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Sri Lanka
is a large island situated off the coast of India and
is often referred to as India's "tear drop".
The island itself
has a diverse variety of habitats in a relatively compact
area. Habitats include pristine rain forest, highland
grasslands,
virgin jungle, mangrove swamps, mud flats and several
internationally important national parks. Sri Lanka is
a truly
beautiful island with a wealth of resident and migratory
species including over twenty endemics.
Our tour starts in Colombo where we visit Bellanwila-Attidiya
wetland reserve before traveling on to Kitulgala, an area
of
rivers and rain forests. Sinharaja is south of Colombo.
It is an area of rain forest that was saved from
extensive logging
about twenty years ago. It holds all but two of Sri Lanka's
endemics. From Ratnapura we leave the wet zone and enter
the dry south-east at Embilipitiya where we will visit
Uda Walawe National Park with its important population
of Asian Elephants. Hambantota is ideally placed to visit
Bundala and Yala national parks, havens for resident birds
and wintering shorebirds from further north. At Yala we
have a good chance of observing Leopard, Water Buffalo,
Wild Boar and several species of monkey and deer in addition
to a large bird population.
From sea level we climb over 2000 meters to Nuwara Eliya,
the highest town in Sri Lanka. Nuwara Eliya is famous
for
tea and vegetables and is also the entry point into Horton
Plains National Park. Horton Plains is an upland grassland
intermingled with jungle and scrub. From Nuwara Eliya
we drop down to Kandy, passing many waterfalls and tea
plantations. Kandy, an old hill town, has an excellent
botanical garden with a long history where birds and flowers
abound. The later stages of our tour will take us to the
famous rock of Sigiriya. Sri Lanka is an excellent introduction
to the birds of south-east Asia.
The abundance of Sri Lanka's bird life makes it an ornithologist's
paradise. Of the 431 recorded species, 251 are resident
and no less than 21 are endemic to the island. Most of
the endemic birds are restricted to the wet zone, e.g.
the Ceylon Grackle or to the hill-country, e.g. the Ceylon
Whistling Thrush, the Yellow-eared Bulbul, etc. Some,
such as the striking Redfaced Malkoha and the shy
brown-capped Babbler can be found throughout the island
although confined to small
areas of forests, National Parks and Forest Reserves.
Among the best areas for these birds are the Sinharaja
Forest
Reserve and the Peak Wilderness Sanctuary. Around mid
August the first flocks of the species begin to arrive
with large numbers of sandpipers, stilts, plovers, terns,
etc. coming from Siberia, Scandinavia and Western Europe.
In the forested
areas migratory tree warblers, thrushes, cuckoos, etc.
can be seen. The large 'tanks' (reservoirs) in the dry
zone attract numerous types of ducks, while the large
water birds - the storks, herons and egrets - can be easily
spotted in the
National Parks. The Kumana Bird Sanctuary in the Eastern
Province and Bundala, Kalametiya and Wirawila in the south,
abound in these aquatic birds. Bundala is especially famous
for its flocks of visiting flamingoes.An interesting place
to visit
for more bird life is the Muthurajawela marshes, just
outside the northern border of the Colombo city.
Package*
Bird Watching Tour - 13 Nights / 14 Days
Endemics and Birds of Sri Lanka
Itinerary
Day 1: On arrival at Colombo
International Airport you will be transferred to the Mount
Lavinia Hotel overlooking
the
Indian Ocean. Rest of the day at leisure in the bustling
suburbs of the city of Colombo for two nights. You could
view
in the hotel vicinity Greater Coucal,
Alpine Swift and, offshore, Great
Crested and Little Terns.
Day 2: You will visit
Bellanwila-Attidiya, one of the last remaining wetlands
left in the vicinity of Colombo. Thankfully, the
area is now protected. The lily-covered ponds will give
you the opportunity to observe Pheasant-tailed Jacana,
Purple Swamphen, Yellow, Black and
the rather uncommon Cinnamon Bittern, White-breasted
Waterhen and many species
of heron and egret. Passerines, Blue-tailed Bee-eater,
Blyth's Reed Warbler, Ashy Woodswallow,
Paddyfield Pipit,
Brown Shrike, Black-hooded Oriole, Long-billed
Sunbird and Common Myna.
Day 3: Leave early morning from Mount Lavinia
Hotel to Kitulgala. A short visit will be made to a remnant
area of rain
forest for the endemic Green-billed Coucal and
other species. Enroute to Kitulgala, for one night, you
will see
White-breasted Kingfisher, White-bellied Drongo,
Crested Serpent Eagle and Little Swift.
The rest house at Kitulgala is attractively situated above
a river overlooking the rain forest. It is here that the
film "Bridge Over The River Kwai" was
filmed in 1958. After lunch you cross the river by dug-out
canoe to visit the Kelani Forest Reserve. The rain forest
has important numbers of endemic Green-billed Coucal,
Ceylon Blue Magpie, Ashy-headed Laughingthrush
and
Spotted-winged Thrushes, Orange-billed and
Dark-fronted Babblers and perhaps the secretive
Ceylon Spurfowl.
The trail winds through the jungle and into an upland
area hosting Malabar Trogon , Indian Scimitar
Babbler and
Common Iora. The lower ground with its fruiting trees
attracts endemic Ceylon Mynas. The river itself
has Stork-billed Kingfisher, Black Bittern,
Little Cormorant, Little Egret and wintering
Common Sandpipers.
Day 4: Departure after breakfast to Uda Walawe. Enroute
stop at the small town Embilipitiya, situated near a large
tank (water reservoir), of the same name Embilipitiya
tank. Here
White-bellied Sea Eagles, Pied Kingfishers
and Whiskered
Terns abound. The muddy margins of the tank attract
wintering Common Greenshank and Marsh Sandpiper
plus
Red-wattled Lapwings The scenery is breathtaking as
you pass rivers, waterfalls and forests. If you are fortunate
with the weather and there is no mist you may see Adam's
Peak, where the island people believe Adam set foot on
earth. On
top of the rock there is a impression of a large foot.
To the north. Ratnapura is situated in the wet zone and
receives nearly five metres of rain a year. The hotel
is in a pleasant location where even the garden birds
are extraordinary. You will find
Oriental Magpie Robin, Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike,
Grey Tit, Golden-fronted Leafbird, Pale-billed
Flowerpecker,
Small Minivet, Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, Little
Swift, Indian Pitta, White-browed Fantail
and Forest Wagtail.
Day 5: After breakfast you will embark on our
first safari to Uda Walawe National Park. Uda Walawe has
extensive areas
of grassland, old rotten trees, jungle, water holes and
rivers, thus attracting high numbers of birds and animals.
Elephants
are common in this park. Birds of prey are a special attraction
of the national park and include Osprey, Changeable
Hawk Eagle, Grey-headed Fish Eagle and Black-shouldered
Kites. The tracks attract Barred Buttonquail,
Paddyfield Pipit, Rufous-winged Bushlark,
Indian Robin, Plain Prinia and Yellow-wattled
Lapwings. Rotten trees hold the huge Malabar Pied
Hornbill, Crimson-fronted Barbet, and Indian Rollers.
Water holes are an important habitat for Black-capped,
Common and Stork-billed Kingfishers. A river
area may have Malabar Trogan, Little Green Bee-eater
and skulking
Blue-faced Malkohas. The grasslands are important
for Plaintive and Pied Crested Cuckoos and
Orange-breasted
Green-pigeon. We stay until dusk at Uda Walawe as
it is a reliable area for Brown Fishing Owl, a
speciality of the park.
Day 6: After breakfast you leave for Hambantota
on the south-east
coast which is a short drive away for three nights. Woolly-necked
Stork and Oriental Darter are possibilities
en route to Hambantota. Kelametiya Sanctuary, an extensive
coastal reserve of scrub, lakes, woodland, grassland and
estuarine habitats, is particularly good for water birds
in Intermediate Egret, Painted Stork, Asian
Openbill, Black-headed Ibis, Garganey,
Northern Pintail, Common Kingfisher
and the ever-present Brahminy Kites. The grasslands
hold Pacific Golden Plover, Yellow and,
more rarely, Citrine Wagtails, Oriental Skylark,
Red-wattled and Yellow-wattled Lapwings and,
occasionally, Caspian Plover, Crested Tree,
Alpine
and Asian-palm Swifts are frequently seen overhead.
A flooded marsh has Pintail Snipe, Greater Thick-knee,
Whimbrel
and Streaked Weaver in the reeds. As Kalametiya
is so diverse in its habitats, you can make more than
one visit here.
The road to Hambantota passes by several coastal lagoons
which host Greater Flamingos, Saunders'
Little Terns, egrets, herons, ducks and an amazing
variety of shorebirds.
Days 7-8: Hambantota is very close to the national
parks of Bundala and Yala. You
will be making two safaris into these famous reserves.
Your hotel also offers ample bird watching opportunities
in the vicinity and from your hotel balconies for passing
Greater and Lesser Crested Terns. Also of
interest, within a short distance, are saltpans and large
tanks with
muddy margins for wading birds. Shorebirds include Greater
and Lesser Sandplovers, Temminck's, Little
and Long-toed Stints, Green, Common,
Curlew and Broad-billed Sandpipers and Collared
Pratincole, Brown-headed Gull, Little
Grebe, Indian Pond and Purple Herons
can be common. A dawn start on one day to visit Bundala,
a birdwatcher's paradise. You
will travel around the park on rutted and often water-filled
tracks. Bundala holds Peafowl that occur here in
their natural habitat, often in the tops of trees. We
should get close views of
Painted Stork, Asian Openbill, Eurasian
Spoonbill, Indian and Little Cormorants,
Ceylon Junglefowl, Little Green, Chestnut-headed
and Blue-tailed Bee-eaters, Ashy-crowned Sparrow-lark
and Oriental Darter. There are waders including
Eurasian and Greater Thick-knees. At dusk
you may have
a chance of seeing and hearing Indian Nightjars.
On one of the days you will visit Tissamaharama Tank on
the way to Yala. This region has the impressive White-naped
Woodpecker and Clamorous Reed Warblers. The
huge lily-covered tank and surrounding farmland are excellent
for birds. We expect to locate Cotton Pygmy-goose,
Pacific Swallow and Ashy Prinia.
The road to Yala is rough and long but the roadside offers
us bird watching stops. Yala is also an exceptional area
for mammals. We should see Elephant, Spotted Deer and
Sambur and there is a good chance of Leopards at dusk.
The birds
are similar to those at Bundala and Kalametiya but with
the added attraction of the huge Black-necked Stork,
Small Pratincole, Brahminy Starling, Black-headed
and Large Cuckoo-shrikes and Black Drongo.
On the way back from Yala,
you may see Indian and Jerdon's Nightjars
sitting on the tracks.
Day 9: Leave for Hambantota to the highest elevated town
in Sri Lanka, Nuwara Eliya, which stands at over 2000
meters.
The dry zone is left behind as tea plantations, waterfalls
and majestic rock faces start to dominate the countryside.
An
isolated strand of rain forest that surrounds a monastery
will be visited. Birds include Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher,
Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike, Black-throated Bulbul,
Yellow-eared Bulbul, Common Woodshrike and
Crested Honey Buzzard. Enroute there are many viewing
points around areas of woodland
with wild and overgrown sections. It can hold some interesting
birds including Ceylon Woodpigeon and Velvet-fronted
Nuthatch.
Day 10: After breakfast travel to Horton Plains
National Park. Before you reach the park headquarters,
a stop will be
made to try and locate the rare Ceylon Whistling Thrush.
This small bird only inhabits mountain streams with dense
cover above 2000 feet. This is an area reminiscent of
the Scottish Highlands and the views are outstanding on
a clear day.
Common birds include Pied Bushchat, Indian Robin,
and Scaly-breasted and Black-throated Munias.
The road goes
through pine woods where we should find Ceylon Junglefowl,
Kashmir Flycatcher, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch,
Common
and Hill Mynas and Black-shouldered Kites.
The road then climbs high above wooded valleys where two
endemics occur,
the Dull-blue Flycatcher and the highly localized
Ceylon White-eye. Areas of scrub and low trees
have two of Sri Lanka's rarest endemics in the
Ceylon Bush-warbler and the Ceylon Woodpigeon.
The plains open up where the habitat is
grassland, a good area for Crested Serpent and
Mountain Hawk Eagles, Common Buzzard and
the rather uncommon
race of Black Kite. World's End offers spectacular
views at the end of the road past Farr Inn, named after
the Scotsman
who discovered this area in the last century. After lunch
a visit to Victoria Park for wintering Pied Thrushes,
Kashmir Flycatcher and Indian Blue Robin.
Day 11: After breakfast leave for Kandy. The
road winds its way through tea plantations where we will
stop and make a
short visit to a tea factory for Hill Swallow.
On the outskirts of Kandy are botanical gardens, a birdwatcher's
delight for Greater and Black-rumped Flamebacks,
Rufous Woodpecker, Common Tailorbird, Alexandrine
and Layard's Parakeets, Asian Koel, Asian
Brown and Asian Paradise Flycatchers, Oriental
White-eye and the attractive Indian Pitta.
There are several gemstone dealers whom you can visit
and also witness the famous ceremony at the Temple of
the Tooth Relic and cultural show.
Day 12: After breakfast leave for Habarana
in the dry zone for a two-night stay. Before Habarana,
a roadside wetland,
may be productive for Brown-capped Woodpecker,
Stork-billed Kingfisher and other wetland birds.
The Habarana village
is set amongst mature woodland next to a lake and has
well-marked nature trails. The grounds are a regular haunt
of
Brown Fish Owl, Pied Kingfisher, Streaked
Weaver, Common Woodshrike and Indian Robin.
Day 13: Day excursion to Sigiriya, a
huge rock that rises nearly 200 meters out of the plain.
The rock itself has the local
race of Peregrine
Falcon. The surrounding jungle and scrub have
many species including Chestnut-winged, Grey-backed
and Bay-banded Cuckoos, White-rumped Shama,
Blue-faced Malkoha, Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher
and Grey-breasted Prinia. Your final safari takes
you to Kawdulla in the afternoon. Apart from the huge
numbers of herons and egrets, you
can expect White-bellied and Grey-headed Fish
Eagles, Jungle Prinia and, at dusk, Indian
and Jerdon's Nightjars.
Day 14: Overnight
in Colombo for your departure the next day. |
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