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 70–90 of 90 species

Eurasian Oystercatcher

Eurasian Oystercatcher

Haematopus ostralegusNT

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Aug–Jun

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

Coot

Fulica atraLC

ResidentRare

Recorded all year

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

Sanderling

Calidris albaLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Aug–May

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

Lesser Noddy

Anous tenuirostrisLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly May

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

Common Snipe

Gallinago gallinagoLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Oct–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper

Calidris acuminataVU

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

Buzzard

Buteo buteoLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Oct–Mar

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

Sooty Shearwater

Ardenna griseaNT

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Mar–May

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

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Eurasian Teal

Eurasian Teal

Anas creccaLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Dec–Mar

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Western Marsh-harrier

Western Marsh-harrier

Circus aeruginosusLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Sep–Mar

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

Sandwich Tern

Thalasseus sandvicensisLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Oct–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Red-necked Phalarope

Red-necked Phalarope

Phalaropus lobatusLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Oct–Feb

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

Red Knot

Calidris canutusNT

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Oct–Mar

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

Avocet

Recurvirostra avosettaLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Jan–Feb

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
European Bee-eater

European Bee-eater

Merops apiasterLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Dec–Feb

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Blue Rock-thrush

Blue Rock-thrush

Monticola solitariusLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Mar

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

Wryneck

Jynx torquillaLC

ScarceRare

Regularly Feb

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

Roseate Tern

Sterna dougalliiLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Feb

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Montagu's Harrier

Montagu's Harrier

Circus pygargusLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Oct

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

European Honey-buzzard

Pernis apivorusLC

ScarceRare
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Muscovy Duck

Muscovy Duck

Cairina moschataLC

ScarceRare
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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