Birds in Sri Lanka

90 species listed · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024

Our list for Sri Lanka has 90 bird species recorded regularly there: 26 residents, 1 summer visitor, 48 winter visitors, 10 passage migrants and 5 scarce visitors.

The list comes from 1.9 million birdwatchers' records from 2019–2024, shared through the eBird Observation Dataset on GBIF. A bird is listed when it was recorded in at least 3 of the 6 years and has a Birdfact species guide, so more species occur here than are listed; the months show when it is recorded most years.

Birds to see in Sri Lanka in September

58 species on our list are recorded regularly this month. These are the ones birdwatchers record most often.

All 58 birds in September

Arriving in September: Barn Swallow, Grey Wagtail, Green Sandpiper, Arctic Jaeger, Pomarine Jaeger, Ruff, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Booted Eagle and 2 more.

Through the year

Species recorded regularly in Sri Lanka each month: most in February (79), fewest in June (37). Choose a month to see its birds.

7958
Show as a table
Scaly-breasted Munia
Scaly-breasted MuniaSmallest · 11cm
to
Indian Peafowl
Indian PeafowlLargest · 230cm
From the Scaly-breasted Munia (11 cm) to the Indian Peafowl (230 cm)34 families

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All 90 birds on the list

Showing 1–23 of 90 species

ResidentRecorded all yearSummer visitorArrives to breed; scarce or absent in winterWinter visitorPresent outside the breeding seasonPassage migrantSeen mainly in spring and autumn migrationScarceRecorded in some years but not every yearCommonAmong the most-recorded birds in its best monthUncommonRecorded regularly, but on a minority of outingsRareFew records, even in its best month
Rose-ringed Parakeet

Rose-ringed Parakeet

Psittacula krameriLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Barn Swallow

Barn Swallow

Hirundo rusticaLC

Winter visitorCommon

Regularly Sep–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Rock Dove

Rock Dove

Columba liviaLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Little Egret

Little Egret

Egretta garzettaLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Indian Peafowl

Indian Peafowl

Pavo cristatusLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Great White Egret

Great White Egret

Ardea albaLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Scaly-breasted Munia

Scaly-breasted Munia

Lonchura punctulataLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Grey Heron

Grey Heron

Ardea cinereaLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

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Purple Heron

Purple Heron

Ardea purpureaLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Indian Robin

Indian Robin

Copsychus fulicatusLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Kingfisher

Common Kingfisher

Alcedo atthisLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
House Sparrow

House Sparrow

Passer domesticusLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper

Actitis hypoleucosLC

Winter visitorCommon

Regularly Aug–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper

Tringa glareolaLC

Winter visitorCommon

Regularly Jul–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Redshank

Redshank

Tringa totanusLC

Winter visitorCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Gull-billed Tern

Gull-billed Tern

Gelochelidon niloticaLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Jul–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Pacific Golden-Plover

Pacific Golden-Plover

Pluvialis fulvaLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Aug–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Eurasian Spoonbill

Eurasian Spoonbill

Platalea leucorodiaLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Little Stint

Little Stint

Calidris minutaLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Aug–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Little Ringed Plover

Little Ringed Plover

Thinornis dubiusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Little Tern

Little Tern

Sternula albifronsLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Orange-breasted Green-pigeon

Orange-breasted Green-pigeon

Treron bicinctusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Black-tailed Godwit

Black-tailed Godwit

Limosa limosaNT

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Jul–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
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Frequently Asked Questions

Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made

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