Sri Lanka Jan-Feb, 2008 252 species Birds including all 33-endemics ..Ten minutes more of intense scanning to find the source of its ventriloquial call and we were all enjoying cracking views of a Serendib Scops Owl, which had eluded the bird watchers until 2001 and us for a little over 2 days! Needless to say it was justifiably rated as the bird of the trip.....Amila Salgado reporting for Birdwing Nature Holidays.

Sri Lanka - A Birding, Wildlife, History, and Culture Tour 13th Feb - 8th Mar 2006

• Being keen but novice birders, we wanted a tour of Sri Lanka that would give us the opportunity to see as many of the birds of the country as possible, but also to see other wildlife, historic and cultural sites...Sue Ebbutt and Alan Smith report

Sri Lanka 2006

• Among the early stars of the tour was a nesting Chestnut-backed Owlet and the first of several co-operative Indian Pittas, both right in the garden of the first of our two Kitulgala Guest Houses.  Several gorgeous Sri Lanka Mynas, Malabar Trogons and a posing Spot-winged Thrush were also enjoyed there....Paul Holt reports for Sunbird

Sri Lanka Jan- 2006 , 244 Bird Species recorded Cracking views of at least 3 Ceylon Grey Hornbills coming down to feed on a Jack Fruit, Greater Coucal, and an extremely close encounter with roosting Sri Lanka Frogmouth just before dusk rounding the day off in spectacular fashion. ....Nick Bray reports for Birdseekers

Sri Lanka Nov/Dec 2006

• Then the moment we’d waited for, sure enough a small dark thrush flew upstream, landed all too briefly and disappeared, gave a loud whistle, and that was that. Sri Lanka Whistling Thrush in the bag!!..Simon Harthill reports

Sri Lanka 2nd - 22nd Jan 2006

• We found Sri Lanka very different from India – much quieter, less frenetic, less smelly, cleaner and generally less of a culture shock. Really quite calm and laid back. Even the driving is quieter – when an oncoming bus overtakes in a stupid place and you have to pull off the road to avoid it hitting you there is no hooting or shaking of fists – just calm acceptance. I suppose Buddhism must be a factor here...Rosemary Royle reports.

Sri Lanka 3-21 December 2005

• We had planned a visit to Sri Lanka for many years and had such an enjoyable, relaxed and rewarding trip that we wished we had done so long before. Birds are abundant and tame everywhere we went....Carol and Tim Inskipp report.

Sri Lanka 15 Nov– 8 Dec 2005

• With Rohan’s help we identified some spectacular birds, 230 species in all, including 25 endemics and a number of species we had not seen before Peter and Margaret Whiles report.

Sri Lanka March 25 – April 10 2005

• After some lunch we went to the Talangama wetland area to see our first Sri Lankan birds. This is a typical mixture of tank and paddy and a very pleasant place for our introduction to the Sri Lankan countryside. It which yielded a good number of interesting species, notably Purple Heron, Yellow Bittern.....Alf King reports.

Sri Lanka 23rd Jan to 6th Feb 2005

• Sri Lanka as a birding destination primarily for its large list of endemics and its exotic eastern atmosphere, have been very high on my places to visit list for a long time.  Its predominantly Buddhist  people have a great respect for all animals and as such the nature watcher has a wealth of opportunities open to him.  It's a special place for bird watchers...Steve Dark reports

Sri Lanka 12-27th December 2004

• All in all, not a bad 8 days birding for a very reasonable ground cost... If not for the time lost could well have picked up more birds, but there are always such factors. We were very satisfied....an then the most eventful, memorable Boxing day I can ever remember....Robert and Anne Jarvis report.

Sri Lanka: March 27 - April 4, 2004

• This report describes how it is possible to see all Sri Lankan endemics (as broadly defined by Baur's)  in eight days of birding. The sole endemic we did not attempt to see was the newly-described Serendip Scops-owl, which is seriously endangered and probably is better not disturbed...Gary and Marlene Babic report.

Sri Lanka - an update  21st Feb - 6th March 2004

• This brief report does not include full details of my trip but aims to give an update on birding Sri Lanka. Prior to our trip we read many reports on the web and in practice found some of the information to be out of date and misleading...Shaun Robson reports

Sri Lanka 13 – 27 February 2004

• A trip to Goa in 1999 had whetted our appetitive for Asian birding, but that visit had only been for a week, so we had missed many species. We decided on Sri Lanka for our 2004 visit since it gave us the opportunity to see 26 or more endemic species, as well as to catch up on many birds missed in our short Indian visit...Jim Frost reports

Sri Lanka 8th – 22nd December 2003

• Sri Lanka is a pleasant and friendly country to travel in, a little like India but without the huge population, the beggars, the cows and the hassle. The scenery is interesting and the various parks and reserves are managed efficiently...Wendy Newnham reports.

Sri Lanka November-December 2003

• Sri Lanka is a tropical island situated close to the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent. Not only does Sri Lanka have a diverse avifauna but, after two millennia of Buddhist-inspired regard for wildlife, many birds are tame and approachable, whilst even large mammals, including Asiatic Elephants, survive in numbers in spite of a burgeoning human population...Jan Vermeulen reports

White-bellied Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster) Photographed in Sri-Lanka by Jurgen Lierman, Belgium

Off season Sri Lanka September 2003

• This was a great birding destination for a two week break. It was cheap, very easy logistically (thanks to Baur tours), with very friendly people, a descent list of endemics all within a reachable distance and great beaches to relax on afterwards...Stuart White reports.

Sri Lanka 8 – 23 February 2003

• In 8-10 days you can usually see all the endemics as well as other interesting birds. Best time to go is december-march, then you have the least rain. I saw all endemics in 7 days of birding without a tape. I guess I was very lucky...Eduard Sangster reports

Sri Lanka 14th to 23rd November 2002

• In the afternoon birded the rain forest across the river from the Rest House. The river is crossed by standing in a narrow dug out canoe and it may not be to the liking of anyone with a fear of small boats or a poor sense of balance, particularly as the return was made after night fall. Obtained fleeting flight views of Ceylon Frogmouth and Spot-winged Thrush, but failed to see Ceylon Spurfowl although it was calling close by...Neil Money reports

Sri Lanka  1-15 March 2002

• Sri Lanka has been a well-recognized birdwatcher's paradise for many years, as evidenced by the many quality trip reports that are available.  In my report, I would like to emphasize the advantages of including Bibile, a site not included on larger tours, and relate the extremely high quality of the local Sri Lankan guides whose services are available....Joseph Thompson reports

More reports from Sri Lanka (all Pre 2002)

Sri Lanka - Order FREE Brochure!

Sri Lankan Wildlife (Wildlife Guides) (Paperback) by Wijeyeratne De Silva: Buy from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk Often described as a "Biodiversity Jewel", this is the best travel book on the market for a quick overview of some of the gems of Sri Lankan Wildlife and where to see it.

A Field Guide to the Birds of Sri Lanka John Harrison: Buy from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk This field guide describes and depicts all of Sri Lanka's 426 official avian species. The text, highlights the important identification features, such as plumage variations, size, calls and songs, range, distribution, and status, for every species. The plates illustrate the various plumage variations for each bird, and show the birds perched and also in flight. An introduction to the guide describes briefly some of the best sites for watching Sri Lanka's abundant avifauna.

Where to watch birds in Asia Wheatley, Nigel: Buy from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk This guide to birdwatching in Asia deals with over 250 sites in detail, and more in passing, from Turkey to Thailand and India to Indonesia. It is designed as much for pre-planning birding trips as for use in the country or countries on the itinerary. The countries are dealt with alphabetically and after a general introduction, there are site details, which include a list of birds to be seen, organized under the headings "Endemics", "Specialities" and "Others"; a list of "Other Wildlife" is also included where there is something of particular interest.

A Photographic Guide to Birds of India and Nepal
Bikram Grewal: Buy from Amazon.co.uk

Recommended travel books for Sri Lanka:

Lonely Planet: Sri Lanka Verity Campbell: Buy from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk For the visiting wildlife enthusiast there are details of all of countries National Parks, with hints about the animals and birds to expected and a full colour photographic wildlife section. This guide to Sri Lanka also provides practical information on most aspects of travel, including health and safety advice, information on local cuisine, advice on customs and etiquette, historical and cultural information, and maps.