Rare Birds in Sri Lanka
Our list for Sri Lanka has 24 rare birds recorded regularly there: 1 resident, 1 summer visitor, 10 winter visitors, 7 passage migrants and 5 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Sri Lanka in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 24, most common first
Lesser WhitethroatCurruca currucaWinter visitorRare11–13 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Oriental Scops-owlOtus suniaSummer visitorRare16–20 cmRecorded all year
Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanusScarceRare13–14 cmRegularly Aug–Sep
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusWinter visitorRare40–45 cmRegularly Aug–Jun
CootFulica atraResidentRare36–42 cmRecorded all year
SanderlingCalidris albaWinter visitorRare18–20 cmRegularly Aug–May
Lesser NoddyAnous tenuirostrisPassage migrantRare30–34 cmRegularly May
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoWinter visitorRare25–27 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Sharp-tailed SandpiperCalidris acuminataScarceRare17–22 cm
BuzzardButeo buteoWinter visitorRare51–57 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Sooty ShearwaterArdenna griseaPassage migrantRare40–51 cmRegularly Mar–May
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorRare34–38 cmRegularly Dec–Mar
Western Marsh-harrierCircus aeruginosusWinter visitorRare48–56 cmRegularly Sep–Mar
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisWinter visitorRare36–41 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusWinter visitorRare18–19 cmRegularly Oct–Feb
Red KnotCalidris canutusPassage migrantRare23–26 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
AvocetRecurvirostra avosettaPassage migrantRare42–45 cmRegularly Jan–Feb
European Bee-eaterMerops apiasterWinter visitorRare27–29 cmRegularly Dec–Feb
Blue Rock-thrushMonticola solitariusPassage migrantRare21–23 cmRegularly Mar
WryneckJynx torquillaScarceRare16–18 cmRegularly Feb
Roseate TernSterna dougalliiPassage migrantRare33–41 cmRegularly Feb
Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargusPassage migrantRare43–47 cmRegularly Oct
European Honey-buzzardPernis apivorusScarceRare52–60 cm
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Lesser Whitethroat 11–13 cm
- Eurasian Tree Sparrow 13–14 cm
- Wryneck 16–18 cm
- Oriental Scops-owl 16–20 cm
- Red-necked Phalarope 18–19 cm
- Sanderling 18–20 cm
- Sharp-tailed Sandpiper 17–22 cm
- Blue Rock-thrush 21–23 cm
- Red Knot 23–26 cm
- Common Snipe 25–27 cm
- European Bee-eater 27–29 cm
- Lesser Noddy 30–34 cm
- Eurasian Teal 34–38 cm
- Roseate Tern 33–41 cm
- Sandwich Tern 36–41 cm
- Coot 36–42 cm
- Eurasian Oystercatcher 40–45 cm
- Avocet 42–45 cm
- Montagu's Harrier 43–47 cm
- Sooty Shearwater 40–51 cm
- Western Marsh-harrier 48–56 cm
- Buzzard 51–57 cm
- European Honey-buzzard 52–60 cm
- Muscovy Duck 66–84 cm
Body length, bill to tail. Rare birds in grey.
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