Sri Lanka — island endemics and more
We usually find all 33 Sri Lankan endemics, and so much more!
Guided by Amila Salgado
Sri Lanka is a picturesque island situated at the southern tip of India and home to 33 currently recognized
endemic species. Sri Lanka is a continental island and has been connected to India for much of its geological past
through episodes of lower sea level. Despite these land-bridge connections, faunal exchange between the
rainforests found in Southern India and Sri Lanka has been minimal. This lack of exchange of species is probably
due to the inability of rainforest organisms to disperse though the interceding areas of dry lowlands. These dry
lowlands are still dry today and receive only one major rainy season, whereas Sri Lanka’s ‘wet zone’ experiences
two annual monsoons. This long insularity of Sri Lankan biota in a moist tropical environment has led to the
emergence of a bewildering variety of endemic biodiversity. This is why south western Sri Lanka and the
Western Ghats of southern India are jointly regarded as one of the globe’s 34 biodiversity hotspots. Furthermore,
Sri Lanka is the western-most representative of Indo-Malayan Flora, and its abundant birdlife also shows many
such affinities.
Our tour also offers plenty of wildlife viewing opportunities and is therefore also suitable for those with broader
interests. The main focus however is on Sri Lanka’s abundant avifauna, including 33 endemics. We aim to see
230-250 species of birds during this tour.
The itinerary covers a variety of habitat types, including lowland, monsoon forests and cloudforests, grasslands,
coastal mudflats, imposing riverine woodland, and forest. We do a fair bit of walking on our tour, particularly in
the earlier stages as we search for endemics and mixed species flocks in different forest types. Our walks are
gentle and slow-paced to enable us to spot and enjoy the birds.
Itinerary:
Duration: 14 days
Limit: 4 – 8
Date: 1 – 14 November
2013
Start: Katunayake
End: Katunayake
Price: US$2990 per
person sharing, single
supplement US$390
Price includes:
Accommodation based on
twin sharing basis
All food starting from
lunch on day 1 and
ending with breakfast on
day 14
Accommodation and meals
As far as possible we use accommodation at or very close to the key birding sites to maximize the quality birding Transportation in an airtime. Our tour accommodation includes guest houses, game lodges, and star-class hotels. High quality dining
conditioned vehicle
complements the great birding on this tour with a fine mix of western and eastern delicacies from Sri Lankan rice
and curry to international buffet dinners. Our breakfasts will be English-style, but the more adventurous could try
Guiding fees
some of the local delights!
Entrance tickets
Please note that the detailed itinerary below cannot be guaranteed as it is only a rough guide and can be changed
(usually slightly) due to factors such as availability of accommodation, updated information on the state of
A “Sri Lanka Bird and
accommodation, roads, or birding sites, the discretion of the guides and other factors.
Natural History
Checklist”
Itinerary (14 days, 13 nights)
Taxes
Day 1. Arrive in Sri Lanka and transfer to Kithulgala for two nights
After your arrival in Sri Lanka, at the Bandaranayake International Airport in Katunayake, we will soon set off on
Price excludes:
a three-hour journey to reach our first birding base, the lush lowlands of Kithulgala.
The drive to Kithulgala will present a wonderful kaleidoscope of rural Sri Lanka with its verdant home gardens
packed with jackfruit trees, coconut palms, and fishtail palms, scarecrows erected in paddy fields, houses newly
built to ward off “evil eyes” of jealous onlookers, Buddhist temples with their egret-white stupas, small-scale
vendors selling their king coconuts, ubiquitous tuk-tuks, billboards of national cricketers who claim they cannot
eat without Coke, and aggressive “private busses” blaring with their obligatory Sinhala pop. Roadside birding in
Sri Lanka is refreshingly good. Blue-tailed Bee-eater, White-throated Kingfisher, White-bellied Drongo,
International flights
Mineral water and
beverages
Indian Roller, Sri Lanka Swallow, Scaly-breasted Munia, Brown Shrike, Indian Jungle Crow, Yellowbilled Babbler, Oriental Magpie Robin, and Ashy Woodswallow are often seen perched on wires. Though we
will no doubt see them again and again, these wayside temptations will be hard to resist for some. The odd
Crested Serpent Eagle and Changeable Hawk-Eagle, sentinels on posts, will almost certainly bring our vehicle
to a halt. The common waterbirds such as Red-wattled Lapwing, Indian Pond Heron, Eastern Cattle Egret,
Intermediate Egret, Black-winged Stilt, and Asian Openbill won’t be ignored either.
Insurance (recommended)
Tips
Personal expenses
(laundry, phone calls,
internet access, shopping,
With all these leg-stretching stops it will be close to midday by the time we reach our overnight accommodation, spa services, alcoholic
nestled in a well-wooded garden and overlooking the Kelani River, the setting for the 50’s Hollywood
drinks)
blockbuster, “The Bridge of the River Kwai.” After enjoying our first of the many rice and curry lunches, we will
commence our quest for the island’s endemics in the well-wooded garden of our lodge. The resonant call of
Yellow-fronted Barbet is likely to demand our attention first, a common element in the soundscape of the wet
Sri Lankan hinterland. The gregarious Orange-billed Babbler with its constant chattering will be easier to locate.
A gem of a bird, Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot, with its specific name beryllinus named after Beryl, a semiprecious stone found in Sri Lanka, may require scope views to properly take in its scarlet forehead and rump
patch against a greener body. The sonorous calls that fill the air may hold promise for yet another top bird, the
Green-billed Coucal. In the late afternoon, we will cross the Kelani River, in a hand-paddled dug-out canoe
fitted with an outrigger, to reach the Kithulgala rain forest in search of rarer gems.
Foremost among these is the Serendib Scops Owl, discovered in 2001 and with an estimated population of only
200-250 birds in the wild. The ultra-secretive Sri Lanka Spurfowl may require patience as it is highly wary of
bipeds. A mid-forest vigil will see more additions to our list in the form of Dollarbird, a rarity in Sri Lanka, the
curiously named Crimson-backed Flameback, and Layard’s Parakeet, named after E. L. Layard, a 19th
century British civil servant, who added an astonishing 136 species of birds to Sri Lanka’s avian inventory. Our
night bird tally is likely to get ticking with the adorable Chestnut-backed Owlet at a stakeout. Sri Lanka
Frogmouth was seen at a daytime roost during a birding tour in March 2010. We bagged 12 of the 15 resident
night birds on that tour. This feat was equaled in April 2010. Non-birding highlights may include the
following: Dragonflies and Damselflies – spine-tufted skimmer, pied parasol, black-tipped flashwing, Asian
pintail, Yerbury’s elf, and shining gossamerwing. Butterflies – Sri Lanka birdwing, clipper, cruiser, glad-eye
bushbrown, plum judy, blue bottle, red helan, and blue mormon. Mammals – grizzly giant squirrel, palm squirrel,
Layard’s squirrel, and toque macaque.
Overnight: Sisira’s River Lounge, Kithungala. This lodge is nestled in lush tropical foliage along “a not-so-noisy”
section of the Kelani River. The hotel gardens hold some of our prime lowland targets. This is our preferred base
for the first two nights of the holiday. Our eco-lodge-type rooms come with fan and private facilities. The food at
Sisira’s is tasty.
Day 2. Full day birding in Kithulgala for lowland endemics and specialties.
The Spot-winged Thrush may greet the new day with its rhythmic dawn chorus. And it may perhaps come
hopping to find an easy meal at first light. The “pretty-dear” call, likely to be heard in the undergrowth, may
betray a flock of Brown-capped Babbler, moving low. The Himalayan delight, Indian Pitta, might also not be
too far, if you scan well. With more light of the day, the dawn chorus may peak with additional tunes of Green
Warbler, Large-billed Leaf Warbler, Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher, Sri Lanka Green Pigeon, Yellow-browed
Bulbul, and Black-capped Bulbul. The discordant Sri Lanka Junglefowl too may try its thing. Our morning’s
birding will add a huge boost to our tally with the likes of Orange Minivet, Golden-fronted Leafbird, Sri
Lanka Grey Hornbill, Square-tailed Bulbul, Loten’s Sunbird, Lesser Yellownape, Black-naped Monarch,
Black-rumped Flameback (an endemic in the waiting), Purple-rumped Sunbird, Oriental White-eye,
Common Emerald Dove, and Green Imperial Pigeon.
The star bird of the day, however, is likely to be the diminutive Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher. Hopefully it may
stay long enough to give us scope views and show its brilliant purple-shot orange and black plumage and
vermillion beak and feet. We will access the forest once more in search of new and missing specials. Our night
bird tally may also see a further boost with the likes of Brown Hawk-Owl and Sri Lanka Frogmouth, the latter
being endemic to southern India and Sri Lanka.
Overnight: Sisira’s River Lounge, Kithungala
Day 3. Drive to the endemic hotspot Sinharaja Rainforest for three nights
After squeezing in some morning birding in the hotel garden, we will drive to the Sinharaja Forest Reserve, a
UNESCO World Heritage Site, which represents the largest expanse of lowland rainforest in Sri Lanka and the
premier site for endemics. Under the euphemistic jargon “selective logging” this forest was subjected to clearfelling in what was the first mechanized logging project in Sri Lanka from 1972 to 1977, which was carried out
by a Canadian logging company.
The research following the halting of logging operations due to public outrage led to the recognition of its
amazing wealth of biodiversity, and in 1988 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The former logging
tracks now provide the main access to the forest’s interior for visitors. A highlight of birding in Sinharaja is
seeing mixed-species bird flocks, which is a strategy adopted by birds in the tropics to maximize feeding
efficiency and to reduce the risk of predation. Studied since 1981, Sinharaja’s are the world’s longest-studied bird
flocks in the world. So far, 59 species have been found in Sinharaja’s bird flocks, whose number averages 12.
Interestingly, five species of mammals too have been found to associate with birds, which includes several
squirrels. The average number of birds of a flock is 42, with Orange-billed Babbler boosting this tally with 16
individuals. Found in 92 percent and 89 percent of flocks, respectively, Orange-billed Babbler and Sri Lanka
Drongo are jointly regarded as the “nuclear-species” of the flock. A good flock adds life to the forest, which,
under normal circumstances, is relatively silent and uneventful. It can suddenly provide a mouth-watering array
of sought-after specials within the span of a few minutes, a pleasantly overwhelming experience for birders. The
star of this coterie of flock-associated specials is the enigmatic Red-faced Malkoha, a canopy-dwelling endemic,
found typically at heights of 25-35 meters, with a remarkable ability to melt away into the dense thickets. Whitefaced Starling too keeps to the canopy. Ashy-headed Laughingthrush, in comparison, is found in bottom levels
of the flock, often scratching the forest’s floor for insect prey. The Malabar Trogon hawks insects in the subcanopy and remains largely silent. The “steering wheel” of the flock, Orange-billed Babbler, which leads the
flocks, occurs from the understory to the canopy and is closely watched by the sentinel of the flock, Sri Lanka
Drongo, which benefits from the “prey-beating effect” of the gregarious species such as babblers and
laughingthrushes as they forage. This drongo is capable of mimicking most members of the flock – a skill it uses
to good effect to call in the birds to form flocks. And in real alarm situations, such as when there is a ground
predator, it mixes its own alarm calls with copied versions of the ground-predator-specific alarm calls of flock
associates such as the Orange-billed Babbler and the Ashy-headed Laughingthrush, as if to warn them of the
impending danger in their own language.
Staying overnight at a lodge overlooking the rain forest, just 200m from the forest’s entrance, we will have first
class access to experience such live actions as they unfold. While playing the “numbers game” of adding species
after species to lifeless life lists, we will also try to get insights into the real dynamics and ecology of the flocks.
Non-birding highlights may include the following: Dragonflies – Asian skimmer, marsh skimmer, sapphire
flutterer, Wall’s grappletail, dark-glittering threadtail, and jungle threadtail. Butterflies – giant king crow, tawny
rajah, red-spot duke, five-bar swordtail (seasonal), great eggfly, three-spot grass yellow, one-spot grass yellow
(seasonal), tailed jay, blue glassy tiger, and Sri Lanka tree nymph. Botany – ant plant, 45m canopy giants of
various Dipterocarp species, and the alien bamboo orchid. Mammals – western purple-faced leaf monkey, red
slender loris (if lucky), giant squirrel, Layard’s squirrel, and dusky-striped squirrel.
Overnight: near Sinharaja Rainforest
Day 4. Full day birding in Sinharaja for lowland endemics and mixed species bird flocks.
A flock of Sri Lanka Blue Magpie, a blue and chestnut knockout that is likely to lay siege to our accommodation
at first light to raid the moths attracted to the lights, is probably the first highlight. A puff of feathery dust clouds
their beaks as they process hawk moths and such morsels as they can find with no mercy. Soon we will go
looking for the Sri Lanka Thrush, the high-pitched metallic calls of which is beyond the hearing range of some
more “mature” birders. We will also look for the montane endemic Sri Lanka Wood Pigeon, which descends to
Sinharaja in search of seasonal fruit. With the right technique, more bonus birds will come our way in the form of
Hill Munia, Indian Blue Robin, Slaty-legged Crake, and Indian Cuckoo. Finding an Asian Paradise
Flycatcher, sporting its white ribbon-like tail streamers that are nearly a foot in length, may be a possibility if we
encounter a good flock, as this migrant obtains “regular membership” (defined as found in 25 percent or more of
flocks) during its stay. Chestnut-winged Crested Cuckoo, another migrant that joins flocks, may however
present a tougher challenge, as it isn’t as regular. We will also try for the forest raptors Besra and Crested
Goshawk, which lurk behind flocks to catch birds. As it approaches midday, we may perhaps hear the bloodcurdling screams of grizzled giant squirrels, which would betray the presence of more formidable forest raptors
such as Legge’s Hawk-Eagle and Black Eagle, soaring above the canopy. In addition to the above we will try to
obtain improved views of the endemics already seen and try to again and again experience the magic of mixed
species bird flocks. We will also focus on the abundant natural history of Sinharaja – in particular its insects, most
notably dragonflies and butterflies.
Overnight: near Sinharaja Rainforest
Day 5. Full day birding in Sinharaja for lowland endemics/mixed species bird flocks.
An additional day at Sinharaja will allow us to bag any missing species and get better views of birds that may
have previously presented just as UFOs ().
Overnight: near Sinharaja Rainforest
Day 6. Drive to Udawalawe National Park for one night for dry zone specialties
In the morning we explore several patches in the periphery of the reserve before driving to the dry lowlands of
Udawalawe National Park, where a totally different avifauna awaits us.
We will first check in to our cozy game lodge accommodation, Walawa Safari Village, Udawalawe, and after a
sit-down lunch we will board an “open-topped” safari jeep to access the Udawalawe National Park. This dry zone
park is comprised of an interesting tapestry of habitats: grasslands interspersed with shrubs and taller trees, some
with dead tops, gallery forests, presenting little islands of forest harboring a different mix of birds from their
surroundings, smaller water holes owned by buffalos, monsoon forests, restricted to sections of the reserve; and
vast freshwater bodies, to name just a few. Consequently, today’s birding will see a steep rise in our bird tally
with the likes of such dry zone specials as Sri Lanka Woodshrike, Green Bee-eater, Malabar Pied Hornbill,
Sirkeer Malkoha, Blue-faced Malkoha, Coppersmith Barbet, Yellow-eyed Babbler, Indian Silverbill,
Jungle Prinia, Rosy Starling, Jacobin Cuckoo, Grey-bellied Cuckoo, Jerdon’s Bush Lark, Ashy-crowned
Sparrow-Lark, Blyth’s Pipit, Orange-breasted Green Pigeon, Barred Buttonquail, Spot-billed Pelican,
Yellow-wattled Lapwing, Lesser Adjutant, Painted Stork, and Woolly-necked Stork. With its vast expanse of
openness, the park also harbors a rich diversity of raptors such as Changeable Hawk-Eagle, Crested Serpent
Eagle, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Grey-headed Fish Eagle, Osprey (a local rarity), Pallid Harrier, Montagu’s
Harrier (another rarity), Booted Eagle, Shaheen (the resident race of Peregrine Falcon), Black-shouldered
Kite, Common Kestrel, Crested Honey Buzzard, and Shikra.
Migrant forms of Red-rumped Swallow, Western Yellow Wagtail, White Wagtail, and Citrine Wagtail may
show up too. We will also look for White-naped Woodpecker. Our night bird tally may get further boosted with
the addition of Indian Nightjar. In addition to excellent birds, a visit to Udawalawe would also present a good
opportunity to observe Asian elephant, which are found in good numbers in the park.. Non-birding highlights may
include the following: Dragonflies – variable flutterer, dancing dropwing, wandering glider, foggy-winged
twister, scarlet basker, blue percher, blue pursuer, and Oriental scarlet. Butterflies – plain tiger, glassy tiger,
pioneer, crimson rose, common rose, lime butterfly, common gull, common jezebel, tawny coster, common
cerulean, grey pansy, lemon pansy, peacock pansy, lemon emigrant, and psyche. Mammals – Asian elephant,
golden jackal, wild boar, wild water buffalo, ruddy mongoose, jungle cat, and spotted deer.
Overnight: Walawa Safari Village, Udawalawe: Situated just 15 minutes from the entrance of Udawalawe Park,
Walawa Safari Village is the perfect base to retreat to after an enjoyable game drive. The rooms come with aircon, fan, en suite bathrooms with hot and cold water, and private balcony. Run by the reputed Chinese restaurant
outfit ‘Kinjou’, this hotel offers excellent Chinese food in addition to tasty Sri Lankan meals. The hotel’s wellwooded garden offers decent birding and may hold a few surprises.
Day 7. Birding until noon, drive to Tissamaharama
In the morning we explore several patches around the hotel. After enjoying yet another tasty Sri Lankan meal, we
will penetrate deeper into the dry zone and reach Tissamaharama (a.k.a. Tissa), which lies superimposed on the
ancient provincial capital of ‘Magama’ with its stupa, inscriptions, and ancient man-made ‘tanks’ (reservoirs)
dating back to the 3rd century B.C. Some of these lily-and-reed-covered tanks, evidence of a once thriving
hydraulic civilization, are excellent for birding. Continuing our journey, we will pause at a patch known to your
guide, which holds many specialties including Sirkeer Malkoha, Marshall’s (White-tailed) Iora, Jungle
Owlet, Orange-headed Thrush, Rufous Woodpecker, Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker, Large
Cuckooshrike, Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher, and White-naped Woodpecker. One thing unique to this site is
that each visit to this patch of forest adds new species to the trip list! So expect at least a couple of visits to this
patch. Thereafter we will do a leg stretch at the massive Weerawila Wildlife Sanctuary, which will boost our
growing bird tally with the likes of Indian Stone-curlew, Cotton Pygmy Goose, Indian Cormorant, Spotbilled Pelican, and Yellow-wattled Lapwing.
Our final birding location for the day will be Debarawewa at Tissamaharama to squeeze in birding during the last
half hour of the day. We will look for Watercock, Black Bittern, Yellow Bittern, and, if lucky, Cinnamon
Bittern to finish a close to 100-species day. Finally, we will reach a beautiful nature resort, our cozy base for
three nights.
Overnight: Tissamaharama
Day 8. Bundala National Park for shorebirds and Yala National Park for Leopard
After an early cuppa we will collect packed breakfasts and visit Bundala National Park, which was the first
Ramsar site declared in Sri Lanka and is a premier hotspot for water birds, including waders. The park consists of
large extents of dry zone scrub jungles, freshwater bodies, brackish water bodies, lagoons, and plain old mud
flats. This visit should boost our tally with a great many shorebirds and more dry zone specials. Thereafter, we
will retreat to the air-conditioned comforts of our nature resort for a midday break and to chill by the pool. After
recharging our batteries we will explore the wilderness expanse of Yala National Park. Yala comprises of a
bewildering array of habitats, including monsoon forests, scrub jungle, mud flats, lagoons, riverine forests, reedand-lily-covered inland freshwater bodies, open grassy plains, and rock outcrops. Consequently, these rich
ecosystems harbor a varied diversity of wildlife, which makes Yala the premier national park in Sri Lanka for
birds and other wildlife. Yala Block 1, 141 km² in size, has close to 40 individual leopards identified by their
unique facial spot patterns and other characteristics, which makes this area a premier leopard hotspot with
probably the highest density of leopards anywhere in the world.
Birding will, of course, not be forgotten. We will look for Western Reef Heron, Red-necked Phalarope, Small
Pratincole, Striated Heron, Garganey, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, Caspian Tern, White-winged
Tern, Whiskered Tern, Common Tern, Greater Crested Tern, Lesser Crested Tern, Little Tern, Indian
Cormorant, Brown-headed Gull, Greater Flamingo, Great Stone-curlew, Indian Stone-curlew, Eurasian
Curlew, Marsh Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Lesser Sand Plover, Greater Sand Plover,
Little Ringed Plover, Black-necked Stork, Eurasian Hoopoe, Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark, Brown Fish
Owl, Yellow-crowned Woodpecker, and Ashy Drongo. Non-birding highlights may include: Mammals –
leopard, Asian elephant, sloth bear, spotted deer, sambar, wild water buffalo, wild boar, southern plains grey
(Hanuman) langur, toque macaque, stripe-necked and ruddy mongoose, and golden jackal. Reptiles – mugger
crocodile and Bengal monitor.
Overnight: Tissamaharama
Day 9. Morning local birding at Tissanaharama, afternoon visit to Yala National Park
This morning we will visit some of the wetlands and forest patches at Tissa. And as yesterday we will retreat to
our air-conditioned comforts of our nature resort at midday. After once more recharging our batteries we will visit
Yala National Park, again, in search of missing dry zone specials. We will also visit a stakeout of a pair of Indian
Scops Owls. The birding will be similar to the two preceding days.
Overnight: Tissamaharama
Day 10. Drive to Nuwara Eliya for montane specials
This day in a nutshell: “a long driving day marked with regular stops at key birding sites.” After breakfast we will
say goodbye to the friendly staff at our hotel and drive up to the cooler hills of Nuwara Eliya, where several
montane endemics await us. En route, we will make several strategic stops to bag a number of high-value targets.
First, it will be a special patch of your guide that is boasting many specialties, including Sirkeer Malkoha,
Marshall’s Iora, Jungle Owlet, Orange-headed Thrush, and White-naped Woodpecker. And one thing he
has experienced here is that each visit here brings new species to the trip list. Afterwards we will continue
climbing and pause at the Ella Guesthouse, which faces the spectacular Ella Gap, for lunch. Continuing our
search for our high-value targets, we will drive to a privately-owned, well-wooded birding patch holding a few
surprises. Situated in the eastern, drier hills of the central mountain massif, birding at Welimada presents a
mixture of lowland wet zone, highland wet zone, and lowland dry zone avian elements. One of our prime targets
here is the mountain endemic, Sri Lanka Wood Pigeon, which can at times prove tough further up. Up to three
Brown Wood Owls have been sighted at a daytime roost. These large owls are extremely wary of humans;
firewood-collecting women who encroach make them shift their roost regularly. A special woodpecker is also
recorded here in the form of Streak-throated Woodpecker, which is a speciality of the Uva Avifaunal Zone and
a restricted-range species in Sri Lanka. We could also see a few montane specials such as Grey-headed Canaryflycatcher as well as the highly sought-after Pied Thrush, which should cooperate better the following morning.
We will then continue our ascent to reach the cooler interiors of Nuwara Eliya (1,890m), the famous hill station
of Sri Lanka, named by some “Little England”, as it still bears evidence of its colonial past with its English-style
holiday homes, a racecourse, vegetable gardens, shooting ranges, an urban park, a few pubs, flower gardens, and
a fine 18-hole golf course. As we ascend, vast stretches of tea gardens dominate the landscape, a cash crop
introduced by the British, which is currently the country’s third highest revenue earner. A serious drop in
temperature (around 10-15 degrees Centigrade) at Nuwara Eliya will necessitate sweaters, although some of you
may welcome this change, coming from the warmer lowlands. We will reach a patch close to our accommodation
in time to anticipate the arrival of the ultra-secretive montane endemic, Sri Lanka Whistling Thrush, which is
one of two endangered endemics.
Overnight: a cozy lodge patronized by bird watchers for many years
Day 11. Nuwara Eliya, looking for montane endemics and other specials
In the morning we will combine several patches to bag the remaining montane targets. One of these includes
Victoria Park, which is a fine urban park established in 1897 to commemorate the 60th coronation jubilee of
Queen Victoria. This should qualify as one of the best urban parks for birding, judging by the swarms of overseas
birders visiting it during late October to early April to bag several western Himalayan migrants, which include
Kashmir Flycatcher and Pied Thrush, which, according to the great Indian ornithologist Dr. Salim Ali, winters
almost exclusively in Sri Lanka.
Our birding tally today might include Sri Lanka Bush Warbler, Yellow-eared Bulbul, Dull-blue Flycatcher,
Sri Lanka White-eye, Indian Blue Robin, Forest and Grey Wagtails, Great Tit, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch,
Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher, Jerdon’s Baza, Zitting Cisticola, Pied Bush Chat, Blyth’s Reed Warbler,
the newly spit Himalayan Buzzard, and two potential splits, Indian Blackbird and Black-throated Munia. If
we are patient, we may bag Slaty-legged Crake. Non-birding highlights may include: Dragonflies – triangle
skimmer and red-veined darter. Mammals – sambar and bear monkey, the montane race of the vegetarian purplefaced leaf monkey of the lowlands. Botany – dwarf bamboo and an endemic variety of rhododendron. Reptiles –
rhino-horned lizard, black-lipped lizard, and dwarf chameleon.
Overnight: a cozy lodge patronized by bird watchers for many years
Day 12. Drive to Kandy, in the afternoon local birding
In the morning we will be birding for any missing montane specials before driving down to Kandy (477m), the
last Sinhalese kingdom in Sri Lanka, which was ceded to the British in 1815. En route, we will pause at a tea
factory to see the newly-split Hill Swallow, which nests inside the factory. After a cuppa we will reach our
accommodation, which is a hotel situated close to birding sites and the sacred city of Kandy, a UNESCO World
Heritage Site. In the late afternoon we will explore the Peradeniya Royal Botanical Gardens close to Kandy to
bag any missing targets. This magnificent garden covers an area of 147 acres and is an absolute botanical
paradise. We will also look for several special birds here, namely Crimson-fronted Barbet and Common
Hawk-Cuckoo. A noisy colony of giant fruit bats will be hard to ignore, and we could see them in their
thousands in several large trees next to the near river, with constant fights over landing rights. We might also add
the following avian species to our tally: Sri Lanka Hill Myna, Rufous-bellied Hawk-Eagle, Yellow-fronted
Barbet, Layard’s Parakeet, Sri Lanka Scimitar Babbler, White-browed Fantail, Bar-winged Flycatchershrike, Black Eagle, Besra, and Plum-headed Parakeet.
Overnight: Kandy, a cozy hotel close to the city
Day 13. Drive to Negombo
After breakfast we will drive to Negombo. Our final hotel is situated by the Indian Ocean. Sea-watching here on
previous tours has produced Lesser Crested Tern, Greater Crested Tern, Bridled Tern, and distant Pomarine
Skua and Brown Booby.
Overnight: Negombo
Day 14. Transfer to Katunayake, departure
Today our international flights depart from Katunayake, where it all began.