BIRD WATCHING TOURS

• Birding at Kelani Valley forest reserve
• Explore Sinharaja Rainforest
• Explore hill country birds in Victoria Park, Haggala botanic gardens and Horton Plains National park
• Birding at Bundala and Yala National Parks
• Explore Talangama Wetland

DAY 01: ARRIVEL – AIR PORT TO KITHULGALA

Arrival at Bandaranayeke International Ari Port and transfer to Hotel in Kitulgala for two nights.

Kitulgala ;The Kalani Valley forest reserve is a tropical low country rain forest rich in biodiversity comprising a large number of endemic fauna and flora. In the afternoon begin the birding tour around the forest areas. Kithulgala particularly is an interesting and exciting place for the birdwatchers to see many Sri Lankan endemic birds such as Yellow-fronted Barbet, Spot-winged Thrush, Sri Lanka Spurfowl, Sri Lanka Blue Magpie and Red-faced Malkoha.

Dinner and overnight stay at a hotel in Kitulgala

DAY 02: KITULGALA

 Morning and afternoon more birding in the Kelani Valley Forest Reserve and villages around, ideal for any missed lowland endemics such as Sri Lanka Myna, Green-billed Coucal, Spot-winged Thrush, Sri Lanka Blue Magpie, Sri Lanka Spurfowl, Brown-capped Babbler and Red-faced Malkoha. Also look for Hill Mynah, Lesser Yellownape, Crested Drongo, Greater and Black-rumped Flamebacks, Black-capped Bulbul, Black Bulbul, Yellow-browed Bulbul, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch and Black Eagle. As the dusk falls look for the sub continental endemic Sri Lanka Frogmouth.

Dinner and overnight stay at the same hotel in Kitulgala

DAY 03: KITULGALA TO NUWARA ELIYA

After breakfast, leave for Nuwara Eliya for two nights. Afternoon visit Victoria Park for Himalayan migrants Kashmir Flycatcher, Pied Thrush Indian Pitta and Indian Blue Robin. Other highlights include Yellow-eared Bulbul, Sri Lanka Hill White-eye and Dull blue Flycatcher. Also visit a nearby wetland for Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler, endemic Black-throated Munia, Pied Bush Chat and Common & Pintail Snipes.

Dinner and Overnight stay at a hotel in Nuwra Eliya

DAY 04: NUWARA ELIYA

Morning, leave to visit Horton Plains National Park, pre-dawn start for the scarce endemic Sri Lanka Whistling Thrush. Also look for Sri Lanka Wood Pigeon, Yellow-eared Bulbul, Sri Lanka Hill White-eye, and Dull-blue Flycatcher & Sri Lanka Bush Warbler. Afternoon, visit The Hakgala Botanical Gardens which was originally an experimental Cinchona plantation established in 1860. Cinchona is the plant from which the anti-malarial drug quinine is obtained. The gardens today enjoy reputations for its roses and ferns.

Dinner and Overnight stay at the same hotel in Nuwra Eliya

DAY 05:  NUWARA ELIYA TO TISSA

After breakfast leave for Tissa for three nights and spend the day at leisure

Dinner and Overnight stay at a hotel in Tissamaharama

DAY 06: TISSA

Morning visit Yala National Park, one of the Sri Lanka's most famous national parks and is best known for its remarkable population of leopards. The park is home to the greatest variety of Sri Lanka's wildlife. Its varying habitats, consisting of scrub plains, jungles, rocky outcrops, fresh water lakes, rivers and beaches, provides home to many species of animals and Birds. The birding highlights in the park include Malabar Pied Hornbill, Painted Stork, Lesser Adjutant and Black-necked Stork.

Afternoon, birding around Tissamaharama , consists of a series of wetlands, which are excellent for birding. We first stop at the Yoda Kandiya wetland to Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Little Grebe, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Purple Heron and Cotton Pygmy Goose. Thereafter proceed to Debarawewa wetland. We look for Baya Weaver, Clamarous Reed Warbler, Black & Yellow Bitterns, Black-crowned Night Heron, Watercock and if lucky White-naped Woodpecker. After this we will proceed to Pannegamuwa wetland. We look for Black-capped Kingfisher, Plain Prinia, Ashy Prinia and if lucky Baillon’s Crake.

Dinner and Overnight stay at the same hotel in Tissamaharama

DAY 07: TISSA / BUNDALA / TISSA

Morning visit Bundala Bird Sanctuary .Lagoons and scrub jungles of the Park are hosting more bird species. It's also the first Ramsar wetland site in Sri Lanka. This wetland is home to many of winter migratory birds.

DAY 08: TISSA / UDAWALAWA

After breakfast leave for Udawalawe for two nights. Afternoon visit Udawalawe National Park for dry zone birds. Look for dry zone birds, which include Little Green Bee-Eater, Malabar Pied Hornbill & Blue-faced Malkoha.

 DAY 09: UDAWALAWA

After breakfast leave for birding in Udawalawa national park and surrounding areas which will be continued in the afternoon too. The park is good for birds of prey and we will look for Grey-headed Fish Eagle, Black-shouldered Kite, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Crested Serpent Eagle, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Shikra, Common Kestrel, Brown Fish Owl and Western Marsh Harrier. Also look for Malabar-pied Hornbill, Thick-billed Flowerpecker, Plum-headed Parakeet, Common Hoopoe, Sirkeer Malkoha, Blue-faced Malkoha, Little Green Bee-eater, Barred Buttonquail (sub species leggei, which is one of the 18 sub species worldwide!), Indian Silverbill and Black-headed Munia. Also look for the migrants which include Black-capped Purple Kingfisher, Blyth's Pipit and Orange-headed Thrush.

Dinner and overnight stay at the same Hotel in Udawala

DAY 10; UDAWALAWA TO SINHARAJA

 After breakfast leave for Sinharaja for two nights. Spend the day at leisure

Dinner and overnight stay at a hotel in Sinharaja

DAY 11: SINHARAJA

After breakfast leave for Full day birding at Sinharaja Rain Forest and surrounding area. Sinharaja Rain Forest (A UNESCO World Heritage Site) is a treasure trove of Sri Lanka and famous for its lowland endemics and mixed species bird flocks. Over 130 bird species are found here including 26 of 33 species endemic to Sri Lanka. According to a study of the mixed species bird on average 42 individual birds occur in the flocks, which makes this the world's largest mixed species bird flock. Birding highlights include Red-faced Malkoha, Sri Lanka Blue Magpie, White-faced Starling and Scaly Thrush

Dinner and overnight stay at the same hotel in Sinharaja

DAY 12: SINHARAJA TO COLOMB

After breakfast leave to Colombo and visit the Talangama wetland for birding. The Thalangama wetland, on the outskirts of Colombo is home to about 100 species of wetland birds and common garden birds such as Herons, Bulbuls, Swamp hens, Water hens, Kingfishers, Teals, Gulls, Swallows, Egrets, Storks, migrant Black and Yellow Bitterns amongst many others.

DAY 13: DEPARTURE-COLOMBO TO AIR PORT

Leave to Airport for Departure (According to your flight times)