Bird Watching Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is one of the top places for bird watching in the world. Of the 427 recorded species, 250 are resident and 23 are endemic to the country.  with our  experience in successful nature tours for over 7 years , For you, Sri Lanka will be a heavenly birding experience.

             Birding Sites In Sri Lanka

      Kitulgala Rain Forest

Sinharaja Rain Forest

      Udawatta Kele Forest Reserve

Horton Plains

Victoria Park in Nuwara Eliya

Sigiriya Sanctuary

Hakgala Botanical Gardens

Yala National Park

Bundala Wetland and Bundala National Park

Udawalawa National Park

Talangama Wetland

Adam's Peak and Wilderness Sanctuary 

Sinharaja Old Growth Rain forest - you can see many of the endemics and mixed species birds. It is  a UNESCO world heritage site since 1988 and you also can see most endemic flora and fauna species in Sri Lanka.

Mixed species of bird flocks are one of the most interesting experience of the forest. As per very recent observations, this flocks reveal that over 40 individuals and 11 varieties of bird species averagely. 

birds highlights - Endemic birds such as Sri Lanka Magpie,  Serendib Scops Owl

Kitulgala Rain Forest (Kelani river Valley Forest Reserve) - Kitulgala

Highlights birds  -, Ashey headed Laughingthrush, with lesser Yellow napped, Pygmy and Crimson backed wood             peckers, Black   Bulbul, Black napped Monarch and Ceylon frog mouth, Green billed Caucal, Grey Hornbill, Sri Lanka Spurfowl, Sri Lanka Hanging   Parrot, Yellow fronted Barbet, Red faced Malkoha, Spot winged Thrush, Rofous Babbler etc.

Kandy Udawatte Kelle Sanctuary, Dunumadalawa Forest reserve  and Royal Botanical gardan Peradenaya

Highlights birds (endemics) Layard's Parakeets, Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot, Yellow fronted Barbet, Brown capped Babbler, White rumped Shama, Tickell's Blue Flycatcher etc.

Horton Plains National Park Nuwara Eliya 
Highlights birds  -, Pied Bush Chat, Grey Tit, Black Bird, Sri Lanka Bush Wabler , Sri Lanka Wood Pigeon, A reliable site for the crepuscular Sri Lanka whistling Thrush , Endemic endangered bird. SL Blue Magpie , Mountain Hawk Eagle, Black Eagle, SL Hill Munia, Dull Blue flycatcher , Yellow eared Bulbul etc.

Hakgala Botanical Garden, Nuwara Eliya - 

Highlights - Sri Lanka white Eye , Sri Lanka Bush Wabler , Sri Lanka Wood Pigeon , Dull Blue Flycatcher , Indian Blue Robin, Canary Flycatcher, Black Bird, Black bird, Yellow earned Bulbul , Pied Thrush, Canary Fly catcher, Indian Pitta, Green Sandpiper etc.

Victoria Park, Nuwara Eliya - Nuwara Eliya
Highlights birds   - Canary Flycatcher, Black Bird,Black bird, Yellow earned Bulbul , Pied Thrush, Canary Fly catcher, Indian Pitta, Green Sandpiper,Sri Lanka white Eye , Sri Lanka Bush Wabler , Sri Lanka Wood Pigeon , Dull Blue Flycatcher , Indian Blue Robin etc.

Yala National Park (Ruhuna National Park) -
Highlights birds - Crested serpent Eagle, White Bellied Sea Eagle, Tank Eagle, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Black necked Storks, Painted Storke, Lesser Adjutant, Sirkeer Malkoha, Blue Faced Malkoha, Green and Eurasian Bee eater, Brahmany Myna, Rosy Starting, Hoopoo Pee Fowl, Pigeons and Doves, Parakeets and many more waders, Turns, Water birds etc.

      Bundala Wetland and Bundala National Park        

      Highlights birds - Greater Flamingo, Sri Lanka Jungle Fowl (E), Great Egret, Asian Open Bill,                   Black winged Stilt, Yellow wattled Lapwings, Painted Storks and Large numbers of migrants including       Plovers, Sand Pipers, Turnes and Ducks, Rosy Starling, Bharahuramy Myna etc.

Uda Walawa National Park -

Highlights birds - Sri Lanka Jungle Fowl, Sri Lanka Grey Horn Bill , Malabar pied Horn Bill, Woolly - necked Stork, Black headed Ibies, Black shouldered Kite, Crested Serpent Eagle, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Shikra, Sirkeer Malkoha, Blue faced Malkoha etc. 

Talangama wetland 

Highlights birds - Pied Kingfisher, Common Kingfisher, Stork billed Kingfisher, Black Bittern, Yellow Bittern, Cinnomon Bittern, Crimson fronted Barbet, Black rumped Flameback

Anawilundawa wetland

Highlights birds - Pied Kingfisher, Common Kingfisher, Stork billed Kingfisher, Black Bittern, Yellow Bittern, Cinnomon Bittern, Crimson fronted Barbet, Black rumped Flameback, Blue faced Malkoha, Brown Fish Owl, Chestnut winged Cockoo

    Migration routes of birds to  Sri Lanka

            There are 3 flying routes across India along which immigrant                   birds come to Sri Lanka.

       1) western route

       2) Eastern route

       3) Andaman Island route

      Sri Lakan Birds  

• Ceylon Spurfowl (Galloperdix bicalcarata)

• Ceylon Jungle Fowl (Gallus lafayetii)

• Ceylon Wood Pigeon (Columba torringtonii)

• Ceylon Hanging Parrot (Loriculus beryllinus)

• Layard's Parakeet (Psittacula calthropae)

• Red-faced Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus pyrrhocephalus)

• Green-billed Coucal (Centropu chlororhynchos)

• Chestnut-backed Owlet (Glaucidium castanonotum)

• Ceylon Grey Hombill (Ocyceros gingalensis)

• Yellow- fronted Barbet (Megalaima flavifrons)

• Yellow-eared Bulbul (Pycnonotus penicillatus)
• Ceylon Whistling- Thrush (Myophonus blighi)

• Spot-winged Ground- Thrush (Zoothera spiloptera)

• Sri Lanka Bush-Warbler (Elaphrornis palliseri)

• Dusky-blue Flycatcher (Eumyias sordidus)
• Brown-capped Babbler (Pellorneum fuscocapillus)

• Ceylon Rufous Babbler (Turdoides rufescens)

• Ashy-headed Laughingthrush (Garrulax cinereifrons)

• Legge's Flowerpecker (Dicaeum vincens)

• Ceylon White-eye (Zosterops ceylonensis)

• Ceylon Blue Magpie (Urocissa ornata)

• White-faced Starling (Sturnia albofrontata)

• Sri Lanka Myna (Gracula ptilogenys)

• Ceylon Small Barbet (Megalaima rubricapillus)

• Black-capped Bulbul (Pycnonotus melanicterus)

• Black-throated Munia (Lonchura kelaarti)

• Pompadour Green Pigeon (Treron pompadora)

• Serendib Scops-Owl (Otus hoffmaninii)

• Crimson-backed Flameback (Chrysocolaptes stricklandi)

• Ceylon Swallow (Hirundo hyperythra)

• Ceylon Woodshrike (Tephrodornis affinis)

• Ceylon Scaly Thrush (Zoothera imbricata)

• Ceylon Scimitar-Babbler (Pomatorhinus {schisticeps} melanurus)

• Ceylon Crested Drongo (Dicrurus lophorinus)

         Birds found only in Sri Lanka and India

• Blue-faced Malkoha (Rhopodyres viridirostris)

• Dark-fronted Babbler (Rhopocichla atriceps)

• Indian Swiflet (Aerodramus unicolor)

• Jerdon's Nightjar (Caprimulgus atripennis)

• Jungle Bush-Quail (Perdicula asiatica

• Long-billed Sunbird (Nectarinia litenia lotenia)

• Malabar Pied-Hornbill (Anthracoceros coronatus)

• Malabar Trogon (Harpactes faciatus)

• Sri Lanka Fronmouth (Batrachostomus moniliger)

• White Browed Bulbul (Pycnonotus luteolus insulae)

• Yellowbrowed Bulbul (Hypsipetes indicus)

 Globally threatened birds found in Sri Lanka

 

        Critical - none Endangered

• Spotted Greenshank (Triuga guttfer)

• Sri Lanka Whistling Thrush (Endemic) 

Myophonus blighi

               Vulnerable

• Spot-billed Pelican (Pelecanus philippensis)

• Lesser Adjutant (Leptoptilos javanicus)

• Lesser Kestrel (Falco maumanni)

• Sociable Lapwing (Vanellus gregarius)

• Wood Snipe (Gallinago nemoricola)

• Spoon-billed Sandpiper (Eurynorhynches pygmeus)

• Kashmir Flycatcher (Ficeduja subrubra)

• Sri Lanka Wood Pigeon (Endemic) (Columba torringtonii)

• Red Faced Malkoha (Endemic) (Phaenicophaeus pyrr)

• Green-billed Coucal (Endemic) (Centropus chlororynchus)

• ashy-headed Laughingthrush (Endemic) (Garrulax cinereifrons)

• White-faced Starling (Endemic) (Sturnus senex)

• Sri Lanka Blue Magpie (Endemic) (Urocissa ornata)

                 Near Threatened

• Oriental Dater (Anhinga melanogaster)

• Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala)

• Black-necked Stork (Ephiporhynchus asiaricus)

• Black-headed Ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus)

• Grey-headed Fish Eagle (Fchthyophaga ichthyaetus)

• Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus)

• Great Snipe (Gallinago media)

• Malabar Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros coronatus)

• Chesnut-backed Owlet (Endemic) (Glaucidium castanonotum)

• Yellow-eared Bulbul (Endemic) (Pycnonotus penicillatus)

• Spot-winged Thrush (Endemic) (Soothera spiloptera)

• Orange-billed Babbler (Endemic) (Turdoides rufescens)

• Sri Lanka Bush-warbler (Endemic) (Bradypterus pallisexi)

• Dull-blue Flycatcher (Endemic) (Eumyias sordida)

• White-throated Flowerpecker (Endemic) (Dicaeum vincens)

• Sri Lanka Mynah (Endemic) (Gracula ptilogenys)