Birds to See in Sri Lanka in February
79 bird species on our list for Sri Lanka are recorded regularly in February
Of these, the most often recorded are Rose-ringed Parakeet, Little Egret, Barn Swallow, Rock Dove and Great White Egret. New this month: Red Knot, Wryneck and Roseate Tern.
On the move in February
GBIF · FebArriving
At their peak
Wood SandpiperBusiest month of the year · Jul–Apr
RedshankBusiest month of the year · All year
Gull-billed TernBusiest month of the year · Jul–May
Pacific Golden-PloverBusiest month of the year · Aug–Apr
Little StintBusiest month of the year · Aug–Apr
Little Ringed PloverBusiest month of the year · All year
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 79 birds in February
79 birds
Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameriResidentCommon38–42 cmRecorded all year · 1.73% in Feb
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentCommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 1.19% in Feb
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaWinter visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 1.16% in Feb
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 1.12% in Feb
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentCommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 1.05% in Feb
Indian PeafowlPavo cristatusResidentCommon86–230 cmRecorded all year · 1.03% in Feb
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 0.87% in Feb
Purple HeronArdea purpureaResidentCommon78–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.74% in Feb
Scaly-breasted MuniaLonchura punctulataResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 0.73% in Feb
Indian RobinCopsychus fulicatusResidentCommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.59% in Feb
Common KingfisherAlcedo atthisResidentCommon16–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.57% in Feb- Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaWinter visitorCommon19–21 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.55% in Feb
- RedshankTringa totanusWinter visitorCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.53% in Feb
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosWinter visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.52% in Feb- Gull-billed TernGelochelidon niloticaWinter visitorUncommon33–42 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.45% in Feb
- Pacific Golden-PloverPluvialis fulvaWinter visitorUncommon23–26 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.38% in Feb
Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodiaResidentUncommon80–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.36% in Feb- Little StintCalidris minutaWinter visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.35% in Feb
- Little Ringed PloverThinornis dubiusWinter visitorUncommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.34% in Feb
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.33% in Feb
Orange-breasted Green-pigeonTreron bicinctusResidentUncommon25–30 cmRecorded all year · 0.33% in Feb
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaWinter visitorUncommon40–44 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.31% in Feb
Kentish PloverCharadrius alexandrinusWinter visitorUncommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.28% in Feb
Little TernSternula albifronsResidentUncommon21–25 cmRecorded all year · 0.27% in Feb
GreenshankTringa nebulariaWinter visitorUncommon30–35 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.26% in Feb
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentUncommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.26% in Feb
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentUncommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.24% in Feb
Oriental Honey-buzzardPernis ptilorhynchusResidentUncommon52–68 cmRecorded all year · 0.24% in Feb
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaWinter visitorUncommon18–23 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.23% in Feb
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoWinter visitorUncommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.22% in Feb
GarganeySpatula querquedulaWinter visitorUncommon37–41 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.21% in Feb
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxResidentUncommon58–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.19% in Feb
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusWinter visitorUncommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.18% in Feb
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentUncommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.17% in Feb
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaWinter visitorUncommon17–20 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.17% in Feb
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusWinter visitorUncommon20–27 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.16% in Feb
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in Feb
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaWinter visitorUncommon27–30 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.15% in Feb
CurlewNumenius arquataWinter visitorUncommon50–60 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in Feb
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusWinter visitorUncommon48–66 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 0.14% in Feb
Northern PintailAnas acutaWinter visitorUncommon59–76 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.13% in Feb
HoopoeUpupa epopsResidentUncommon25–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in Feb
Black EagleIctinaetus malaiensisResidentUncommon65–80 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in Feb
Green SandpiperTringa ochropusWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.10% in Feb
Malabar TrogonHarpactes fasciatusResidentUncommon25–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Feb
RuffCalidris pugnaxWinter visitorUncommon20–32 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.09% in Feb
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusWinter visitorUncommon52–64 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.08% in Feb
Common TernSterna hirundoResidentUncommon31–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in Feb
Booted EagleHieraaetus pennatusWinter visitorUncommon42–51 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.08% in Feb
Temminck's StintCalidris temminckiiWinter visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.08% in Feb
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataWinter visitorUncommon44–51 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.07% in Feb
KestrelFalco tinnunculusWinter visitorUncommon32–39 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.07% in Feb
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaWinter visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.07% in Feb
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorUncommon42–51 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.07% in Feb
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaWinter visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Aug–Mar · 0.06% in Feb
Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melbaResidentUncommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Feb
Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseusWinter visitorUncommon120–145 cmRegularly Dec–May · 0.06% in Feb
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusResidentUncommon34–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Feb
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaWinter visitorUncommon37–41 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.04% in Feb
OspreyPandion haliaetusWinter visitorUncommon54–58 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 0.04% in Feb
SanderlingCalidris albaWinter visitorRare18–20 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.04% in Feb
Orange-headed ThrushGeokichla citrinaWinter visitorUncommon20–23 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.04% in Feb
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaWinter visitorUncommon17–18 cmRegularly Nov–Feb · 0.04% in Feb
Yellow WagtailMotacilla flavaWinter visitorUncommon15–17 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.03% in Feb
Lesser WhitethroatCurruca currucaWinter visitorRare11–13 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.03% in Feb
CootFulica atraResidentRare36–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Feb
BuzzardButeo buteoWinter visitorRare51–57 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.02% in Feb
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorRare34–38 cmRegularly Dec–Mar · 0.02% in Feb
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusWinter visitorRare40–45 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.02% in Feb
Western Marsh-harrierCircus aeruginosusWinter visitorRare48–56 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.01% in Feb
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoWinter visitorRare25–27 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.01% in Feb
Oriental Scops-owlOtus suniaSummer visitorRare16–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Feb
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisWinter visitorRare36–41 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.01% in Feb
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusWinter visitorRare18–19 cmRegularly Oct–Feb · 0.01% in Feb
AvocetRecurvirostra avosettaPassage migrantRare42–45 cmRegularly Jan–Feb · 0.01% in Feb
Red KnotCalidris canutusPassage migrantRare23–26 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.01% in Feb
European Bee-eaterMerops apiasterWinter visitorRare27–29 cmRegularly Dec–Feb · 0.00% in Feb
WryneckJynx torquillaScarceRare16–18 cmRegularly Feb · 0.00% in Feb
Roseate TernSterna dougalliiPassage migrantRare33–41 cmRegularly Feb · 0.00% in Feb
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