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Bird watching at Sinharaja
For a small island in the midst of the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka boasts of a rich biodiversity and birds of Sri Lanka are part of the national pride. With 233 species which are residents out of which 26 are endemic and another 200 or more heading to Sri Lanka every winter to feed, nest, breed and raise the young ones, Sri Lanka is one of the best places to visit if you know and appreciate your birds.
Situated about 3-hour drive from Weligama, Sinharaja Biosphere Reserve is one of the best locations to experience the bird life in Sri Lanka at a single location.
As the only primary forest available in Sri Lanka, Sinharaja Forest, of course, offers a great diversity of flora and fauna life other than the birds from the endemic purple-faced leaf monkey to over 10 species of amphibians and multitude of orchids.
Yet when it comes to birds, a walk through Sinharaja on a sunny day can bring you closer to more than 20 of the 33 endemic birds found in the country including Red Faced Malkoha and Sri Lanka Blue Magpie.
Watch flocks of orange billed babblers, seldom seen away from the jungle life roam freely around you, while listening to the chatter of the Crested Drongo, the ever watchful guardsman who alerts the flocks of the approaching hawks and eagles. At Sinharaja you will also have the opportunity of observing mixed flocks or a single flock consisting of a number of bird species feeding together.
Stay over for a night to observe the largely ignored nocturnal birdlife at Sinharaja and you might be able to catch a glimpse of Serendib Scops Owl, the latest and one of the rarest bird species to be discovered from Sri Lanka.
