Sinharaja rainforest reserve is a bird watcher’s field paradise. It is definitely the most important bird watching site in Sri Lanka. Nearly all endemics occur at Sinharaja rainforest. Some endemics obviously originated in mainland India, but the long separation of Sri Lanka from the mainland allowed the birds to adapt and develop unique features. It is suggested that some mainland India bird species from which the Sri Lankan endemics descend from, might no longer exist at all. This is a prime reason for Sinharaja’s importance on a global scale. Furthermore, SInharaja is home to the most well studied mixed species foraging flock (bird wave) in the world. The average number of bird species foraging in a bird wave is 12. As many as 50 individual birds were recorded in a single bird wave. Ceylon Crested Drongos and Ceylon Rufous Babblers are noted to lead such bird waves.
Endemic bird sighting opportunities at Sinharaja
- Ceylon Blue Magpie
- Ceylon Rufous Babbler
- Ceylon Scimitar Babbler
- Green-billed Coucal
- Layard’s Parakeet
- Red-faced Malkoha
- Ceylon Crested Drongo
- Ceylon Hanging Parrot
- Ceylon Grey Hornbill
- Ashy-headed Laughing Thrush
- Ceylon Jungle fowl
- Ceylon Spur fowl
- Ceylon Wood Pigeon
- Brown- capped Babbler
- White-faced starling
- Ceylon Hill White-eye
- Ceylon Hill Myna
- Chestnut-backed Owlet
- Serendib Scops-owl
- Ceylon Scaly Thrush
- Ceylon Woodpigeon
- Dusky Blue Flycatcher
- Yellow-eared Bulbul
- Yellow-headed Barbet
- Ceylon Small Barbet
- Ceylon Green Pigeon
- Greater Flameback
