Route- Negombo to Wilpattu
Drive Time – Approx: 4.5 hours drive

After enjoying your breakfast leave for Wilpattu. En route birding expedition at Anawilundewa. Explore the remarkable wetland ecosystem of Anawilundawa Wetland Sanctuary — one of Sri Lanka’s most productive lowland birding sites and a key link in the country’s coastal wetland network.
This is a serious birding destination designed for focused observation rather than casual viewing. The sanctuary’s unique combination of mangroves, freshwater tanks, and coastal lagoons creates a highly diverse habitat mosaic that attracts an exceptional range of resident, migratory, and breeding species throughout the year.
Expect concentrated bird activity including herons, egrets, cormorants, storks, kingfishers, and raptors, along with seasonal influxes of migratory waders and waterfowl. The area is especially productive during early morning and late afternoon sessions when feeding and movement patterns are most active.

Species encountered- Asian Open-bills, Painted Storks, all species of Egrets, Little Indian and the endangered Great Cormorants, Spot-billed Pelican,
Black-headed Ibis,WhistlingTeals, Black Hooded Orioles, Brahmini Kites,White Bellied Sea Eagles, Honey Buzzards,Grey Headed Fish Eagles and Brown Fish Owls

Afterwards proceed to Wilpattu and spend your evening at leisure.

Full day safari at Wilpattu National Park. Wilpattu National Park is one of the oldest and largest protected areas on the island.The name translates to “land of
the lakes” due to the existence of natural water bodies such as
lakes, which are actually lime stone depressions in the earth that store water.Wildlife in the park includes the Sri Lankan Leopard, Sloth Bear, Spotted Deer, and Elephants. It alsosupports a diverse range of bird species.

Species encountered – Black Napped Monarch, Brown Capped Babblers, RufusWoodpecker, Sri Lanka Jungle Fowl, Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill, GreaterThick Knee, Red and Yellow Wattle Lapwings,Woolly Neck Stork, Painted Stork, Lesser
Adjutant, Emerald Dove, Sri Lanka Green Pigeon, Shikra, and Blue Faced Malkoha.

Route- Wilpattu to Sigiriya
Drive Time – Approx: 2.5 hours drive

After enjoying the breakfast, proceed to Sigiriya. Evening at leisure.

Route- Sigiriya-Kandy
Drive Time – Approx: 3 hours drive

After the breakfast leave for Kandy. Afternoon visit Udawattakele sancuary.

Explore the historic forest sanctuary of Udawattakele Forest Reserve, one of Sri Lanka’s most important lowland wet evergreen birding sites and a key biodiversity pocket in the heart of Kandy. This dense, shaded forest offers excellent opportunities for quiet, focused birding, where canopy, mid-storey, and understory species can be observed in close proximity along well-established forest trails. It is especially rewarding for Sri Lankan endemics and forest specialists, with regular sightings of Sri Lanka Junglefowl, Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot, Layard’s Parakeet, Crimson-backed Flameback, Yellow-fronted Barbet, Brown-capped Babbler, Orange-billed Babbler, Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, and Asian Paradise Flycatcher, along with occasional encounters with Shikra and other forest raptors. The reserve is also rich in mixed-species feeding flocks, offering excellent birding dynamics for patient observers.

Route- Kandy-Nuwaraeliya
Drive Time – Approx: 3 hours drive

After the breakfast proceed to Nuwaraeliya.

Enjoy a relaxed yet highly rewarding afternoon birding session at Victoria Park, one of the most productive urban birding sites in Nuwara Eliya. This well-maintained montane park offers excellent close-range viewing opportunities, making it ideal for photography and detailed observation of highland bird species in a quiet, accessible setting.

Despite its compact size, Victoria Park supports a surprising diversity of montane birds and seasonal migrants. Key species commonly recorded include Sri Lanka White-eye, Sri Lanka Wood Pigeon, Sri Lanka Scimitar Babbler, Dull-blue Flycatcher, Kashmir Flycatcher (seasonal migrant), Indian Blue Robin, Grey Wagtail, Black-throated Munia, and the striking Pied Bush Chat, along with occasional sightings of raptors such as Shikra.

The late afternoon period is particularly productive as birds become more active in softer light conditions, feeding along hedgerows, lawns, and dense shrub patches. The park’s open visibility and network of paths allow for slow, methodical birding with excellent photographic opportunities.

Pre-dawn visit to Horton Plains National Park. An early start is required for the rare montane endemic, Sri Lanka Whistling Thrush. We would visit the famous ‘Arrenga pool’ before the light breaks, to try our luck with this crepuscular Thrush. As the day breaks, the booming calls of the dominant males of the endemic Bear Monkeys add an enigmatic touch to the forest’s orchestra of birdcalls. Look for the montane endemics, Yellow-eared Bulbul, Sri Lanka Bush Warbler, Sri Lanka Wood Pigeon Sri Lanka White Eye and Dull Blue Flycatcher. In addition we may look for Scaly Thrush (race imbricata of White’s Thrush), Brown Wood Owl, Eurasian Blackbird (race kinnissi), Large-billed Leaf Warbler, Grey Wagtail Indian Blue Robin, Zitting Cisticola, Pacific Swallow, Mountain Hawk Eagle, Crested Goshawk and Indian Pied Bush Chat. This is the only National Park in Sri Lanka where visitors are allowed to walk freely inside. It is situated 2200 m above sea in the central highlands of Sri Lanka, approximately 20 km south of Nuwara Eliya and covers 3162 hectares in extent. The climate here is a wet montane climate with a mean annual temperature of 15 centigrade. The vegetation in Horton Plains is defined as Montane Rainforests or Cloud Forests which shows gnarled and stunted growth not exceeding 15 meters in height. The montane flora here looks spectacular with their crowns appearing vividly in red, orange and purple colours. The trees are mostly covered with bryophytes, liverworts, epiphytes, lichens and mosses which helps to trap the atmospheric moisture and convert them to tiny drops of water, which slowly drift down through the tree trunks to the ground forming small channels of streams. Horton Plains is famous for World’s End, a stunning viewpoint, which is a sheer drop of 870 meters hidden in clouds. We will however, focus on the well known bird rich areas, away from the popular walks to the viewpoint.

Route- Nuwaraeliya-Yala
Drive Time – Approx: 5 hours drive

After the breakfast leave for Yala.

Afternoon birding at Tissamaharama wetland.

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 and Purple Heron. 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.

Morning and afternoon safaris at Yala national park.

Yala National Park was declared as a Game Park in 1938 and is 965 sq. kilometers in extent. According to the Leopard Researches, Yala Block 1 has one of the highest densities of Leopards in the world. Yala therefore offers one of the best chances in Asia to see Leopards. You may also see Elephant, Sloth Bear, Sambhur, and Spotted Deer, Wild Boar, Stripe-necked, Brown & Ruddy Mongooses, Black-naped Hare & several civet species.

In the water holes you may see Mugger Crocodile, Painted Stork, Lesser Whistling Teal, Black-headed Ibis, Eurasian Spoonbill, Great, Median & Little Egrets & the rare Black-necked Stork. The migrant bird species that you are likely to see include Indian Pitta, Brahminy Myna & large flocks of Rosy Starling flying for roost. The monsoon forest vegetation of the park is dominated by Palu Trees.

Morning birdwatching game drive at Bundala national park.

Bundala is a fascinating wetland home for 150 species of winter migrant and resident birds. Among the larger water birds you could also see Lesser Adjutant, Painted Stork, Asian Openbill, Eurasian Spoonbill, Black-headed Ibis and Wooly-necked Stork. In winter Waders that can be seen at Bundala include Pacific Golden, Lesser Sand and Greater Sand, Little Ringed, Kentish and Little Ringed Plovers, Little Stint, Marsh, Common, Wood and Green Sandpipers. You could also see the two odd-looking Eurasian Thick-knee and Great Thick-knee in addition to Eurasian Curlew, Black tailed Godwit, Common Snipe, Red-necked Phalarope, Pintail Snipe and Ruddy Turnstone.

Afternoon visit Yala national park.

Route-Yala-Sinharaja
Drive Time – Approx: 4 hours drive

After breakfast, leave for Sinharaja.

Afternoon birding at Sinharaja.

Sinharaja rainforest (A UNESCO World Heritage) which covers an area of 11,187 hectares of primary and secondary forests. Sinharaja is the best location to see mixed species bird flocks. According to a study carried out on the mixed species bird flocks, 42 individual birds occur in the flocks on average, which makes this the world’s largest mixed species bird flock. The mixed species Bird flock study of Sinharaja forest has been continuing since 1981 and is considered as the World’s longest studied bird flock study. On a birding trip to Sinharaja a birdwatcher can see close to 18 endemic bird species, although the actual number of endemic birds recorded at Sinharaja is more.

Full day birding at Sinharaja.

The former logging roads provide the best access for prime birding in Sinharaja where a mixed species bird flock and give you with a mouthwatering selection which include Orange-billed Babbler, Crested Drongo, Red-faced Malkoha, Ashy-headed Laughing Thrush, Green-billed Coucal, Lesser Yellownape, Orange Minivet, Indian Scimitar Babbler, Black-naped Monarch, Yellow-fronted Barbet, White-faced Starling, Sri Lanka Spurfowl, Yellow-browed Bulbul, Bronze-winged Pigeon, Spot-winged Thrush, Sri Lanka Myna, Legge’s Flowerpecker, Brown-backed Needletail, Green Imperial Pigeon, Sri Lanka Blue Magpie, Chestnut-backed Owlet, Sri Lanka Frogmouth, Scaly Thrush, Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot, Black-throated Munia, Layard’s Parakeet, Black Eagle, Crested Goshawk, Dark-fronted Babbler and Velvut-fronted Nuthatch. As the dusk falls we look for the sub-continental endemic Sri Lanka Frogmouth.

Full day birding at Sinharaja.

Route-Sinharaja-Negombo
Drive Time – Approx: 4 hours drive

After the breakfast leave for Negombo for your final day of this sri lankan birding expedition.

Departure