Henry, revised and enlarged by Thilo W. Hoffmann, Deepal Warakagoda, and Upali Ekanayake ISBN 0-19-563813-1
Deepal compared the recording to other Asian owls, and sent it to Pamela Rasmussen, who agreed that while it sounded like an owl, it did not match any of the species known to occur in Sri Lanka, although it was most like Reddish Scops-owl Otus rufescens.
Deepal eventually succeeded in observing the bird, for several minutes, at Sinharaja FR in January 2001.
By May 2002, a study launched by Deepal and colleagues, under the auspices of the Department of Wildlife Conservation and Forest Department of Sri Lanka, had found the new owl in five different forests, and detected at least 24 individuals.
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