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Itinerary

Day 1 - Colombo
Arrival in Colombo, the capital city of Sri Lanka. Night in Colombo.

Day 2 - Mount Lavinia, Bellanwila-Attidiya
Our hotel at Mount Lavinia or close by overlooks the Indian Ocean. In the hotel grounds, we may encounter Greater Coucal, overhead could be Alpine Swift and offshore Great Crested and Little Terns. We visit Bellanwila-Attidiya, one of the last remaining wetlands close to Colombo, where Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Purple Swamphen, Yellow, Black and Cinnamon Bitterns, Indian Pond Heron, White-breasted Waterhen and many herons and egrets occur. Landbirds include resident and migrants, including Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Blyth's Reed Warbler, Ashy Woodswallow, Paddyfield Pipit, Brown Shrike, Black-hooded Oriole, Long-billed Sunbird and Common Myna. Night in Colombo.

Day 3 - Kitulgala
Today we visit Kitulgala, a remnant area of rain forest for the endemic Green-billed Coucal. We may also find Pompadour Green-pigeon, Coppersmith and Crimson-fronted Barbets, Yellow-browed and Black-crested Bulbuls, Black-naped Monarch and Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher. As we travel to Kitulgala, we may encounter White-breasted Kingfisher, White-bellied Drongo, Crested Serpent Eagle and Little Swift, and possibly Greater Flameback, Lesser Yellownape, Chestnut-headed Bee-eater and Brown-headed Barbet.

The rest house at Kitulgala overlooks rainforest and river; it is here that the film "Bridge Over The River Kwai" was filmed. The gardens are often full of birds, and we have a chance of seeing Ceylon Hanging-parrot, Black-rumped Flameback, Black Bulbul, Yellow-fronted Barbet, Blue-winged and Golden-fronted Leafbirds and Common Tailorbird.
Night at Kitulgala

Day 4 - Kelani Forest Reserve
We cross the river by dug-out canoe to the Kelani Forest Reserve. Here we look for several endemics: Ceylon Blue Magpie, Ashy-headed Laughingthrush and Spotted-winged Thrushes, Orange-billed and Dark-fronted Babblers and perhaps the secretive Ceylon Spurfowl. Trails through the jungle host Malabar Trogon, Indian Scimitar Babbler and Common Iora, and fruiting trees attracts endemic Ceylon Mynas. The river itself has Stork-billed Kingfisher, Little Cormorant and wintering Common Sandpipers. In disturbed areas, we look for Green Imperial and Pompadour Green Pigeons, Emerald and Spotted Doves, Red-vented Bulbul, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Common Iora, Scarlet and Small Minivets, Yellow-billed Babbler, Purple-rumped and Long-billed Sunbirds and endemic White-throated Flowerpeckers.
Night at Kitulgala

Day 5 - Ratnapurna
After breakfast we drive to Ratnapurna for a two night stay. En route we visit Gilimale Forest Reserve where Indian Black Eagles occur and we may find White-browed Bulbul, Brown-capped Babbler and Tickell's Blue Flycatcher. This is a beautiful area of scenic rivers, waterfalls and forests. If we are fortunate we may see Adam's Peak, the holy mountain, to the north. Our hotel is surrounded by very birdy environments, and we could find Oriental Magpie Robin, Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike, Grey Tit, Golden-fronted Leafbird, Pale-billed Flowerpecker, Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, Indian Pitta, White-browed Fantail and Forest Wagtail.

Day 6 - Sinharaja Forest Reserve
We start early for our drive to the superb Sinharaja Forest Reserve, one of the best remaining areas of rain forest left in Sri Lanka. This incredible place holds all but two of the island endemics. Common birds include Black-headed Yellow and Yellow-browed Bulbuls, Spotted-winged Laughingthrush, Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher and White-rumped Munia, and we look for Red-faced Malkoha and is the highly endangered White-faced Starling. Woodpeckers include Greater and Black-rumped Flamebacks. Other species we may see are Blossom-headed Parakeet, Malabar Trogan, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo and Golden-fronted Leafbird. Evening birds may include Ceylon Frogmouth and Chestnut-backed Owlet.
Night in Ratnapurna

Day 7 - Embilipitiya
We leave Ratnapurna for the small town of Embilipitiya. We visit the lake shore, where White-bellied Sea Eagles, Pied Kingfishers and Whiskered Terns occur. Muddy areas attract Common Greenshank, Marsh Sandpiper and Red-wattled Lapwings. Later we leave for Uda Walawe National Park, an area of grassland, jungle, water holes and rivers, thus attracting high numbers of birds and animals. We should find Indian Elephants. Birds of prey include Osprey, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Grey-headed Fish Eagle and Black-shouldered Kite. Tracks attract Barred Buttonquail, Rufous-winged Bushlark, Indian Robin, Plain Prinia and Yellow-wattled Lapwings. Savanna areas may have Pied Crested Cuckoo, Orange-breasted Green-pigeon, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Crimson-fronted Barbet, and Indian Roller. Waterways attract several species of kingfishers and we may find Blue-faced Malkohas. At Uda Walawe we look for Brown Fishing Owl.

Day 8 - Hambantota
We leave for the south-east coast at Hambantota for three nights. Kelametiya Sanctuary is an extensive coastal reserve of scrub, lakes, woodland, grassland and estuarine habitats, and supports good populations of Intermediate Egret, Painted Stork, Asian Openbill, Woolly-necked Stork, Oriental Darter, Black-headed Ibis, Garganey, Northern Pintail, Common Kingfisher and Brahminy Kites. Grasslands hold Pacific Golden Plover, Yellow and, more rarely, Citrine Wagtails, Oriental Skylark, and sometimes Caspian Plover. Overhead swifts hawk insects; they include Crested Tree, Alpine and Asian-palm Swifts. Marshes support Pintail Snipe, Greater Thick-knee and Streaked Weaver. The road to Hambantota passes by coastal lagoons where Greater Flamingos, Saunders' Little Terns, egrets, herons, ducks and shorebirds including pratincoles and Terek Sandpipers occur.

Days 9 & 10 - Bundala and Yala National Parks
We visit Bundala and Yala National Parks. At Bundala we board four-wheel drive jeeps to travel around the park. We look for Indian Peafowl, storks, Eurasian Spoonbill, Indian Cormorants, Ceylon Junglefowl, Little Green, Chestnut-headed and Blue-tailed Bee-eaters, Ashy-crowned Sparrow-lark and Oriental Darter. At dusk we have a chance of seeing and hearing Indian Nightjars. We also visit Tissamaharama Tank on the way to Yala, an area noted for White-naped Woodpecker and Clamorous Reed Warbler as well as Cotton Pygmy-goose and Ashy Prinia. Yala is an exceptional area for mammals, such as Indian Elephant, Spotted Deer and Sambar and there is a good chance of Leopard , Water Buffalo, Wild Boar and several species of monkey. Target birds include Black-necked Stork, Small Pratincole, Brahminy Starling, Black-headed and Large Cuckoo-shrikes and Black Drongo.

Day 11 - Nuwara Eliya
Today we leave Hambantota for the highest town in Sri Lanka, Nuwara Eliya, which stands at over 2000 metres.Tea plantations, waterfalls and rock faces dominate the landscape. Birding stands of rain forest could produce Crested Honey Buzzard, Ceylon Woodpigeon, Streak-throated Woodpecker and Pied Thrushes. We also bird mountain streams in an attempt to find the very rare Ceylon Whistling Thrush.

Day 12 - Horton Plains National Park
We travel to Horton Plains National Park, reminiscent of the Scottish Highlands. In the pine woods we should find Ceylon Junglefowl, Kashmir Flycatcher and Velvet-fronted Nuthatch. In wooded valleys two endemics occur, Dull-blue Flycatcher and the highly localised Ceylon White-eye, and areas of scrub and low trees have two more endemics, Ceylon Bush-warbler and Ceylon Woodpigeon. Hagala Botanical Gardens are close to Nurewa Eliya and we’ll visit this area for species such as the local race of Eurasian Blackbird and endemic Hill Mynas, and another chance at Ceylon Whistling Thrush.

Day 13 - Kandy
Today we descend to Kandy, stopping at tea plantations en route. The Kandy botanical gardens hold Greater and Black-rumped Flamebacks, Rufous Woodpecker, Alexandrine and Layard's Parakeets, Asian Koel, Asian Brown and Asian Paradise Flycatchers and Indian Pitta.
Night in Kandy

Day 14 - Sigiriya
Today we travel to Sigiriya, a huge rock which rises nearly 200 metres out of the plain. The rock itself has the local race of Peregrine Falcon. The surrounding jungle and scrub have many species and we will make a special effort to find those not already located.
Night in Sigiriya.

Day 15 - Sigiriya - Colombo
Birding at Sigiriya before we head back to Colombo for our flights back home

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What to Expect

The climate is generally warm to hot, dry and sunny at lower altitudes but cooler higher up in the mountains. Overcast weather is not uncommon, early morning mist is prevalent and it likely will rain. It will be humid near the coast. Comfortable accommodation throughout, basic and clean at Kitulgala. Lunches and evening meals are mainly taken at restaurants with food based on "western style" cuisine. Local Sri Lankan cuisine is available. Road conditions are mainly good, although some roads are a little bumpy.

Transport by minibus with 4X4's in national parks. Mainly short walks over flat terrain, although it will be occasionally hilly, as at Horton Plains. Bring stout footwear and waterproofs essential. Insects will not likely be a problem, but insect repellant is always recommended.

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