Birds of Sri Lanka

Polonnaruwa is a bird-watchers dream: see link to all bird species observed

Although more than 450 bird species have been recorded in Sri Lanka, many are vagrants from the oceans surrounding the island or from mainland India. About 219 species are know as breeding residents on the island. For its size, Sri Lanka has many endemic species, perhaps as many as 33 species. Most of these endemics are found in the lowland wetzone and montane areas. At Polonnaruwa, we have observed more than 150 different species of birds, some being regular migrants or winter-visitors between October and April. There are 9 endemic species.

The areas in and around our research site at Polonnaruwa offer excellent opportunities for bird-watching. There exists a variety of different habitats within easy reach of our lake-side Research Station. These include: lake-shore, open lake water, marshland, riverine, open grassland, scrubland, forest and others. These habitats provide many different ecological niches to support a rich diversity of birdlife.

We provide you with a list of all birds recorded in Sri Lanka and indicate how frequently each of the different species has been sighted in and around Polonnaruwa. The list includes links to the full descriptions and additional details about each species as described in Wikipedia. Birds of Polonnaruwa