Rossie Lanni
Rich in biodiversity, Sri Lanka is blessed with exotic wildlife including a huge range of bird species both endemic and migratory. Here are some of the best spots for bird watching in the island.
The first Ramsar wetland site in the island, the Bundala National Park offers birdwatchers some of the best avifauna sightings be it for migrant water birds or resident species. The lagoons within the park attract many birds including large flocks of migrating greater flamingos, one of the highlights of bird watching here. Those embarking on bird watching excursions also have the chance of spotting water birds such as the black-headed ibis, grey heron and Eurasian spoonbill, waterfowl like the garganey and lesser whistling duck, a variety of cormorants and rare species the likes of the Eurasian coot and black-necked stork.
Within the Kumana National Park, this bird sanctuary features a massive swamp lake which plays host to a wide range of nesting water birds especially between May and June. The other mangroves and bodies of water at the park are also ideal spots in which to observe birdlife including waterfowl and waders. Migratory bird species that can be spotted here are the Indian cormorant, lesser whistling duck, little egret, purple swamphen and spot-billed pelican. The wood sandpiper, ruddy turnstone, Pacific golden plover and common redshank are among the waders known to be seen at Kumana, while you also have the chance of seeing pintail snipes that make the remarkable journey of over 9,000 km to the park from Siberia!
A wet zone forest which has also been named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve, the Sinharaja Forest Reserve is one of the best sites in the country to observe endemic species. One of the highlights for birdwatchers here is the chance to see what is known as mixed feeding bird flocks where several species of birds fly together. While the park is around 4 hours away from Colombo an ideal way to see many of the birds on offer would be to stay at a Sinharaja eco lodge from where one can set off on early morning birding excursions. Organising bird watching outings as well, The Rainforest Ecolodge – Sinharaja is one such option worth considering. On your treks you have the chance of seeing such endemic avifauna as the Sri Lanka blue magpie, Sri Lanka jungle fowl, Ceylon wood pigeon, green-billed coucal, Ceylon hill mynah and red-faced malkoha.
Accessible from the coastal city of Galle, Kanneliya is another rainforest reserve where one can see a high number of endemic species. The 2 km long paths within the forest are ideal for those planning to do some bird watching here and species such as the Sri Lanka spurfowl, orange-billed babbler, Sri Lanka grey hornbill and Sri Lanka hanging parrot have been spotted in Kanneliya. Keen birders can also keep a lookout for the oriental dwarf kingfisher, brown-capped pygmy woodpecker, black eagle and Indian blue robin that have also graced the reserve with their presence.
