Birds of Sri Lanka endemics, raptors & wetland birds — photographed in the wild
A free illustrated guide to the birds of Sri Lanka, with field notes on how to identify each species, where to find it and when to go. Every photograph is by naturalist and licensed tour guide Chanaka Rathnayake.
A Small Island With an Extraordinary Bird List
Sri Lanka is smaller than Ireland, yet around 500 bird species have been recorded here — and 34 of them live nowhere else on Earth.
The island is part of the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka biodiversity hotspot. Its rainforests in the south-west, cool cloud forests in the central hills and dry-zone jungles and lagoons in the north, east and south each hold different birds. Because distances are short, you can watch rainforest endemics at dawn and wetland birds the next afternoon.
From October to April, migrants from Siberia, Central Asia and the Himalayas arrive for the winter. Sri Lanka is the southern end of the Central Asian Flyway, so lagoons fill with waders and the hill forests welcome migrant thrushes and flycatchers.
This guide presents birds I have photographed in the field over more than 15 years of guiding. Use the filters to explore them by habitat, or tap any photo to see it larger.
20 Birds of Sri Lanka, Photographed in the Wild
Start with four special endemics, then browse raptors, owls, dry-zone and wetland birds. All photographs © Chanaka Rathnayake.
Showing 21 plates
Sri Lanka Blue Magpie
Urocissa ornataFor many birders this is the most wanted bird in Sri Lanka. Its brilliant blue body, chestnut head and wings, coral-red bill and legs and long white-tipped tail make it unmistakable. Families move noisily through the rainforest canopy and often travel with mixed feeding flocks.
Guide's tip: Listen for their loud, rasping calls in the early morning at Sinharaja. Once you hear them, wait quietly — the group usually comes closer as it feeds.
- Size
- 42–47 cm including the long tail
- Habitat
- Wet-zone rainforest and hill forest
- Best sites
- Sinharaja, Kitulgala and forests around the hill country
- Look for
- Blue body, chestnut head, red bill and eye-ring
Orange-billed Babbler
Argya rufescensAlso called the Sri Lanka Rufous Babbler. Noisy groups of these rufous-brown birds with bright orange bills and legs are the "engine" of Sinharaja's famous mixed-species feeding flocks. Where the babblers go, drongos, magpies, flycatchers and woodpeckers follow.
Guide's tip: When you hear their constant chattering, stop and watch every level of the forest. Many other endemics may be moving with the same flock.
- Size
- About 25 cm
- Habitat
- Lowland and mid-altitude rainforest
- Best sites
- Sinharaja, Kitulgala, Makandawa
- Look for
- Rufous plumage, orange bill and legs, pale eye
Sri Lanka Whistling Thrush
Myophonus blighiOne of the rarest and most difficult endemics. The male is dark blue with a bright cobalt shoulder patch; the female is browner. It lives along shaded streams in high montane forest and is most active in the half-light at dawn and dusk.
Guide's tip: Be by a forest stream in the hills before sunrise and stay still. Patience is everything with this bird.
- Size
- About 20 cm
- Habitat
- Montane forest streams above about 900 m
- Best sites
- Horton Plains, Hakgala and nearby cloud forest
- Look for
- Dark blue plumage, shining blue shoulder
Sri Lanka Frogmouth
Batrachostomus moniligerA master of camouflage. By day a pair sits side by side on a low branch, looking exactly like broken wood. The female is rufous with white spots; the male is greyer. At night they hunt large insects with their wide, frog-like mouths.
Guide's tip: Pairs often return to the same roost for weeks. Local guides know these spots — never use flash or go too close.
- Size
- About 23 cm
- Habitat
- Dense lowland rainforest
- Best sites
- Sinharaja, Kitulgala
- Look for
- Broad flat bill, bark-like pattern, roosting pair
Malabar Pied Hornbill
Anthracoceros coronatusA spectacular black-and-white hornbill with a huge yellow bill and casque. When nesting, the female seals herself inside a tree hole and the male feeds her through a narrow slit.
- Size
- About 65 cm
- Where
- Dry-zone forest: Yala, Wasgamuwa, Gal Oya
- Look for
- Large yellow casque, white tail sides
Indian Paradise-flycatcher (white male)
Terpsiphone paradisiA white male trailing ribbon-like tail streamers through the trees is one of the great sights of a Sri Lankan winter. Most white males seen here are migrants from India.
- Size
- About 20 cm, plus tail streamers up to 30 cm
- Where
- Forests, parks and wooded gardens island-wide
- Season
- Mainly October to April
Indian Paradise-flycatcher (rufous male)
Terpsiphone paradisi ceylonensisSri Lanka's resident race has chestnut-rufous males with a glossy blue-black crested head. Locals call it the "Sudu Redi Hora" in its white form — the bird that steals white cloth.
- Size
- About 20 cm, plus streamers
- Where
- Forest edge, river woodland, gardens
- Look for
- Black crest, blue eye-ring, long tail
Brown-headed Barbet
Psilopogon zeylanicusIts loud, repeated "kutroo-kutroo" call is one of the sounds of Sri Lanka. A green, heavy-billed fruit eater that nests in holes it carves in dead branches.
- Size
- About 27 cm
- Where
- Lowland woodland, villages and gardens
- Look for
- Brown streaked head, orange bare skin around the eye
Crested Serpent Eagle
Spilornis cheela spilogasterThe raptor you are most likely to see on safari. As the name says, it feeds mainly on snakes and lizards. This young bird shows a paler, flecked head; adults are darker with a short bushy crest.
- Size
- About 55–70 cm
- Where
- Yala, Udawalawe, Wilpattu and forests island-wide
- Look for
- Bare yellow face, loud whistling call in flight
Brown Hawk-Owl
Ninox scutulataAlso called the Brown Boobook. A hawk-shaped owl with no ear tufts and large yellow eyes. Its soft, rising "hoo-ok" is heard at dusk, even in well-wooded towns.
- Size
- About 30 cm
- Where
- Lowland forest, wooded gardens and parks
- Look for
- Plain dark head, heavy brown streaks on a white breast
Brown Fish Owl
Ketupa zeylonensisA big, powerful owl with fiery eyes and ragged ear tufts. It hunts fish, frogs and crabs along rivers and tanks, and often roosts by day in a shady tree near water.
- Size
- About 50–57 cm
- Where
- Kitulgala, Yala, Udawattakele (Kandy), river forests
- Look for
- Golden-orange eyes, ear tufts, streaked brown plumage
Changeable Hawk-Eagle (juvenile)
Nisaetus cirrhatus ceylanensisNamed for its variable plumage. Young birds like this one are strikingly pale-headed; adults become browner with a streaked breast. The Sri Lankan form has a long crest.
- Size
- About 60–75 cm
- Where
- Forest and parkland in all national parks
- Look for
- Fully feathered legs, upright posture
Black-winged Kite
Elanus caeruleusA small, elegant grey-and-white raptor with ruby-red eyes. It hovers like a kestrel over grassland and paddy fields before dropping onto mice and insects.
- Size
- About 33 cm
- Where
- Open grassland: Udawalawe, Bundala, paddy fields
- Look for
- Black shoulder patch, hovering flight
Yellow-footed Green Pigeon
Treron phoenicopterusA plump, fruit-eating pigeon of the dry zone, usually found in small groups in fruiting fig trees. Its yellow-green colours make it surprisingly hard to spot among leaves.
- Size
- About 33 cm
- Where
- Dry-zone woodland: Yala, Wilpattu, Anuradhapura
- Look for
- Olive-yellow head and neck, mauve shoulder, yellow feet
Black-hooded Oriole
Oriolus xanthornusA flash of gold in the treetops. Its rich, fluting whistle carries far across villages and woodland, and it visits fruiting trees in gardens.
- Size
- About 25 cm
- Where
- Lowland woodland, parks and gardens island-wide
- Look for
- Black hood, golden body, pink bill, red eye
Pied Kingfisher
Ceryle rudisThe only black-and-white kingfisher in Sri Lanka. It hovers in one spot above the water, then plunges head-first for fish — a perfect subject for action photography.
- Size
- About 25 cm
- Where
- Tanks, lagoons and rivers: Bundala, Tissamaharama, Kalametiya
- Look for
- Hovering flight, black breast bands
Green Bee-eater
Merops orientalis ceylonicusSmall, jewel-green and full of character. Bee-eaters catch insects in mid-air, beat stings out on a perch and often sit in a row along a branch. The Sri Lankan race has a coppery crown.
- Size
- About 20 cm with tail pins
- Where
- Dry, open country: Yala, Udawalawe, Bundala
- Look for
- Black eye-stripe, blue throat, central tail pins
White-browed Fantail
Rhipidura aureolaA restless little flycatcher that dances on branches, fanning its tail. Its neat cup nest, bound with spider silk, is built on a bare branch — as photographed here from a respectful distance.
- Size
- About 17 cm
- Where
- Dry-zone scrub and woodland
- Look for
- White eyebrow, fanned white-edged tail
Rose-ringed Parakeet
Psittacula krameriThe most familiar parrot in the lowlands, flying over in noisy flocks. Only the male wears the black-and-rose neck ring. Compare it with the endemic Layard's Parakeet, which has a grey head.
- Size
- About 40 cm including tail
- Where
- Lowlands island-wide, fields and gardens
- Look for
- Red bill, neck ring (male), long pointed tail
Sri Lanka White-eye
Zosterops ceylonensisA tiny, sociable bird of the hills, moving through tea estates and cloud forest in chattering flocks. It is larger and darker green than the lowland Indian White-eye, with a broader white eye-ring.
- Size
- About 11 cm
- Where
- Nuwara Eliya, Horton Plains, Hakgala, tea country
- Look for
- White eye-ring, yellow throat, flocking behaviour
Square-tailed Bulbul
Hypsipetes ganeesa humiiAlso called the Square-tailed Black Bulbul. Sooty-grey with a shaggy crest and a bright coral-red bill and legs. Noisy flocks give cat-like mewing calls while feeding on berries.
- Size
- About 23 cm
- Where
- Hill forests: Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Horton Plains
- Look for
- Red bill and legs, untidy black crest
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The 34 Endemic Birds of Sri Lanka
These birds are found only in Sri Lanka. The list follows the commonly used total of 34; some checklists count 33 or 35. Highlighted names are photographed in this guide.
- Sri Lanka SpurfowlRainforest
- Sri Lanka JunglefowlWidespread
- Sri Lanka Wood PigeonHill country
- Sri Lanka Green PigeonWidespread
- Sri Lanka Hanging ParrotWidespread
- Layard's ParakeetWet zone
- Red-faced MalkohaRainforest
- Green-billed CoucalRainforest
- Serendib Scops OwlRainforest
- Chestnut-backed OwletWet zone
- Sri Lanka Grey HornbillWidespread
- Yellow-fronted BarbetWet zone
- Crimson-fronted BarbetWet zone
- Red-backed FlamebackWidespread
- Crimson-backed FlamebackWet zone
- Sri Lanka WoodshrikeDry zone
- Black-capped BulbulWidespread
- Yellow-eared BulbulHill country
- Sri Lanka SwallowWidespread
- Sri Lanka Blue MagpieWet zone
- Sri Lanka DrongoRainforest
- Sri Lanka Hill MynaWet zone
- White-faced StarlingRainforest
- Sri Lanka Whistling ThrushHill country
- Spot-winged ThrushWet zone
- Sri Lanka ThrushRainforest
- Dull-blue FlycatcherHill country
- Sri Lanka Bush WarblerHill country
- Sri Lanka Scimitar BabblerWidespread
- Brown-capped BabblerWidespread
- Orange-billed BabblerWet zone
- Ashy-headed LaughingthrushRainforest
- Sri Lanka White-eyeHill country
- Legge's FlowerpeckerWet zone
Want to see as many as possible? A well-planned 10–14 day birding trip covering the rainforest, hills and dry zone can find most of them. See my birdwatching tour →
The Best Birding Sites in Sri Lanka
Most birding trips combine three habitats: the south-western rainforest for endemics, the central hills for montane species and the dry zone for big birds, raptors and wetlands.
Sinharaja Forest Reserve
The heart of Sri Lankan birding. Famous for mixed feeding flocks that can hold a dozen endemics at once.
Key birds: Blue Magpie, Red-faced Malkoha, Green-billed Coucal, White-faced Starling, Serendib Scops Owl
Kitulgala
Forest along the Kelani River, easy to reach between Colombo and the hills, with good trails across the river.
Key birds: Chestnut-backed Owlet, Spot-winged Thrush, Sri Lanka Frogmouth, Yellow-fronted Barbet
Horton Plains & Nuwara Eliya
Cool montane grassland and forest. Victoria Park in Nuwara Eliya is known for rare winter thrushes and flycatchers.
Key birds: Whistling Thrush, Dull-blue Flycatcher, Bush Warbler, Yellow-eared Bulbul, Sri Lanka White-eye
Yala & Bundala
Birding and leopards in one trip. Bundala's lagoons and salt pans are superb for waders and, in some seasons, Greater Flamingos.
Key birds: Malabar Pied Hornbill, Sri Lanka Woodshrike, Great Thick-knee, painted storks, waders
Udawalawe & Kalametiya
Open country for raptors and bee-eaters, and a quiet coastal lagoon with reed beds and waterbirds.
Key birds: Black-winged Kite, Crested Serpent Eagle, Green Bee-eater, herons, kingfishers
Mannar & Wilpattu
In winter, Mannar holds some of the largest wader and flamingo flocks in Sri Lanka. Wilpattu's lakes add forest and water birds.
Key birds: Crab-plover, Greater Flamingo, large wader flocks, Indian Courser
Sri Lanka Birding Calendar
Endemics live here all year, so you can go birding in any month. The best balance of weather, endemics and migrants comes from November to April.
| Months | What to expect | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Dec – Mar Best | Winter migrants present; drier weather in the rainforest and hills, especially from January. | Endemics + migrants together |
| Oct – Nov | Migrants arrive; north-east monsoon rains in the north and east. | Migration, waders, raptors |
| Apr | Migrants leave; many residents start breeding and singing. | Song, breeding behaviour |
| May – Sep | South-west monsoon brings rain to the rainforest; the dry zone is drier and parks are quieter. | Endemics, dry-zone birding |
Tips for Birding in Sri Lanka
Photographed by a Naturalist Who Guides Here
I'm Chanaka Rathnayake, an SLTDA-licensed tour guide and naturalist with more than 15 years of experience. Every photo in this guide was taken in the field — many while guiding birdwatchers and photographers from around the world.
If you would like to see these birds yourself, I can plan a private birding trip around your target species, your pace and your camera.
Sri Lanka Birding FAQ
How many bird species are there in Sri Lanka?
Around 500 species have been recorded in Sri Lanka, including resident birds, winter migrants and rare visitors.
How many endemic birds does Sri Lanka have?
Sri Lanka has 34 endemic bird species by the most commonly used count, though some checklists list 33 or 35. They include the Sri Lanka Blue Magpie, Sri Lanka Junglefowl and Serendib Scops Owl.
What is the best time for birdwatching in Sri Lanka?
November to April is best, with December to March ideal. Winter migrants are present and the rainforest is usually drier. Endemics can be seen all year.
Where is the best place to see endemic birds?
Sinharaja Forest Reserve is the top site, followed by Kitulgala and the Horton Plains–Nuwara Eliya area for hill-country endemics.
Can I see all the endemic birds in one trip?
A focused 10–14 day trip can find most of them. A few, such as the Serendib Scops Owl, Sri Lanka Whistling Thrush and Green-billed Coucal, need time, patience and local knowledge.
Do I need a guide for birdwatching in Sri Lanka?
Sinharaja is visited with a registered local guide. Elsewhere it isn't required, but a specialist birding guide will find far more species, especially owls, frogmouths and shy forest birds.
Can I use these bird photos?
All photographs are © Chanaka Rathnayake. For prints or licensing, please get in touch on WhatsApp or by email.
Endemics, owls and wetland birds — with a local naturalist.
Tell me your target birds and travel dates, and I'll plan a private birding trip with a free quote.