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 47–69 of 90 species

Malabar Trogon

Malabar Trogon

Harpactes fasciatusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Green Sandpiper

Tringa ochropusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–Apr

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

Arctic Jaeger

Stercorarius parasiticusLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

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

Pomarine Jaeger

Stercorarius pomarinusLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Mar–Sep

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Temminck's Stint

Temminck's Stint

Calidris temminckiiLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Apr

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

Ruff

Calidris pugnaxLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–Mar

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

Eurasian Wigeon

Mareca penelopeLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Nov–Mar

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Lesser Black-backed Gull

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Larus fuscusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–Apr

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

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Yellow Wagtail

Yellow Wagtail

Motacilla flavaLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Apr

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

Booted Eagle

Hieraaetus pennatusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–Mar

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

Northern Shoveler

Spatula clypeataLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Nov–Mar

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

Ringed Plover

Charadrius hiaticulaLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Aug–Mar

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

Kestrel

Falco tinnunculusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Apr

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

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Alpine Swift

Tachymarptis melbaLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Greater Flamingo

Phoenicopterus roseusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Dec–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Bar-tailed Godwit

Bar-tailed Godwit

Limosa lapponicaNT

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Aug–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Long-tailed Jaeger

Long-tailed Jaeger

Stercorarius longicaudusLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Mar–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Orange-headed Thrush

Orange-headed Thrush

Geokichla citrinaLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Nov–Apr

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

Osprey

Pandion haliaetusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Jun–Apr

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

Lesser Whitethroat

Curruca currucaLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Oct–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Oriental Scops-owl

Oriental Scops-owl

Otus suniaLC

Summer visitorRare

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Passer montanusLC

ScarceRare

Regularly Aug–Sep

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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