CHA NATURE TRAVELS
Birds and wildlife of Sri Lanka
An island of rainforests, highlands and wetlands, Sri Lanka rewards the curious traveller with extraordinary variety in a wonderfully compact setting.
Step beneath the rainforest canopy at Sinharaja and listen for mixed feeding flocks moving through the trees. Among the island’s most sought-after endemic birds are the Sri Lanka Blue Magpie, Red-faced Malkoha, Green-billed Coucal and the elusive Sri Lanka Spurfowl. The highlands offer another character entirely, with cool forest and grassland around Nuwara Eliya and Horton Plains.
Beyond the forest, Sri Lanka’s national parks and wetlands hold remarkable wildlife. Asian elephants move through open country, waterbirds gather around lagoons and reservoirs, and a patient safari may reveal a Sri Lankan leopard or sloth bear. Mannar and the northern wetlands add shorebirds and seasonal migrants to the picture.
Our journeys can bring these contrasting habitats together, with time for careful observation, photography and the expertise of local guides. Tell us whether your priorities are endemic birds, mammals, a particular photograph or a little of everything. Wildlife is wild and sightings are never guaranteed.