How to get there: Colombo – Kalutara – Agalawatta – Matugama – Kalawana – Veddagala – Sinharaja (4 hours).
One of the most important natural habitats in Sri Lanka, the Sinharaja rainforest offers a huge diversity of species both flora and fauna with a large proportion of those being indigenous to the country and some more specifically endemic to Sinharaja itself. However, a permit is required to enter the reserve. A forest guide will be provided by the Forest Department. The ticket office at Kudawa can be reached by a car but a four-wheel-drive vehicle with a high ground clearance is needed to reach the forest entrance from which point bird watching has to be done on foot. The paths are well defined but one has to be mindful of the leeches, especially during the rainy season. Sinharaja is famous for its mixed feeding bird flocks and a number of endemic Birds can be observed during the walks across the forest.
Basic accommodation is provided by the Forest Department for those interested in staying overnight but it has to be arranged prior to the visit from the head office at Jayanthipura, Battaramulla. There are also a few private guest houses, which would provide meals and accommodation. There is an entry into the reserve from Deniyaya as well.
Sri Lanka Blue Magpie (Urocissa Ornate)
Sri Lanka Blue Magpie (Urocissa Ornate)
Birds
Green-Billed Coucal, Red-Faced Malkoha, Ceylon Blue Magpie, Rufous Babbler, Ceylon Hill Mynah, Ashy-Headed Laughingthrush, White-Headed Starling, Yellow-Fronted Barbet, Spot-Winged Thrush, Scaly Thrush, Ceylon Jungle Fowl, Ceylon Spur Fowl, Crimson-Backed Woodpecker, Ceylon Crested Drongo, La yard’s Parakeet, Ceylon Green Pigeon, Ceylon Lorikeet, Serendib Stops Owl, Ceylon Bay Owl, Ceylon Grey Hornbill, Chestnut Backed Owlet, Ceylon Frogmouth, Legge’s Flower pecker, Scimitar Babbler, Ceylon Trogon, Black Eagle, Crested Serpent Eagles, Hawk Eagles, Crested Honey Buzzard and many more.
Horton Plains National Park
Within the Nuwara Eliya district and the only National Park located in the Hill Country, this boats some superb panoramic scenery, with the famous World’s End a major attraction. Endemic loris and purple monkey are among the important animal species, as well as sambur and endemic avifauna.
The park covers an area of 3,160 hectares of montane grassland fringed and interspersed with patches of dense montane cloud forests. This park and the adjoining Peak Wilderness form the most important catchment area for almost all the major rivers in the country. Three major rivers including the longest, Mahaveli (335km), Kelani and Walawe originate from the within the park itself. Kirigalpotta (2,389m) and Thotupalakanda (2,357m) being the second and the third highest mountains in the country respectively are situated within this park. This is also the highest plateau of the country, being above 5,000 feet, and the western slopes of the park support the most extensive area of montane cloud forests surviving in the country.
Sri Lanka Whisting Thrush (Myophonus Blighi)
Sri Lanka Whisting Thrush (Myophonus Blighi)
The park comes under the purview of the Department of Wildlife Conservation and a permit is required to enter the park. There are motorable roads as well as footpaths to different locations in the park including the popular “World’s End” as referred by locals, which is a vertical drop of 884m, and the picturesque Bakers falls etc. Most of the species of hill Birds can be easily seen here during any walk in the park which is through forested areas, grasslands and streams. A walk to the “worlds end” is also through pristine hill bird habitat. There are bungalows as well as camp sites inside the park which have to be per-booked with the DWLC.
Birds
Ceylon Warbler, Ceylon Whistling Thrush, Ceylon Wood Pigeon, Dusky Blue Flycatcher, Scaly Thrush, Spotted-winged
Thrush, Ceylon Rufus Babbler, Ceylon Blue Magpie, Ceylon Hill White Eye, Pied Bush Chat, Kashmir Red-Breasted Flycatcher, Common Buzzard Brown Baza, Yellow-Eared Bulbul, Black-Winged Kite, Black Eagle, Mountain Hawk Eagle etc.
Knuckles Wilderness Bird Sanctuary
Lying 25km east of the city of Kandy, the Knuckles mountain range exists as a unique ecosystem separate from the rest of the central hills. Covering a distance of about 12 miles Knuckles extends roughly from the northwest to the southwest of Sri Lanka. Over 120 bird species recorded here include many endemic ones including the yellow-fronted barbet, dusky-blue flycatcher, ceylon lorikeet, ceylon grackle, yellow-eared bulbul and Layard’s parakeet.
HOW TO GET THERE
1) Colombo – Kegalle – Kandy – Hunnasgiriya – Loolwatta – Knuckles.
2) Colombo – Kandy – Matale – Rattota – Knuckles.
Sri Lanka Dull Blue Flycatcher (Eumyias Sordida)
Sri Lanka Dull Blue Flycatcher (Eumyias Sordida)
This very scenic forest reserve with its high cliffs and ridges is approximately 21,000 hectares in extent and is under the purview of the Forest Department. It is threatened by the plantation of Cardamoms and encroachments. Knuckles region is a good place to see raptors as well as forest Birds. One that can be recommended for observation of Birds is the road from “Loolwatta” passing “Corbett’s Gap” to an ancient village called “Meemure”. A bungalow managed by the Forest Department and few privately owned bungalows are available for overnight stay.
Birds
Mountain Hawk Eagle, Black Eagle, Crested Hawk Eagle, Crested Serpent Eagle, Shahin Falcon, Rufus-Bellied Hawk Eagle, Crested Honey Buzzard, Blue Magpie, Ceylon Whistling Thrush, Ceylon Scimitar Babbler, Dusky B Flycatcher, Ceylon Wood Pigeon, Ceylon Hill White Eye, Ceylon Grey Hornbill, Yellow-fronted Barbet, Spotted-Winged Thrush etc.
Kithulgala Forest Reserve
The Kithulgala forest is a secondary rain forest situated beside the Kelani River, one of our longest rivers. There is a tributary flowing through the forest to this river. The forest reserve has a high biodiversity. Though it is mostly secondary forest, it’s faunal and floral diversity is very similar to a primary forest. Wild boar, Toque Macaque, Purple faced leaf monkey, and Barking deer are some of the interesting mammal species. Among the interesting bird species Red faced Malkoha, Ceylon Blue Magpie, Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher, Frog Mouth and Layard’s Parakeet are outstanding.
How to get there: Colombo – Avissawella – Ruwanwella – Kitulgala (2 hours)
The forest lies along the Kelani River opposite the Kitulgala Rest House. The river has to be crossed to enter the forest. A dugout canoe stabilised with an outrigger is available at a fee for crossing the river. Besides, the same can be reached by birders on the footpath that extends through the village. Anyway, this forest which is about 1,155 hectares in extent is protected as a Forest Reserve which comes under the purview of the Forest Department. There are many places to stay overnight along the Avissawella-Hatton main road including the Rest House. These have to be booked beforehand.
Sri Lanka Chestnut-Backed Owlet (Glaucidium Castanonotum)
Sri Lanka Chestnut-Backed Owlet (Glaucidium Castanonotum)
Birds
Green-Billed Coucal, Ceylon Lorikeet, Layard’s Parakeet, Ceylon Grey Hornbill, Chestnut-Backed Owlet, Ceylon Blue Magpie, Ceylon Jungle & Ceylon Spur Fowl, Ceylon Frogmouth, Ceylon Crested Drongo, Broad-Billed Roller, Spotted-Winged Thrush, Yellow-Fronted Barbet, Black-Naped Monarch, Common Hill Mynah, Crested Serpent Eagle, Hawk Eagle, Black Eagle, Mountain Hawk Eagle etc.
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