Birdwatching in Sri Lanka Tour

Day 1 Colombo

Transfer directly from the airport to Villa Talangama, which is set on the outskirts of Colombo by the Talangama Wetlands. Over a hundred species of birds have been recorded here including the Black and Yellow Bitterns, Purple Swamp Hen, White-throated, Pied and Common Kingfishers, Purple Heron, Lesser Whistling-duck, and the Pheasant-tailed Jacana.

Day 2 & 3 Elkaduwa, Kandy

The Knuckles Mountain Range is your target today. It lies east of the hill country capital of Kandy, an untamed land beloved by the occasional hiker which is situated more than 3,000 feet above sea level. Knuckles Forest Reserve offers about 40km of trails and has recorded around 130 bird species of which 17 are endemic, including the black eagle, barbets, herons, lorikeets, babblers, kingfishers and woodpeckers. The weather is at its most unreliable between September and November which makes switching these days to the plains of the Cultural Triangle a better option.

Day 4 Nuwara Eliya, Hill Country

Today you travel north to the central highlands - a stirring land of lush tea plantations, majestic peaks and gushing waterfalls. Your destination is the famous hill country town of Nuwara Eliya, once the home of colonial tea planters. You can visit the centrally-placed Victoria Park where you can look for the Himalayan migrants including the Kashmir Flycatcher, Pied Thrush Indian Pitta, and the Indian Blue Robin, or head to nearby Gregory's Lake, home to pipits, snipes and warblers.

Day 5 Nuwara Eliya, Hill Country

The wild expanse of Horton Plains National Park, more than 7,000 feet above sea level, offers a memorable start to the following day. The walk to World's End and Little World's End offers one of the finest views in Sri Lanka. With a mixture of grasslands and forests, Horton Plains has a healthy variety of birds to watch. Just 20kms from Nuwara Eliya, the park offers the chance to observe five endemic bird species that can be seen only at this altitude – the Sri Lanka Bush Warbler, Dull-Blue flycatcher, Yellow-eared Bulbul, the elusive Sri Lanka Whistling Thrush and the Sri Lanka Woodpigeon.

Day 6 Tissamaharama, Tissa & Kataragama

Head through the hills, south east to the serene town of  Tissamaharama (or `Tissa' as it is most frequently referred to),which is dominated by lotus-filled lakes, large temples and lush paddy fields. The Debarawewa wetland located nearby is popular for the Black, Yellow and Cinnamon Bitterns, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Black-crowned Night-Herons, Cotton Pygmy Goose, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, and also the elusive White-naped Woodpecker. If lucky, you can also spot the Brown Fish Owl in this area. Many species of water birds frequent the other wetlands in the area and you may also spot the Mugger Crocodile.

Day 7 Tissamaharama, Tissa & Kataragama

Early next morning leave for Bundala National Park, a fascinating wetland near Hambantota. Bundala’s scrubland, patches of tall forests mixed with many wetland habitats including salt pans, is home to a wide array of birds including migrating shore birds and resident waders. The highlight here would be the flocks of Greater Flamingos that you may see in the saltpans as well as many different water birds, such as Painted Storks, Asian Openbills, Eurasian Spoonbills and Black-headed Ibis. Waders include plovers, sandpipers and curlews. If you are lucky, you may spot a Red-necked Phalarope in the salt pans.

Day 8 & 9 Sinharaja, Sinharaja & Kitulgala

Your main target, though, is Sinharaja Rainforest. Moist, muggy and mysterious, this 110sqkm rainforest is Sri Lanka's Heart of Darkness. Trekking through this last surviving stretch of virgin rainforest on the island, you will be enclosed in a cacophony of natural life. There are over 140 bird species here including 28 of the 33 bird species that are endemic to Sri Lanka. Observe the largest flocks of mixed species in the world. This mutual relationship is a method by which birds improve their feeding chances: the food preferred by one species does not necessarily interest another. Endemics like the Ceylon Birdwing, Common Tree Nymph, Red Helen can be spotted here. Other specialities are Southern Duffer, Great Crow, Blue Oakleaf, Spot Swordtail and Painted Sawtooth.

Day 10&11 Kitulgala, Sinharaja & Kitulgala

Transfer to Kitulgala, the canoeing and white-water rafting centre of Sri Lanka. Hike through the Makandawa Forest Reserve. Pause by twinkling streams and natural pools to refresh yourself. The rainforests of Kitulgala are home to hundreds of species of lowland birds including the endemic Green-bill Coucal, Chestnut-backed Owlet, Red-faced Malkoha, Grey Hornbill and Yellow-fronted Barbet.

Day 12&13 Wilpattu National Park, North-West Coast

Wilpattu is one of Sri Lanka's most serene national parks and what it may lack in big game it can make up for in beauty. To enjoy birdwatching, it is important to relax into the silence and at Wilpattu you can do just that. Wetland species include the Whistling Teal, Spoonbill, White Ibis, Large White Egret and Cattle Egret. You can commonly see eagles, gulls, owls and terns as well as the Sri Lankan Jungle Fowl, Little Cormorant and Painted Stork. Your final night's stay leaves you a couple of hours away from the international airport.

Optional extensions Mannar or Kumana

Recommended 3-day extension (November to March): Mannar
Add three more days at the end of your holiday to make the journey to the north-west of this ever-changing island where the wetlands of Mannar – and the Vankalai Bird Sanctuary, which attracts more than 20,000 birds during the migratory season - are a great spot for birdwatching enthusiasts. Rise at dawn to watch spoonbills, terns and ducks, and the unusual Northern Shovelor – so called because of its shovel-shaped beak. Watch out for the rare Western Reef Egret and an array of godwits, pintails and gulls. No time? We’ll suggest itinerary alterations.

Recommended 3-day extension (April to July, inserted after Day 4 and 5): Kumana
Kumana National Park is particularly renowned for large flocks of migratory waterfowl and wading birds which arrive on the shallow lagoons between April and June. This is a captivating spot, off the main tourist beat, with largely deserted beaches on one side and lake-strewn jungle on the other. This area is unspoilt, apart from the coastal road which now provides easier access. Even in off-season, there is much to enjoy and you will have the pleasant sensation of having the park virtually to yourself. No time? We’ll suggest itinerary alterations.