Birds to See in Sri Lanka in September
58 bird species on our list for Sri Lanka are recorded regularly in September
Of these, the most often recorded are Rose-ringed Parakeet, Rock Dove, Little Egret, Indian Peafowl and Great White Egret. New this month: Barn Swallow, Grey Wagtail, Green Sandpiper and Arctic Jaeger and 6 more.
On the move in September
GBIF · SepArriving
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 58 birds in September
58 birds
Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameriResidentCommon38–42 cmRecorded all year · 2.57% in Sep
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 1.52% in Sep
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentCommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 1.15% in Sep
Indian PeafowlPavo cristatusResidentCommon86–230 cmRecorded all year · 1.09% in Sep
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentCommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 1.02% in Sep
Scaly-breasted MuniaLonchura punctulataResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 1.02% in Sep
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 0.79% in Sep
Purple HeronArdea purpureaResidentCommon78–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.77% in Sep
Indian RobinCopsychus fulicatusResidentCommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.72% in Sep
Common KingfisherAlcedo atthisResidentCommon16–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.68% in Sep
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaWinter visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.55% in Sep
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.40% in Sep
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosWinter visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.38% in Sep
RedshankTringa totanusWinter visitorCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.30% in Sep
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaWinter visitorCommon19–21 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.25% in Sep
Common TernSterna hirundoResidentUncommon31–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.22% in Sep
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxResidentUncommon58–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.20% in Sep
Orange-breasted Green-pigeonTreron bicinctusResidentUncommon25–30 cmRecorded all year · 0.18% in Sep
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentUncommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.18% in Sep
Oriental Honey-buzzardPernis ptilorhynchusResidentUncommon52–68 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in Sep
Gull-billed TernGelochelidon niloticaWinter visitorUncommon33–42 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.14% in Sep
Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodiaResidentUncommon80–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in Sep
Pacific Golden-PloverPluvialis fulvaWinter visitorUncommon23–26 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.12% in Sep
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentUncommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in Sep
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentUncommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in Sep
Little Ringed PloverThinornis dubiusWinter visitorUncommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Sep
Arctic JaegerStercorarius parasiticusPassage migrantUncommon41–46 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.10% in Sep
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaWinter visitorUncommon40–44 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.10% in Sep
Black EagleIctinaetus malaiensisResidentUncommon65–80 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Sep
Malabar TrogonHarpactes fasciatusResidentUncommon25–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Sep
Kentish PloverCharadrius alexandrinusWinter visitorUncommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Sep
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusWinter visitorUncommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in Sep
GreenshankTringa nebulariaWinter visitorUncommon30–35 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.08% in Sep
Little TernSternula albifronsResidentUncommon21–25 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in Sep
Little StintCalidris minutaWinter visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.07% in Sep
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaWinter visitorUncommon17–20 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.07% in Sep
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Sep
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaWinter visitorUncommon18–23 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.05% in Sep
HoopoeUpupa epopsResidentUncommon25–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Sep
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusWinter visitorUncommon48–66 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 0.05% in Sep
Oriental Scops-owlOtus suniaSummer visitorRare16–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Sep
Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanusScarceRare13–14 cmRegularly Aug–Sep · 0.05% in Sep
CootFulica atraResidentRare36–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Sep
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaWinter visitorUncommon27–30 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.04% in Sep
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusResidentUncommon34–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Sep
CurlewNumenius arquataWinter visitorUncommon50–60 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Sep
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoWinter visitorUncommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Sep
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaWinter visitorUncommon37–41 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.03% in Sep
Long-tailed JaegerStercorarius longicaudusPassage migrantUncommon48–58 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.02% in Sep
SanderlingCalidris albaWinter visitorRare18–20 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.02% in Sep
Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melbaResidentUncommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Sep
Pomarine JaegerStercorarius pomarinusPassage migrantUncommon46–51 cmRegularly Mar–Sep · 0.02% in Sep
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusWinter visitorUncommon20–27 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.01% in Sep
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusWinter visitorUncommon52–64 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.01% in Sep
Booted EagleHieraaetus pennatusWinter visitorUncommon42–51 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.01% in Sep
Green SandpiperTringa ochropusWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.01% in Sep
RuffCalidris pugnaxWinter visitorUncommon20–32 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.01% in Sep
Western Marsh-harrierCircus aeruginosusWinter visitorRare48–56 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.00% in Sep
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