Sri Lanka is a birder’s delight. Its tropical climate, relative isolation and astonishing biodiversity is responsible for the amazingly varied birdlife which comprises more than 400 species. Almost 200 migrant species descend on the country each year, having flown south for the winter – some, like the sandpipers and plovers, come from as far north as the arctic tundra. Within a two-week birdwatching holiday in Sri Lanka, you can easily see all 33 endemic birds along with at least 200 species. Whether bird watching is your passion, or you merely fancy a dabble, pick up a pair of binoculars, a guidebook and a notepad and join us in this birdwatcher’s paradise.
The best times to visit for birdwatching is between October and April, when the migrant birds have landed. The weather is best from January to March. Watch as the storks, spoonbills, cormorants and kingfishers feed off the tanks in the dry regions and flamingos come in their hundreds to line the lagoons and water holes of Mannar and Jaffna in the Northern Province. If birding is your passion, take a look at our specialist itinerary ‘Birds of Sri Lanka’.
Don’t Miss
The mixed species feeding flocks of Sinharaja.
The greater flamingos in Bundala.
Endemics in Bodhinagala Rainforest. Wetland and forest bird species in the Talangama Wetlands.
Waders in the Palatupana saltains.
Montane endemics in Horton Plains National Park.
Himalayan migrants at the Victoria Park in Nuwara Eliya.
Kelani Valley Forest Reserve’s endemics including green-bill coucal, chestnut-backed owlet, orange-billed babbler and the elusive dollar bird.
Waders and pink flamingos in Mannar and Jaffna during the migrant season.
