Birds to See in Sri Lanka in October
71 bird species on our list for Sri Lanka are recorded regularly in October
Of these, the most often recorded are Rose-ringed Parakeet, Barn Swallow, Rock Dove, Indian Peafowl and Scaly-breasted Munia. New this month: Garganey, Sand Martin, Temminck's Stint and Yellow Wagtail and 11 more.
On the move in October
GBIF · OctArriving
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 71 birds in October
71 birds
Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameriResidentCommon38–42 cmRecorded all year · 2.21% in Oct
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaWinter visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 1.61% in Oct
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 1.48% in Oct
Indian PeafowlPavo cristatusResidentCommon86–230 cmRecorded all year · 1.08% in Oct
Scaly-breasted MuniaLonchura punctulataResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 1.00% in Oct
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentCommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.97% in Oct
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentCommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.85% in Oct
Purple HeronArdea purpureaResidentCommon78–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.76% in Oct
Indian RobinCopsychus fulicatusResidentCommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.76% in Oct
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 0.66% in Oct
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.64% in Oct
Common KingfisherAlcedo atthisResidentCommon16–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.63% in Oct
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosWinter visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.41% in Oct
RedshankTringa totanusWinter visitorCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.28% in Oct
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaWinter visitorUncommon17–20 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.24% in Oct
Oriental Honey-buzzardPernis ptilorhynchusResidentUncommon52–68 cmRecorded all year · 0.23% in Oct
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaWinter visitorCommon19–21 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.22% in Oct
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxResidentUncommon58–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.21% in Oct
Gull-billed TernGelochelidon niloticaWinter visitorUncommon33–42 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.21% in Oct
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentUncommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.20% in Oct
Orange-breasted Green-pigeonTreron bicinctusResidentUncommon25–30 cmRecorded all year · 0.17% in Oct
Little Ringed PloverThinornis dubiusWinter visitorUncommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.16% in Oct
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentUncommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in Oct
Little StintCalidris minutaWinter visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.13% in Oct
Pacific Golden-PloverPluvialis fulvaWinter visitorUncommon23–26 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.13% in Oct
Common TernSterna hirundoResidentUncommon31–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in Oct
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusWinter visitorUncommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in Oct
Black EagleIctinaetus malaiensisResidentUncommon65–80 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in Oct
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaWinter visitorUncommon18–23 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.11% in Oct
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentUncommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Oct
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoWinter visitorUncommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Oct
GreenshankTringa nebulariaWinter visitorUncommon30–35 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.10% in Oct
Kentish PloverCharadrius alexandrinusWinter visitorUncommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in Oct
Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodiaResidentUncommon80–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in Oct
HoopoeUpupa epopsResidentUncommon25–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Oct
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaWinter visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.08% in Oct
Booted EagleHieraaetus pennatusWinter visitorUncommon42–51 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.08% in Oct
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in Oct
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaWinter visitorUncommon40–44 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.07% in Oct
Little TernSternula albifronsResidentUncommon21–25 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in Oct
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaWinter visitorUncommon27–30 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.06% in Oct
Yellow WagtailMotacilla flavaWinter visitorUncommon15–17 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.06% in Oct
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusWinter visitorUncommon52–64 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.05% in Oct
Malabar TrogonHarpactes fasciatusResidentUncommon25–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Oct
CurlewNumenius arquataWinter visitorUncommon50–60 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Oct
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusWinter visitorUncommon20–27 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.05% in Oct
CootFulica atraResidentRare36–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Oct
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusResidentUncommon34–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Oct
SanderlingCalidris albaWinter visitorRare18–20 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.04% in Oct
GarganeySpatula querquedulaWinter visitorUncommon37–41 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.04% in Oct
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoWinter visitorRare25–27 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.04% in Oct
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusWinter visitorUncommon48–66 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 0.04% in Oct
Green SandpiperTringa ochropusWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.03% in Oct
Arctic JaegerStercorarius parasiticusPassage migrantUncommon41–46 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.03% in Oct
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaWinter visitorUncommon37–41 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.03% in Oct
Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melbaResidentUncommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Oct
Lesser WhitethroatCurruca currucaWinter visitorRare11–13 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.02% in Oct
BuzzardButeo buteoWinter visitorRare51–57 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.02% in Oct
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusWinter visitorRare40–45 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.02% in Oct
Temminck's StintCalidris temminckiiWinter visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.01% in Oct
Oriental Scops-owlOtus suniaSummer visitorRare16–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Oct
OspreyPandion haliaetusWinter visitorUncommon54–58 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 0.01% in Oct
KestrelFalco tinnunculusWinter visitorUncommon32–39 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.01% in Oct
Red KnotCalidris canutusPassage migrantRare23–26 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.01% in Oct
Long-tailed JaegerStercorarius longicaudusPassage migrantUncommon48–58 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.01% in Oct
RuffCalidris pugnaxWinter visitorUncommon20–32 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.01% in Oct
Western Marsh-harrierCircus aeruginosusWinter visitorRare48–56 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.01% in Oct
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaWinter visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Aug–Mar · 0.00% in Oct
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisWinter visitorRare36–41 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.00% in Oct
Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargusPassage migrantRare43–47 cmRegularly Oct · 0.00% in Oct
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusWinter visitorRare18–19 cmRegularly Oct–Feb · 0.00% in Oct
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