Birds in Sri Lanka

90 species listed · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024

Our list for Sri Lanka has 90 bird species recorded regularly there: 26 residents, 1 summer visitor, 48 winter visitors, 10 passage migrants and 5 scarce visitors.

The list comes from 1.9 million birdwatchers' records from 2019–2024, shared through the eBird Observation Dataset on GBIF. A bird is listed when it was recorded in at least 3 of the 6 years and has a Birdfact species guide, so more species occur here than are listed; the months show when it is recorded most years.

Birds to see in Sri Lanka in September

58 species on our list are recorded regularly this month. These are the ones birdwatchers record most often.

All 58 birds in September

Arriving in September: Barn Swallow, Grey Wagtail, Green Sandpiper, Arctic Jaeger, Pomarine Jaeger, Ruff, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Booted Eagle and 2 more.

Through the year

Species recorded regularly in Sri Lanka each month: most in February (79), fewest in June (37). Choose a month to see its birds.

7958
Show as a table
Scaly-breasted Munia
Scaly-breasted MuniaSmallest · 11cm
to
Indian Peafowl
Indian PeafowlLargest · 230cm
From the Scaly-breasted Munia (11 cm) to the Indian Peafowl (230 cm)34 families

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All 90 birds on the list

Showing 24–46 of 90 species

Grey Wagtail

Grey Wagtail

Motacilla cinereaLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Oriental Honey-buzzard

Oriental Honey-buzzard

Pernis ptilorhynchusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Kentish Plover

Kentish Plover

Charadrius alexandrinusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Greenshank

Greenshank

Tringa nebulariaLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Jul–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Little Grebe

Little Grebe

Tachybaptus ruficollisLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Black-crowned Night-heron

Black-crowned Night-heron

Nycticorax nycticoraxLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Moorhen

Moorhen

Gallinula chloropusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Curlew Sandpiper

Curlew Sandpiper

Calidris ferrugineaNT

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Jul–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

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Eurasian Collared Dove

Eurasian Collared Dove

Streptopelia decaoctoLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Tern

Common Tern

Sterna hirundoLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Garganey

Garganey

Spatula querquedulaLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Glossy Ibis

Glossy Ibis

Plegadis falcinellusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Jun–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Numenius phaeopusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Great Cormorant

Great Cormorant

Phalacrocorax carboLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
White-winged Tern

White-winged Tern

Chlidonias leucopterusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Aug–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Black Eagle

Black Eagle

Ictinaetus malaiensisLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Ruddy Turnstone

Ruddy Turnstone

Arenaria interpresLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Grey Plover

Grey Plover

Pluvialis squatarolaLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Aug–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Hoopoe

Hoopoe

Upupa epopsLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Curlew

Curlew

Numenius arquataNT

Winter visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Pied Wagtail

Pied Wagtail

Motacilla albaLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Nov–Feb

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Northern Pintail

Northern Pintail

Anas acutaLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Nov–Mar

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sand Martin

Sand Martin

Riparia ripariaLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Mar

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
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Frequently Asked Questions

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

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