Bird watching in one way to connect with nature in Sri Lanka!
If you or your children are avid bird enthusiasts, Sri Lanka offers umpteen number of opportunities to treat your eyes to a feast of colourful birds everywhere.
One of the books you need to carry along is the “Pocket Guide to the Birds of the Indian Subcontinent” by Richard Grimmett, Carol Inskipp and Tim Inskipp. There is of course the “Birds of Sri Lanka” by the same three authors and Deepam Warakagoda.
The variety of terrain, from hills to the valleys, from thick forest to plains, from coastal regions to the inland waterways coupled with the relatively small size of the island offers any visitor a wonderful opportunity to spot a variety of species within a small timeframe.
Remember, birdwatching is a good sport that can teach your children that patience and hard work can be rewarding!
The best places to go for birdwatching are:
Here is a list of birds you are likely to spot and the ones that are hard to spot
Birds Common to Sri Lanka:
Black-headed ibis
Black-throated Munia
Black-winged stilt
Blue-faced Malkoha
Crested Serpent eagle
Crimson-fronted Barbet
Dark-fronted Babbler
Egret
Grey-headed fish eagle
Hill Swallow
Indian darter
Indian Scimitar-Babbler
Indian Swiftlet
Jerdon’s Nightjar
Jungle Bush-Quail
Kingfisher
Long-billed Sunbird
Malabar Pied-Hornbill
Malabar Trogon
Painted Francolin
Painted stork
Pelican
Red-wattled lapwing
Sri Lanka Frogmouth
Stork
White-browed Bulbul
Wild duck
Yellow-billed Babbler
Yellow-browed Bulbul
Rare birds native to Sri Lanka, of which some are considered endangered:
Ashy-headed laughing thrush
Black-crested Bulbul
Black-throated Munia
Brown Capped Babbler
Chestnut Backed Owlet
Layard’s Parakeet
Red Faced Malkoha
Sri Lanka Blue Magpie
Sri Lanka Bush Warbler
Sri Lanka Crimson Barbet
Sri Lanka Dull Blue flycatcher
Sri Lanka Green Billed Coucal
Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill
Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot
Sri Lanka Jungle Fowl
Sri Lanka Mynah
Sri Lanka Orange-billed babbler
Sri Lanka Spot-winged Thrush
Sri Lanka Spurfowl
Sri Lanka Whistling Thrush
Sri Lanka White-eye
Sri Lanka White-faced Starling
Sri Lanka Wood Pigeon
Sri Lanka Yellow Fronted Barbet
White-throated Flowerpecker