Birds to See in Sri Lanka in March
76 bird species on our list for Sri Lanka are recorded regularly in March
Of these, the most often recorded are Rose-ringed Parakeet, Rock Dove, Little Egret, Indian Peafowl and Great White Egret. New this month: Pomarine Jaeger, Long-tailed Jaeger, Sooty Shearwater and Blue Rock-thrush.
On the move in March
GBIF · MarArriving
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 76 birds in March
76 birds
Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameriResidentCommon38–42 cmRecorded all year · 1.90% in Mar
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 1.26% in Mar
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentCommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 1.07% in Mar
Indian PeafowlPavo cristatusResidentCommon86–230 cmRecorded all year · 0.99% in Mar
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentCommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.92% in Mar
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaWinter visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.76% in Mar
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 0.75% in Mar
Purple HeronArdea purpureaResidentCommon78–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.75% in Mar
Scaly-breasted MuniaLonchura punctulataResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 0.69% in Mar
Indian RobinCopsychus fulicatusResidentCommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.58% in Mar
Common KingfisherAlcedo atthisResidentCommon16–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.55% in Mar
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosWinter visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.42% in Mar
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaWinter visitorCommon19–21 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.41% in Mar
RedshankTringa totanusWinter visitorCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.39% in Mar
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.37% in Mar
Little TernSternula albifronsResidentUncommon21–25 cmRecorded all year · 0.34% in Mar
Gull-billed TernGelochelidon niloticaWinter visitorUncommon33–42 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.31% in Mar
Orange-breasted Green-pigeonTreron bicinctusResidentUncommon25–30 cmRecorded all year · 0.28% in Mar
Oriental Honey-buzzardPernis ptilorhynchusResidentUncommon52–68 cmRecorded all year · 0.26% in Mar
Pacific Golden-PloverPluvialis fulvaWinter visitorUncommon23–26 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.24% in Mar
Little Ringed PloverThinornis dubiusWinter visitorUncommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.24% in Mar
Little StintCalidris minutaWinter visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.23% in Mar
Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodiaResidentUncommon80–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.23% in Mar
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentUncommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.23% in Mar
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoWinter visitorUncommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.19% in Mar
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentUncommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.19% in Mar
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxResidentUncommon58–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.19% in Mar
Kentish PloverCharadrius alexandrinusWinter visitorUncommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.18% in Mar
GreenshankTringa nebulariaWinter visitorUncommon30–35 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.18% in Mar
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaWinter visitorUncommon17–20 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.17% in Mar
Black EagleIctinaetus malaiensisResidentUncommon65–80 cmRecorded all year · 0.16% in Mar
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusWinter visitorUncommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in Mar
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusWinter visitorUncommon20–27 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.15% in Mar
Common TernSterna hirundoResidentUncommon31–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in Mar
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaWinter visitorUncommon18–23 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.14% in Mar
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentUncommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in Mar
HoopoeUpupa epopsResidentUncommon25–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in Mar
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaWinter visitorUncommon40–44 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.12% in Mar
GarganeySpatula querquedulaWinter visitorUncommon37–41 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.12% in Mar
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in Mar
CurlewNumenius arquataWinter visitorUncommon50–60 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Mar
Malabar TrogonHarpactes fasciatusResidentUncommon25–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in Mar
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaWinter visitorUncommon27–30 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.10% in Mar
Pomarine JaegerStercorarius pomarinusPassage migrantUncommon46–51 cmRegularly Mar–Sep · 0.09% in Mar
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusWinter visitorUncommon52–64 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.09% in Mar
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusWinter visitorUncommon48–66 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 0.07% in Mar
Green SandpiperTringa ochropusWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.07% in Mar
Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melbaResidentUncommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Mar
Long-tailed JaegerStercorarius longicaudusPassage migrantUncommon48–58 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.05% in Mar
Booted EagleHieraaetus pennatusWinter visitorUncommon42–51 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.05% in Mar
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusResidentUncommon34–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Mar
Temminck's StintCalidris temminckiiWinter visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.05% in Mar
Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseusWinter visitorUncommon120–145 cmRegularly Dec–May · 0.04% in Mar
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaWinter visitorUncommon37–41 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.04% in Mar
KestrelFalco tinnunculusWinter visitorUncommon32–39 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.04% in Mar
Orange-headed ThrushGeokichla citrinaWinter visitorUncommon20–23 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.04% in Mar
Northern PintailAnas acutaWinter visitorUncommon59–76 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.04% in Mar
CootFulica atraResidentRare36–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Mar
Lesser WhitethroatCurruca currucaWinter visitorRare11–13 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.03% in Mar
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaWinter visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Aug–Mar · 0.03% in Mar
OspreyPandion haliaetusWinter visitorUncommon54–58 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 0.03% in Mar
Yellow WagtailMotacilla flavaWinter visitorUncommon15–17 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.03% in Mar
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataWinter visitorUncommon44–51 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.03% in Mar
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaWinter visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.03% in Mar
SanderlingCalidris albaWinter visitorRare18–20 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.03% in Mar
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorUncommon42–51 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.03% in Mar
Sooty ShearwaterArdenna griseaPassage migrantRare40–51 cmRegularly Mar–May · 0.02% in Mar
Oriental Scops-owlOtus suniaSummer visitorRare16–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Mar
BuzzardButeo buteoWinter visitorRare51–57 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.02% in Mar
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusWinter visitorRare40–45 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.02% in Mar
RuffCalidris pugnaxWinter visitorUncommon20–32 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.02% in Mar
Western Marsh-harrierCircus aeruginosusWinter visitorRare48–56 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.02% in Mar
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisWinter visitorRare36–41 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.01% in Mar
Blue Rock-thrushMonticola solitariusPassage migrantRare21–23 cmRegularly Mar · 0.01% in Mar
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorRare34–38 cmRegularly Dec–Mar · 0.00% in Mar
Red KnotCalidris canutusPassage migrantRare23–26 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.00% in Mar
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