Sri Lankan Birding and Wildlife Tour: Species Highlights & Trip Notes with NT Bird Specialists

‘Immerse yourself in World Heritage wilderness and ancient cultural sites while searching for unique and endemic birds and wildlife off the beaten track in Sri Lanka’.

‘Ayubowan’ (I-you-bo-wan) ‘Long Life’ is the Sri Lankan daily welcome that sums up what Sri Lanka does, it welcomes you. From the people, to the pleasant tropical climate and stunning wildlife scenes found amongst biodiverse and ancient cultural landscapes.

After leading 7 successful tours since 2018, as well as private tours and research trips, our best 15 Day Sri Lankan Birding & Wildlife Group Tours are open for bookings (6-20 March 2025 & 2026) to visit Sri Lanka’s best birdwatching sites. These tours are suited to those wanting to explore this incredible island within a minimal impact small group of like-minded bird and wildlife-lovers.
You can also book our shorter or Private Sri Lankan Birdwatching, Wildlife, Photography and Cultural tours year-round.

These tours are highly specialised for birding and mammal watching and you can see the obvious benefits these small group and sustainable ecotourism experiences bring to a multitude of guides, villages, communities and habitat preservation.
We tour only with accredited and experienced local National Field Guides specialising in birdwatching and support local communities, restaurants, hotels, trackers, guides and rangers wherever possible.

Our Sri Lanka birdwatching and wildlife tour focuses on seeking Sri Lanka’s 34 endemic birds and iconic wildlife while taking in some of the major archaeological sites around the island while searching for their wild inhabitants. We were successful in sighting all 35 endemic birds of Sri Lanka in just 10 days in 2017 and 34 of 35 endemics in 2019, and 35 endemics in 2020 and 34/35 in 2024, as well as our Sri Lankan Top 5, Sri Lankan Leopard, Blue Whale, Asian Elephant, Serendib Scops Owl and Sloth Bear, plus around 250/440 bird species.

Sri Lanka is three times the size of Kakadu National Park but boasts an incredible eight World Heritage sites! The photographic opportunities are up close and breath-taking and include some of Sri Lanka’s 440+ species birds (35 endemics), 123 mammal species (16 endemic, 28 marine), over 200 species reptile, more than 140 species amphibians and many thousands of insects. Some cultural sites and ruins date back 3,000 years and the Horton Plains was home to some of Asia’s early humans dating back over 30,000 years.

We are constantly delighted with the changing habitats and climatic zones and just how many species they sustain within such a relatively small country (home to 20 million people). We are also amazed by the ease and access to birding and how much local communities knew about the wildlife and its importance for the economy (they knew all the bird names in English even though they spoke little to no English!). Another highlight is the delicious and fresh Sri Lankan curries, local treats and tropical fruits we are generously served on a daily basis.

Join Us in Sri Lanka March 2025

Delicious Sri Lankan food for lunch

Wildlife in Bundala National Park Sri Lanka

Birdwatching in Bundala National Park

Comfortable and quaint birding lodges in Sri Lanka

Guesthouse in Sinharaja

For those of you who join our 15 day Sri Lankan Birds & Wildlife Tour in 2025, we will be travelling in a small group with a max 11 guests and 1 NT Bird Specialist tour leader (Luke Paterson), along with a professional Nationally Accredited Naturalist/Bird Guide and driver team in a tourist bus/mini-coach.

The tour includes several private jeep safaris, short walks in varied tropical habitats ranging from wet tropics, savannah grasslands, arid zones, remote villages, montane zones, sandy coastlines and tropical food forests. We practise and encourage a minimal impact style of wildlife ecotourism the whole way.

We stay in a range of hotels and guest houses selected due to their convenient location to birdwatching hotspots in Sri Lanka.

This tour is FULL BOARD (includes all accommodation, meals, park fees, transport/driver and community guide gratuities) plus more. Flights, driver and National Guide gratuities, travel insurance, drinks and alcoholic beverages, extra tours and excursions are excluded.
We are more than happy to recommend suitable flight routes and book your pre and post tour activities in Sri Lanka, Maldives and India.

Tour Extensions include: Whale watching boat cruises (one of the best places to view Blue Whale!, Spinner Dolphins and Sperm Whale, Whale Shark), historic forts, city highlights and the Cultural Triangle and tiger safaris.

See TOUR INCLUSIONS here & contact us for detailed itinerary & trip notes: 15 Day Sri Lankan Birds & Wildlife Tour enquiry

Some of Sri Lanka’s key species include:

Over 440 species birds (with 35 endemics and many migrants):

Sri Lankan Scimitar Babbler, Serendib Scops Owl (only recently been described back in 2004), Sri Lanka Blue Magpie, Sri Lankan Green Pigeon, Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher, Indian Pitta, Sri Lanka Spurfowl, Shikra, Chestnut-backed Owlet, Sri Lankan Hanging Parrot, Sri Lanka, Grey Hornbill, Yellow Bittern, Yellow-eared Bulbul, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Indian Peafowl, Sri Lanka Whistling Thrush, Greater Flamingo, Asian Openbill, Lesser Adjutant Stork, Oriental Honey Buzzard, Lesser Goldenback, White-rumped Shama.

The elusive Serendib Scops Owl is very a rare bird in Sri Lankan forests

Rare & endemic Serendib Scops Owl

Birdwatching in Sinharaja Forest Reserve for endemic birds

Bird hide in village house Singharaja

The endemic and rare Sri Lankan Spur Fowl

Tricky to photograph Sri Lankan Spurfowl

So happy to find Indian Pitta in Sri Lanka

Lesser Adjutant Stork Bundala National Park

We know where to find Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher :)

Sri Lanka’s smallest KF – Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher

123 species mammal (16 endemic, including 28 cetaceans):

Sri Lankan Leopard, Blue Whale, Sperm Whale, Sloth Bear, Asian Elephant, Stripe-necked Mongoose, Ruddy Mongoose, Loris species, Jackal, Sambar Deer, Chital Deer, Spotted Deer, Purple-faced Langur (endemic), Red-faced Macaques, Tocque Macaque, Giant squirrel, Golden Palm Civet, Wild Boar, Spinner Dolphin.

Wild Sri Lankan Leopard in Wilpattu NP

Sloth Bear in Wilpattu National Park Sri Lanka

Sloth Bears in the wild

See Asian Elephants in Yala NP, Sri Lanka

Stripe-naped Mongoose at Horton Plains

Photographing Grey Langur

See mighty Blue Whales on a cruise in Mirissa

Our safari explores key sites over 2 wildlife-filled weeks:

Must-see destinations in Sri Lanka

Colombo
Katunayake
Willpattu National Park (Ramsar site)
Mannar
Sigiriya Lion Rock Fortress (World Heritage site)
Nuwara Eliya
Yala National Park (Ramsar site)
Bundala National Park (Ramsar site)
Tissamaharama
Horton Plains/World’s End (World Heritage site)
Sinharaja Forest Reserve (World Heritage site)

Sights and sites including:

Rural and village life, water storage ‘tanks’ reservoirs /wetlands, tea plantations, plantations, spice gardens, Sigiriya ‘Lion Rock’/Fresco paintings, temple ruins, community fishing villages and more

Fresh treacle from palm trees

Asian water buffalo farmer in Bundala NP

Happiness is farm fresh local vegetables

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The Team:

Sri Lankan National Guide: We use the best birding guides who have National Guiding accreditations while touring in Sri Lanka.

NT Bird Specialists Tour

Tour Leader Profiles: Owners and Directors of NT Bird Specialists, Darwin, Australia – Luke Paterson Dp. Natural Resource Management. Sarah Burgess Bsc. Science & Ecotourism, provides back end and travel planning support throughout.

Learn more about Luke and Sarah on ‘Our Team‘ pages:

The Team after sighting all 33 endemic birds of Sri Lanka

We sighted all 34 endemic birds of Sri Lanka in 10 days 🙂

Dhammi explaining how food forests attract many species of birds

Luke & Dhammi appreciating how tropical food forests attract many birds

Park Rangers guide & escort us in Sinharaja Forest Reserve

We employ professional services from Sri Lankan Park Rangers

Recommended field guides for Birds of Sri Lanka:

‘Birds of Sri Lanka’ (Helm Field Guides) Deepal Warakagoda; Carol Inskipp; Tim Inskipp; Richard Grimmett and
‘A Field Guide to the Birds of Sri Lanka’ (Oxford) John Harrison, Illustrations by Tim Worfolk

Read our ‘Sri Lanka Tour Trip Planning Info/FAQs’ page here:

See Sri Lanka Tourism’s official webpage here:

Finding Green-billed Malkoha in Sinharaja

Birding with NT Bird Specialists in Sri Lanka

Expert bird guides Luke (Australia) Dhammi (Sri Lanka)

Our local guides & Luke will guide you through Sri Lanka’s birds & wildlife

Early morning stalking of Sri Lankan Spurfowl

Birdwatching to find Sri Lankan Spurfowl

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Highlights of touring with NT Bird Specialists in the incredible Sri Lanka

World class wildlife experiences, local expertise
Diverse range of tropical bird life for impressive species counts
Diverse range of tropical habitats visited to maximise wildlife sighting opportunities
We work with the best Nationally Accredited and local community guides to deliver you the best up to date
knowledge and sighting opportunities possible
Professional award-winning tour leaders packaging local knowledge to take you to the best locations
Brilliant natural photographic opportunities for lasting memories
Excellent interpretation and customer service to comfortably provide you with a great insight into the natural and cultural environments we visit
Endemic, rare and iconic wildlife only seen in this part of the world
Stunning natural landscapes, ancient and modern cultural sites
Visit World Heritage National Parks to explore protected and ancient living cultural landscapes
Wilderness…..Professionally guided in comfort and safety
Birds! Birds! Birds! Birds!
Assurance of travelling with an award-winning Australian Accredited Tourism Business so you know you are in good hands
5 Star Guest Reviews

See our accreditation and awards page here: ‘Why Choose Us’