Birding in Sri Lanka Photo Gallery – March 2022

Birding in Sri Lanka is a real pleasure as it is one of those countries where birding mostly feels easy. Birds are abundant throughout the country and many species have adapted to living close to humans in farmland, gardens and orchards with most of the endemic species fairly easy to see.  Of course, there are birds that are not so easy to see in Sri Lanka but generallly speaking this country is an excellent one for seeing lots of species with minimal effort; a great country to visit if one has never been birding in Asia before. On this March tour to Sri Lanka a very high proportion of the target species were seen, along with a large number of more widespread birds. Follow this link to read the itinerary for our next Sri Lanka Birding Tour. On this page we present a wider range of bird photos from this year’s tour, in this birding in Sri Lanka photo gallery, along with some notes.

Sri Sumithra Rama Maha Wirahaya Buddist Temple 08/03/22

We booked a hotel close to the airport for the first night that we could see on Google Maps was close to some wetland and parkland habitat at a nearby Buddhist temple. Not too many special birds were expected here, rather it just gave the opportunity to start birding in Sri Lanka on a late afternoon when it was too late to start travelling to the first main birding site of the trip. This patch of habitat proved more productive for birds than might be imagined with plenty of the commoner Sri Lanka endemic bird species to get the trip to an interesting start straight after landing in the country.

Kitulgala 08-11/03/22

Then forests and gardens of Kitulgala form one of the most famous sites for birding in Sri Lanka. This patchwork of mostly wooded land hosts a high number of the endemic bird species of Sri Lanka and spending a few nights here, in accommodation that overlooked the forest, is a great way to enjoy birding in this lovely country. Birding the gardens of the accommodation as well as the mixed gardens and plantations, close to forest, is quite easy with lots of good birds feeding on fruiting trees and flowering plants. Trails into the forest provide fewer birds but the opportunity to see some exciting species such as Malabar Trogon and Sri Lanka Spurfowl. Kitulgala is a great birding location to see a lot of species quickly and see a lot of Sri Lankan endemics.

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Victoria Park 11/03/22

Victoria Park is another famous Sri Lanka birding site. Although it was busier with local visitors than expected, birds were easily seen here at any time of the day. Concentrating on the overgrown edges of the park species like Pied Thrush and Indian Pitta were some of the most exciting birds of this Sri Lanka birding tour. Even within the centre of the park birds such as Sri Lanka Scimitar Babbler and Yellow-eared Bulbul were active in the early afternoon but the cooler temperature at this altitude would explain that and makes birding here a very pleasant experience. Victoria Park is one of those must-visit sites for visitors to Sri Lanka providing very enjoyable and easy birding.

Hakgala Botanical Gardens 12/03/22

The cool temperatures and peaceful atmosphere of Hakgala Botanical Gardens make birding here a real pleasure with some nice species fairly easily seen. Some birding stops along the way from the town of Nuwara Eliya also provide some great birds with Sri Lanka Whistlingthrush and Sri Lanka Woodpigeon too. The gardens provide easy walking and high quality birds such as Kashmir Flycatcher can be found with relative ease. This location provides a very good morning of birding and the photographic opportunities are quite good too.

Tissamaharama 13-15/03/22

The town of Tissamaharama is surrounded by a collection of old, shallow reservoirs that are full of birds and on this trip we spent longer here than normal, just to take things at a slower pace and enjoy things. This proved to be a great decision with a really wide selection of birds including species like Malabar Pied Hornbill, White-naped Woodpecker, Great Thick-knee and Indian Scops Owl.  Taking time here meant that a large number of species were seen, many of which are actually widespread in the region, and enjoyed at a comfortable pace. The birding here is easy, rewarding and there is always the chance of something rare showing up.

Udawalawe National Park 15-17/03/22

Accommodation near Udawalawe National Park is very comfortable and within a very short walk of plenty of habitat full of birds. There are many Sri Lankan endemic birds to be found here and even in the heat of the day many of these were easy to find on this visit. A jeep ride into the national park provided sightings of Asian Elephant, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Blue-faced Malkoha and many waterbirds while just outside the hotel Jerdon’s Nightjar was easy to see at dusk. This was a very rewarding location.

Galle Fort Peninsula 17/03/22

The final stop of this Sri Lanka birding tour was the historic city of Galle. This was not really intended to be a birding stop, rather a convenient place to stay before taking a taxi ride of around 1.5 hours to the international airport for the flight home. However, a walk around the historic and scenic area of the old town and the Galle Fort Peninsula revealed a few shorebirds and a nice selection of terns, many of which were new birds for the trip. It is often difficult to add new birds to a birding tour list on the last day so this was a nice finish along with good food and a nice place to stay.

Join us on our next birding tour to Sri Lanka. Full itinerary and links to our booking page here – Sri Lanka Endemics Birding Tour.