Being home to 492 species of birds, Sri Lanka is the bird watcher’s paradise. You can observe a wide array of birds, while 34 species are endemic to the country. There are 219 resident breeders and many more migratory species. According to BirdLife International, Sri Lanka is one of the world’s top endemic bird regions with 70 Important Bird Areas (IBAs). Hence, this small island is one of the best bird watching destinations on the planet.
There is a number of bird sanctuaries dedicated to Sri Lankan birds. Among them, Sinharaja, Knuckles, Horton Plains, and Kitulgala are the top spots to view a majority of these endemics. As well, the central highland is the best place to catch the sight of hill country endemics that enjoy their life at higher altitudes. The months between November to April are the best time to observe the majority of these species that are endemic to the island.
In this post, we going to show you the most beautiful endemic birds in Sri Lanka. Here we have focused only on the most colorful and attractive species. This isn’t a complete guide and we hope to bring you the complete list of endemic birds in a future post.
1. Sri Lanka Blue Magpie
Sri Lanka blue magpie (Urocissa ornata) calls as Kehibella in Sinhala. These birds are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Definitely, this bird tops the list of most beautiful endemic birds in Sri Lanka. This brightly-colored bird has glossy blue plumage, and a reddish-brown head, neck, bill, and wings. They have a conspicuous vibrant red color eye ring. The long blue tail ends with a white tip. Both the male and female of the species share the same features.
This species lives in tall, undisturbed forests in the mountains, foothills, and adjoining lowlands of the wet zone. The Sinharaja Rainforest is the best place to witness them. It is found even in mountainous areas up to 2000 m, but it isn’t seen in disturbed habitats such as gardens or plantations. One of the unique features of blue magpies is their offspring receive care not only from their parents but also from other group members.
2. Sri Lanka Junglefowl
Sri Lanka junglefowl (Gallus lafayettii) is the national bird of Sri Lanka. It calls as Wali kukula in Sinhala. They are strongly sexually dimorphic. The male is much larger than the female, with more vivid plumage and a highly exaggerated wattle and comb. The male has orange-red body plumage and dark purple to black wings and tail. The feathers of the mane descending from head to base of the spine are golden. The comb is red with a prominent yellow centre.
The female is much smaller, with dull brown plumage with white patterning on the lower belly and breast. They can easily camouflage in a dry forest. It lives at sites such as Kitulgala, Yala, and Sinharaja. This species is widely spread throughout all zones, including forests, and scrub jungles in areas from sea level to highlands up to 2000 m of elevation.
3. Sri Lanka White-eye
Sri Lanka white-eye (Zosterops ceylonensis) is one of the most beautiful endemic birds in Sri Lanka. Their name refers to the noticeable ring of tiny white feathers around the eyes. They can identify by this bold white eye ring and yellow throat.
It is a resident breeder in forests, gardens, and plantations, mainly in the central highlands. Probably, White eyes are the most common birds in the hills and mountains at higher altitudes. You’ll find these little birds moving around as flocks uttering loud chirps.
This beautiful dark olive-green bird prefers nectar as his diet. Thus, he is often photographed on the flowers while feeding on nectar. They call as Mal Kurulla in Sinhala which means flower bird. They are abundant in Horton Plains, where you can see they are feeding on red Rhododendron blossoms.
4. Red-Faced Malkoha
The red-faced malkoha (Phaenicophaeus pyrrhocephalus) is an endemic member of the cuckoo family. This is an extremely rare species and is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. The presence of red-faced malkoha in the wet zone is largely confined to the Sinharaja Forest Reserve and the surrounding vegetation. In the dry zone. they live in Wasgamuwa, Yala, Udawalawa, Galoya, and Lahugala forests.
This is a large species at 46 cm with a long, graduated tail edged with white. It can be easily identified by the large red patch around the eye. Both males and females have similar appearances. Their favorite food is insects including caterpillars, giant stick insects, mantises, and small vertebrates such as lizards. This bird isn’t as noisy as most of the other cuckoos. They are a quiet species, making only an odd soft sound.
5. Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill
Sri Lanka grey hornbill (Ocyceros gingalensis) is a widespread, common endemic bird in Sri Lanka. They are large birds at 45 cm in length. It has grey wings with black primary flight feathers and a grey back. Its long tail is black with white sides. The long, curved bill has no casque. Hence, they can be easily distinguishable from Malabar pied hornbills with a large casque.
Males and females are similar, although the male has a cream-colored bill, whereas the female’s bill is black with a cream stripe. It has an island-wide distribution and is frequently found in home gardens, bordering forested areas. They live in both wet and dry zone and forest patches and are abundant in the area around Sigiriya.
6. Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot
Sri Lanka hanging parrot (Loriculus beryllinus) call as Gira Maliththa in Sinhala. This parrot is a resident endemic breeder in Sri Lanka. This is a small bird only 13 cm long with a short tail. The adult has a red crown and rump. The nape and back have an orange tint. The chin and throat are pale blue. The beak is red and the irises are white. The females are duller colored with a lighter trace of blue on the throat.
They occur everywhere in Sri Lanka including the central hills, lower hills, wet zone, and dry zone areas. They prefer open forests and are strictly arboreal, never descending to the ground. Hanging parrots are fairly active and often climb around the branches to find food. They are hanging upside down to reach the fruits and flowers to feed on.
7. Layard’s Parakeet
Layard’s parakeet (Psittacula calthrapae) calls as Alu girawa in Sinhala. This endemic bird’s common name commemorates the British naturalist, Edgar Layard. They are green-colored and around 29 cm long including a tail up to 13 cm. The adult parrots have a bluish-grey head and back, separated by a green collar.
Especially, Layard’s parakeets have a two-toned beak. The upper mandible of the male’s bill is red and the lower mandible is brown. The female has a similar appearance but they have a black beak. These parrots live as groups and inhabit upper levels of forests. They spread in the wet zone and dry wooded areas in both the lowlands and hills.
8. Crimson-backed Flameback
Crimson-backed Flameback or greater Sri Lanka Flameback (Chrysocolaptes stricklandi) is a beautiful endemic bird in Sri Lanka. This woodpecker has a spectacular crimson-red back. The Male has a complete red cap while the female has a black and white spotted forehead. These birds are about 28 cm in length.
They live across the country except for the northern area. Always, they are associated with home gardens, plantations, and wooded habitats. But they don’t prefer dense tropical forests. It drills nest holes at tree trunks. These holes are nesting sites for them, and also other cavity-nesting birds like parrots, who cannot make their own holes.
9. Dull-blue Flycatcher
The dull-blue flycatcher (Eumyias sordidus) is a small bird in the flycatcher family. Since this endemic bird is restricted to the hills of central Sri Lanka, it cannot find in lower lands. This small species is only 15 cm long. They have an ashy blue coloration with a prominent bright blue forehead. Adults have a bluish body and grayish belly.
Most prominently, they have a black patch between the bill and the eye, bordered with brighter blue above and below. Sexes are similar, but females are slightly duller. They inhabit forests, wooded estates, and gardens where plenty of shady trees are. They prefer insects for their diet and also feed on small fruits.
10. Legge’s Flowerpecker
Legge’s flowerpecker (Dicaeum vincens) or the white-throated flowerpecker is a small endemic bird in Sri Lanka. It is named after the Australian ornithologist William Legge. The male Legge’s flowerpecker has blue-black upper parts, a white throat, and a yellow belly. The female is duller, with olive-brown upper parts.
This bird has quite a small body with 10 cm in total length and weighs only 9 g. They have short tails and short thick curved bills. Mainly, they feed on nectar in their diet and also like insects. They are common in forests and other well-wooded habitats including gardens.
11. Serendib Scops Owl
Serendib scops owl (Otus thilohoffmanni) calls as Paduwan Bassa in Sinhala. This owl is listed as endangered species on the IUCN Red List. Found in 2004, it is the most recently discovered endemic bird in Sri Lanka. It was originally found in the Kitulgala and then in the Sinharaja rainforest. Most importantly, this species has a very small population. At the end of January 2006, only 80 of them were known to exist in Sri Lanka.
Serendib scops owl is a small bird only 16.5 cm long. They are reddish-brown with paler underparts, spotted all over with fine black markings. This short-tailed owl has yellow eyes. Their claws and bill are pale ivory in color. It does not possess true ear tufts, but it can show false ones when alert. Since they are active only at night, it is difficult to observe them in daylight.
12. Chestnut-backed Owlet
Chestnut-backed Owlet (Glaucidium castanotum) is a small owl endemic to Sri Lanka. This bird measures only 19 cm in length. Their plumage is mainly chestnut brown, with darker barring. The underparts are white with black streaks. The face is brown and the eyes are yellow.
The chestnut-backed owlet is a common resident bird in the wet zone forests of Sri Lanka. They live in Kitulgala and Sinharaja rainforests. Moreover, they prefer both lowlands as well as hills at altitudes of up to 2,000 m above sea level.
13. Sri Lanka Wood Pigeon
Among 9 dove & pigeon species in Sri Lanka, the Wood Pigeon (Columba torringtoniae) is an endemic species in the Central Highlands. This bird calls as Maila Goya in the Sinhala Language. It is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. They are large birds around 36 cm in length. Their plumage is plain gray while they have conspicuous black-and-white stripes on the nape. This combination of neck markings and plain body allows us to identify them easily from all other pigeons in Sri Lanka.
Wood pigeons occur in pairs or small flocks and inhabit upper levels of forests and densely wooded areas in the hills and mountains. This pigeon is quite easy to find in the woods of Horton Plains National Park.
14. Sri Lanka Green Pigeon
Sri Lanka green pigeon (Treron pompadora), known as Bata goya in the Sinhala language. They are an endemic pigeon species in Sri Lanka. This medium-sized green pigeon has a yellow face and yellow lines on the wings. The male has a maroon back while the female has a green back. The legs and feet of Sri Lanka Green-Pigeon are reddish.
These pigeons like to live in small groups at upper levels of forests in both lowlands and hills. They have a remarkable ability to conceal themselves among the foliage by freezing when they detect any danger. Thus, this endemic bird is quite difficult to photograph.
15. Crimson-fronted Barbet
The crimson-fronted barbet (Psilopogon rubricapillus), also called as Sri Lanka small barbet is an endemic bird in Sri Lanka. It calls as mal kottoruwa in Sinhala. This is a small barbet only 15 cm long with a short neck, large head, and short tail. It inhabits tropical moist lowland forests up to 1,300 m.
This small barbet has striking coloration. Their head has a bright color combination with red. orange, yellow, blue, black, and green. Their body is mainly green with light greenish plumage and wings. There is a blue band down the side of the head and a black crescent behind the eye. It forages for fruit and insects.
To sum up, these are the most beautiful and colorful endemic birds in Sri Lanka. A bird-watching tour will give you the opportunity to witness a vast majority of them. There is no doubt, you’ll enjoy observing these gorgeous birds in their natural habitats. Welcome guys, plan a wonderful journey to watch the beautiful endemic birds in Sri Lanka.
Text by Magnificent Sri Lanka. Images from Wikimedia Commons, Facebook & Twitter. All copyrights are reserved by the original authors,
