Birds to See in Sri Lanka in December
75 bird species on our list for Sri Lanka are recorded regularly in December
Of these, the most often recorded are Rose-ringed Parakeet, Barn Swallow, Rock Dove, Indian Peafowl and Little Egret. New this month: Greater Flamingo, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Eurasian Teal and Sandwich Tern and 2 more.
On the move in December
GBIF · DecArriving
At their peak
From Sri Lanka’s bird records, 2019–2024: arriving birds are regular this month but not last; leaving birds are regular this month but not next.
Other months
All 75 birds in December
75 birds
Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameriResidentCommon38–42 cmRecorded all year · 1.77% in Dec
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaWinter visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 1.37% in Dec
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 1.18% in Dec
Indian PeafowlPavo cristatusResidentCommon86–230 cmRecorded all year · 1.18% in Dec
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentCommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 1.07% in Dec
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentCommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.90% in Dec
Scaly-breasted MuniaLonchura punctulataResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 0.89% in Dec
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 0.80% in Dec
Purple HeronArdea purpureaResidentCommon78–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.68% in Dec
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosWinter visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.60% in Dec
Indian RobinCopsychus fulicatusResidentCommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.56% in Dec
Common KingfisherAlcedo atthisResidentCommon16–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.53% in Dec
RedshankTringa totanusWinter visitorCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.40% in Dec
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaWinter visitorCommon19–21 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.39% in Dec
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.36% in Dec
Gull-billed TernGelochelidon niloticaWinter visitorUncommon33–42 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.32% in Dec
Little Ringed PloverThinornis dubiusWinter visitorUncommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.29% in Dec
Orange-breasted Green-pigeonTreron bicinctusResidentUncommon25–30 cmRecorded all year · 0.27% in Dec
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaWinter visitorUncommon17–20 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.26% in Dec
Oriental Honey-buzzardPernis ptilorhynchusResidentUncommon52–68 cmRecorded all year · 0.26% in Dec
Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodiaResidentUncommon80–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.26% in Dec
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxResidentUncommon58–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.23% in Dec
Pacific Golden-PloverPluvialis fulvaWinter visitorUncommon23–26 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.23% in Dec
Kentish PloverCharadrius alexandrinusWinter visitorUncommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.23% in Dec
Little StintCalidris minutaWinter visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.23% in Dec
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentUncommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.21% in Dec
GreenshankTringa nebulariaWinter visitorUncommon30–35 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.20% in Dec
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoWinter visitorUncommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.18% in Dec
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentUncommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.18% in Dec
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaWinter visitorUncommon40–44 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.17% in Dec
Little TernSternula albifronsResidentUncommon21–25 cmRecorded all year · 0.17% in Dec
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentUncommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in Dec
Black EagleIctinaetus malaiensisResidentUncommon65–80 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in Dec
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaWinter visitorUncommon18–23 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.15% in Dec
HoopoeUpupa epopsResidentUncommon25–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in Dec
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaWinter visitorUncommon17–18 cmRegularly Nov–Feb · 0.13% in Dec
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusWinter visitorUncommon48–66 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 0.12% in Dec
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaWinter visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.12% in Dec
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in Dec
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaWinter visitorUncommon27–30 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.11% in Dec
Green SandpiperTringa ochropusWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.10% in Dec
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusWinter visitorUncommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Dec
Temminck's StintCalidris temminckiiWinter visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.09% in Dec
CurlewNumenius arquataWinter visitorUncommon50–60 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Dec
Northern PintailAnas acutaWinter visitorUncommon59–76 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.08% in Dec
Yellow WagtailMotacilla flavaWinter visitorUncommon15–17 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.08% in Dec
GarganeySpatula querquedulaWinter visitorUncommon37–41 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.08% in Dec
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusWinter visitorUncommon20–27 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.08% in Dec
Malabar TrogonHarpactes fasciatusResidentUncommon25–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in Dec
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaWinter visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Aug–Mar · 0.07% in Dec
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorUncommon42–51 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.07% in Dec
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusWinter visitorUncommon52–64 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.06% in Dec
KestrelFalco tinnunculusWinter visitorUncommon32–39 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.06% in Dec
Common TernSterna hirundoResidentUncommon31–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Dec
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusResidentUncommon34–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Dec
OspreyPandion haliaetusWinter visitorUncommon54–58 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 0.05% in Dec
Booted EagleHieraaetus pennatusWinter visitorUncommon42–51 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.05% in Dec
RuffCalidris pugnaxWinter visitorUncommon20–32 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.04% in Dec
Lesser WhitethroatCurruca currucaWinter visitorRare11–13 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.04% in Dec
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaWinter visitorUncommon37–41 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.04% in Dec
CootFulica atraResidentRare36–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Dec
Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melbaResidentUncommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Dec
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataWinter visitorUncommon44–51 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.04% in Dec
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoWinter visitorRare25–27 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.03% in Dec
Orange-headed ThrushGeokichla citrinaWinter visitorUncommon20–23 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.03% in Dec
BuzzardButeo buteoWinter visitorRare51–57 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.02% in Dec
SanderlingCalidris albaWinter visitorRare18–20 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.02% in Dec
Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseusWinter visitorUncommon120–145 cmRegularly Dec–May · 0.02% in Dec
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusWinter visitorRare40–45 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.01% in Dec
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorRare34–38 cmRegularly Dec–Mar · 0.01% in Dec
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusWinter visitorRare18–19 cmRegularly Oct–Feb · 0.01% in Dec
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisWinter visitorRare36–41 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.01% in Dec
Western Marsh-harrierCircus aeruginosusWinter visitorRare48–56 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.01% in Dec
Oriental Scops-owlOtus suniaSummer visitorRare16–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Dec
European Bee-eaterMerops apiasterWinter visitorRare27–29 cmRegularly Dec–Feb · 0.00% in Dec
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