Sri Lanka is a birder’s delight with its variety
of eye-opening colours and eye-tingling sounds. The island’s
isolation and a tropical climate are responsible for the
amazingly diverse bird life that attracts more than 400
species. Almost 200 migrant species descend on the country
having flown south for winter. Some, like the sandpipers
and plovers, come from as far north as the arctic tundra.
Much debate surrounds whether there are 23 or 26 species
endemic, or unique, to Sri Lanka. This is not a worry
for visitors wanting to see the endemics, most of which
nest in the hill country rainforests. Sinharaja Forest
Reserve and Kitulgala, a small town about 80 kilometres
east of Colombo, are highly recommended for viewing
of the local species. Just after dawn is the best place
to look for the orange-billed babblers, Ceylon paradise
flycatchers, Ceylon crested drongo and Ceylon blue magpie.
And there are usually some parakeets screeching to help
you wake up if you’re not a morning person. Horton
Plains good for montane forest species.
The best times to visit are from November to April,
when the migrant birds have landed, and particularly
in February and March. Storks, spoonbills, cormorants
and kingfishers feed off the tanks in the dry regions
and flamingos come in their hundreds to Bundala National
Park.
It is the range of attractions that makes Sri Lanka
a serious bird watcher’s paradise and the perfect
place for a novice to begin. Pick up a pair of binoculars
and a thick notebook, grab a guide and visit parks in
the hill, dry and coastal zones for an all-round watching
experience.
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