Birds of Sri Lanka

Endemic to Sri Lanka

Found in this country and nowhere else on Earth.

• Red-backed FlamebackDinopium psarodes
• Sri Lanka SwallowCecropis hyperythra
• Crimson-fronted BarbetPsilopogon rubricapillus
• Sri Lanka Hanging ParrotLoriculus beryllinus
• Sri Lanka JunglefowlGallus lafayettii
• Yellow-fronted BarbetPsilopogon flavifrons
• Sri Lanka Grey HornbillOcyceros gingalensis
• Sri Lanka Scimitar BabblerPomatorhinus melanurus
• Layard's ParakeetPsittacula calthrapae
• Sri Lanka White-eyeZosterops ceylonensis
• Brown-capped BabblerPellorneum fuscocapillus
• Orange-billed BabblerArgya rufescens
• Sri Lanka WoodshrikeTephrodornis affinis
• Crimson-backed FlamebackChrysocolaptes stricklandi
• Sri Lanka DrongoDicrurus lophorinus
• Spot-winged ThrushGeokichla spiloptera
• Sri Lanka Hill MynaGracula ptilogenys
• Yellow-eared BulbulPycnonotus penicillatus
• Sri Lanka Blue MagpieUrocissa ornata
• Sri Lanka SpurfowlGalloperdix bicalcarata
• Dull-blue FlycatcherEumyias sordidus
• Sri Lanka Wood PigeonColumba torringtoniae
• Chestnut-backed OwletGlaucidium castanotum
• Green-billed CoucalCentropus chlororhynchos
• Ashy-headed LaughingthrushArgya cinereifrons
• White-faced StarlingSturnornis albofrontatus
• Red-faced MalkohaPhaenicophaeus pyrrhocephalus
• Sri Lanka Bush WarblerElaphrornis palliseri
• Sri Lanka ThrushZoothera imbricata
• Serendib Scops OwlOtus thilohoffmanni
• Sri Lanka Whistling ThrushMyophonus blighi

All regular species

• Eastern Cattle EgretArdea coromanda
• Sierra Madre CrowCorvus sierramadrensis
• Red-vented BulbulPycnonotus cafer
• Spotted DoveSpilopelia chinensis
• Common MynaAcridotheres tristis
• White-throated KingfisherHalcyon smyrnensis
• Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri
• House CrowCorvus splendens
• Yellow-billed BabblerArgya affinis
• Common TailorbirdOrthotomus sutorius
• Brown-headed BarbetPsilopogon zeylanicus
• Purple-rumped SunbirdLeptocoma zeylonica
• Oriental Magpie-RobinCopsychus saularis
• Black-hooded OrioleOriolus xanthornus
• Indian Pond HeronArdeola grayii
• Asian KoelEudynamys scolopaceus
• Red-wattled LapwingVanellus indicus
• Brahminy KiteHaliastur indus
• Flores FlowerpeckerDicaeum rhodopygiale
• Pale-billed FlowerpeckerDicaeum erythrorhynchos
• White-bellied DrongoDicrurus caerulescens
• Greater CoucalCentropus sinensis
• Rock DoveColumba livia
• Large-billed CrowCorvus macrorhynchos
• Little CormorantMicrocarbo niger
• Blue-tailed Bee-eaterMerops philippinus
• Green Imperial PigeonDucula aenea
• White-breasted WaterhenAmaurornis phoenicurus
• Little EgretEgretta garzetta
• Indian PeafowlPavo cristatus
• Great EgretArdea alba
• Barn SwallowHirundo rustica
• Asian Palm SwiftCypsiurus balasiensis
• Black-headed IbisThreskiornis melanocephalus
• Loten's SunbirdCinnyris lotenius
• Red-backed FlamebackDinopium psarodes
• White-browed BulbulPycnonotus luteolus
• Scaly-breasted MuniaLonchura punctulata
• Oriental DarterAnhinga melanogaster
• Grey HeronArdea cinerea
• Lesser Whistling DuckDendrocygna javanica
• Purple HeronArdea purpurea
• Medium EgretArdea intermedia
• Asian OpenbillAnastomus oscitans
• Indian CormorantPhalacrocorax fuscicollis
• Angola White-eyeZosterops kasaicus
• Sri Lanka SwallowCecropis hyperythra
• Crimson-fronted BarbetPsilopogon rubricapillus
• Spot-billed PelicanPelecanus philippensis
• White-rumped MuniaLonchura striata
• Sri Lanka Hanging ParrotLoriculus beryllinus
• Indian RobinCopsychus fulicatus
• Indian Paradise FlycatcherTerpsiphone paradisi
• Sri Lanka JunglefowlGallus lafayettii
• Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopus
• Plain PriniaPrinia inornata
• Common IoraAegithina tiphia
• Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis
• Brown ShrikeLanius cristatus
• Whiskered TernChlidonias hybrida
• Purple SwamphenPorphyrio porphyrio
• Painted StorkMycteria leucocephala
• Asian Green Bee-eaterMerops orientalis
• Siberian PipitAnthus japonicus
• Little SwiftApus affinis
• Yellow-fronted BarbetPsilopogon flavifrons
• White-bellied Sea EagleIcthyophaga leucogaster
• Crested Serpent EagleSpilornis cheela
• Paddyfield PipitAnthus rufulus
• Indian SwiftletAerodramus unicolor
• White-browed FantailRhipidura aureola
• Sri Lanka Green PigeonTreron pompadora
• Indian White-eyeZosterops palpebrosus
• House SparrowPasser domesticus
• Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
• Sri Lanka Grey HornbillOcyceros gingalensis
• Square-tailed BulbulHypsipetes ganeesa
• Scarlet MinivetPericrocotus flammeus
• Pheasant-tailed JacanaHydrophasianus chirurgus
• Purple SunbirdCinnyris asiaticus
• Stork-billed KingfisherPelargopsis capensis
• Tickell's Blue FlycatcherCyornis tickelliae
• Common Emerald DoveChalcophaps indica
• Changeable Hawk-EagleNisaetus cirrhatus
• Zitting CisticolaCisticola juncidis
• Yellow-browed BulbulAcritillas indica
• Small MinivetPericrocotus cinnamomeus
• Black-capped BulbulRubigula melanictera
• Pied KingfisherCeryle rudis
• Common RedshankTringa totanus
• Coppersmith BarbetPsilopogon haemacephalus
• Wood SandpiperTringa glareola
• Alexandrine ParakeetPsittacula eupatria
• Orange-breasted Green PigeonTreron bicinctus
• Sri Lanka Scimitar BabblerPomatorhinus melanurus
• Crested TreeswiftHemiprocne coronata
• Ashy PriniaPrinia socialis
• Layard's ParakeetPsittacula calthrapae
• Gull-billed TernGelochelidon nilotica
• Green WarblerPhylloscopus nitidus
• Cinereous TitParus cinereus
• Southern Hill MynaGracula indica
• Sri Lanka White-eyeZosterops ceylonensis
• Dark-fronted BabblerDumetia atriceps
• Brown-capped BabblerPellorneum fuscocapillus
• Marsh SandpiperTringa stagnatilis
• Jerdon's LeafbirdChloropsis jerdoni
• Indian PittaPitta brachyura
• Brown-breasted FlycatcherMuscicapa muttui
• Tricolored MuniaLonchura malacca
• Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodia
• Malabar Pied HornbillAnthracoceros coronatus
• Crested Honey BuzzardPernis ptilorhynchus
• Blyth's Reed WarblerAcrocephalus dumetorum
• Asian Brown FlycatcherMuscicapa dauurica
• Black-crowned Night HeronNycticorax nycticorax
• Indian RollerCoracias benghalensis
• Chestnut-headed Bee-eaterMerops leschenaulti
• Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
• Orange-billed BabblerArgya rufescens
• Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrikeHemipus picatus
• Great Stone-curlewEsacus recurvirostris
• Sri Lanka WoodshrikeTephrodornis affinis
• Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
• Black-naped MonarchHypothymis azurea
• Crimson-backed FlamebackChrysocolaptes stricklandi
• Yellow-wattled LapwingVanellus malabaricus
• Velvet-fronted NuthatchSitta frontalis
• Asian Woolly-necked StorkCiconia episcopus
• Little TernSternula albifrons
• Pacific Golden PloverPluvialis fulva
• Sri Lanka DrongoDicrurus lophorinus
• Black-headed CuckooshrikeLalage melanoptera
• Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
• Little StintCalidris minuta
• Lesser YellownapePicus chlorolophus
• Greater Crested TernThalasseus bergii
• Spot-winged ThrushGeokichla spiloptera
• Kentish PloverAnarhynchus alexandrinus
• Grey-headed Fish EagleIcthyophaga ichthyaetus
• Ashy WoodswallowArtamus fuscus
• Sri Lanka Hill MynaGracula ptilogenys
• Blue-faced MalkohaPhaenicophaeus viridirostris
• Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia
• Timor NightjarCaprimulgus ritae
• Jacobin CuckooClamator jacobinus
• Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
• Yellow-eared BulbulPycnonotus penicillatus
• Black EagleIctinaetus malaiensis
• Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosa
• Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
• Ashy-crowned Sparrow-LarkEremopterix griseus
• Sri Lanka Blue MagpieUrocissa ornata
• Golden-fronted LeafbirdChloropsis aurifrons
• Sri Lanka SpurfowlGalloperdix bicalcarata
• Little HeronButorides atricapilla
• Rosy StarlingPastor roseus
• Grey-headed Canary-flycatcherCulicicapa ceylonensis
• Striated HeronButorides striata
• Lesser Crested TernThalasseus bengalensis
• Grey-breasted PriniaPrinia hodgsonii
• Large-billed Leaf WarblerPhylloscopus magnirostris
• Forest WagtailDendronanthus indicus
• Tawny-bellied BabblerDumetia hyperythra
• Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferruginea
• Jungle PriniaPrinia sylvatica
• Pin-tailed SnipeGallinago stenura
• Malabar TrogonHarpactes fasciatus
• Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
• Baya WeaverPloceus philippinus
• Common HoopoeUpupa epops
• Dull-blue FlycatcherEumyias sordidus
• Sri Lanka Wood PigeonColumba torringtoniae
• Indian Stone-curlewBurhinus indicus
• Brown-headed GullChroicocephalus brunnicephalus
• Grey-bellied CuckooCacomantis passerinus
• Chestnut-backed OwletGlaucidium castanotum
• Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpres
• White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterus
• Green-billed CoucalCentropus chlororhynchos
• Plum-headed ParakeetPsittacula cyanocephala
• Oriental SkylarkAlauda gulgula
• Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus
• Hill SwallowHirundo domicola
• Black DrongoDicrurus macrocercus
• Yellow-eyed BabblerChrysomma sinense
• Brown Fish OwlKetupa zeylonensis
• Indian Blue RobinLarvivora brunnea
• Common Hawk-CuckooHierococcyx varius
• Brown-capped Pygmy WoodpeckerYungipicus nanus
• Ashy-headed LaughingthrushArgya cinereifrons
• Lesser AdjutantLeptoptilos javanicus
• Sri Lanka FrogmouthBatrachostomus moniliger
• Indian Scops OwlOtus bakkamoena
• Common TernSterna hirundo
• GarganeySpatula querquedula
• Pied Bush ChatSaxicola caprata
• WatercockGallicrex cinerea
• Grey PloverPluvialis squatarola
• Barred ButtonquailTurnix suscitator
• White-faced StarlingSturnornis albofrontatus
• Clamorous Reed WarblerAcrocephalus stentoreus
• Bridled TernOnychoprion anaethetus
• Jerdon's NightjarCaprimulgus atripennis
• Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellus
• Grey FrancolinOrtygornis pondicerianus
• Red-faced MalkohaPhaenicophaeus pyrrhocephalus
• Brown BoobookNinox scutulata
• Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata
• Black-rumped FlamebackDinopium benghalense
• Grey EmutailBradypterus seebohmi
• Black-winged KiteElanus caeruleus
• Indian NightjarCaprimulgus asiaticus
• Green SandpiperTringa ochropus
• Indian BlackbirdTurdus simillimus
• Yellow-crowned WoodpeckerLeiopicus mahrattensis
• Black-throated MuniaLonchura kelaarti
• Cotton Pygmy GooseNettapus coromandelianus
• Black-backed Dwarf KingfisherCeyx erithaca
• Indian CuckooshrikeCoracina macei
• Streaked WeaverPloceus manyar
• Kashmir FlycatcherFicedula subrubra
• Sri Lanka Bush WarblerElaphrornis palliseri
• Black KiteMilvus migrans
• Sri Lanka ThrushZoothera imbricata
• Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
• Brahminy StarlingSturnia pagodarum
• Serendib Scops OwlOtus thilohoffmanni
• Sri Lanka Whistling ThrushMyophonus blighi
• Square-tailed Drongo-CuckooSurniculus lugubris
• Fork-tailed Drongo-CuckooSurniculus dicruroides
• Northern PintailAnas acuta
• Indian CuckooCuculus micropterus
• Greater Sand PloverAnarhynchus leschenaultii
• Brown-backed NeedletailHirundapus giganteus
• Sand MartinRiparia riparia
• Jungle OwletGlaucidium radiatum
• Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
• Booted EagleHieraaetus pennatus
• Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melba
• Pied ThrushGeokichla wardii
• Indian SilverbillEuodice malabarica
• Legge's Hawk-EagleNisaetus kelaarti
• Sirkeer MalkohaTaccocua leschenaultii
• Mongolian GullLarus mongolicus
• Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
• Banded Bay CuckooCacomantis sonneratii
• Small PratincoleGlareola lactea
• Marshall's IoraAegithina nigrolutea
• Temminck's StintCalidris temminckii
• Citrine WagtailMotacilla citreola
• White WagtailMotacilla alba
• Brown Wood OwlStrix leptogrammica
• Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
• Eurasian CootFulica atra
• Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
• Terek SandpiperXenus cinereus
• RuffCalidris pugnax
• Black-necked StorkEphippiorhynchus asiaticus
• White-naped WoodpeckerChrysocolaptes festivus
• Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponica
• OspreyPandion haliaetus
• Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope
• Greater Painted-snipeRostratula benghalensis
• Rufous-bellied EagleLophotriorchis kienerii
• Eastern Red-rumped SwallowCecropis daurica
• SanderlingCalidris alba
• Orange-headed ThrushGeokichla citrina
• Ruddy-breasted CrakeZapornia fusca
• Greater Racket-tailed DrongoDicrurus paradiseus
• Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseus
• Slaty-legged CrakeRallina eurizonoides
• Knob-billed DuckSarkidiornis melanotos
• Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
• Western Reef HeronEgretta gularis
• Spot-bellied Eagle-OwlKetupa nipalensis
• Richard's PipitAnthus richardi
• Lesser WhitethroatCurruca curruca
• Indian Spot-billed DuckAnas poecilorhyncha
• Wedge-tailed ShearwaterArdenna pacifica
• Eastern Yellow WagtailMotacilla tschutschensis
• Blyth's PipitAnthus godlewskii
• Streak-throated WoodpeckerPicus xanthopygaeus
• Ashy DrongoDicrurus leucophaeus
• Rufous WoodpeckerMicropternus brachyurus
• Long-tailed ShrikeLanius schach
• Common BuzzardButeo buteo
• Wilson's Storm PetrelOceanites oceanicus
• Eastern Barn OwlTyto javanica
• Pallas's Grasshopper WarblerHelopsaltes certhiola
• Oriental PratincoleGlareola maldivarum
• Oriental Scops OwlOtus sunia
• Pallas's GullIchthyaetus ichthyaetus
• Great KnotCalidris tenuirostris
• Common SnipeGallinago gallinago
• Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus
• Crab-ploverDromas ardeola
• Pomarine JaegerStercorarius pomarinus
• Sri Lanka Bay OwlPhodilus assimilis
• Chestnut-winged CuckooClamator coromandus
• Broad-billed SandpiperCalidris falcinellus
• Sooty TernOnychoprion fuscatus
• Long-toed StintCalidris subminuta
• Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatus
• Parasitic JaegerStercorarius parasiticus
• Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus
• Flesh-footed ShearwaterArdenna carneipes
• King QuailSynoicus chinensis
• Slaty-breasted RailLewinia striata
• Long-tailed JaegerStercorarius longicaudus
• Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis
• Green-winged TealAnas crecca
• Oriental DollarbirdEurystomus orientalis
• Jungle Bush QuailPerdicula asiatica
• Indian Golden OrioleOriolus kundoo
• Lesser CuckooCuculus poliocephalus
• Black-capped KingfisherHalcyon pileata
• Jungle NightjarCaprimulgus indicus
• Bay-backed ShrikeLanius vittatus
• Swinhoe's Storm PetrelHydrobates monorhis
• Painted FrancolinFrancolinus pictus
• Greater Short-toed LarkCalandrella brachydactyla
• Mongolian Short-toed LarkCalandrella dukhunensis
• Jerdon's BazaAviceda jerdoni
• Yellow-footed Green PigeonTreron phoenicopterus
• Pallid HarrierCircus macrourus
• Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus
• Saunders's TernSternula saundersi
• Western Cattle EgretArdea ibis
• Lesser NoddyAnous tenuirostris
• Cocos BoobySula brewsteri
• Streak-throated SwallowPetrochelidon fluvicola
• Pied HarrierCircus melanoleucos
• European Bee-eaterMerops apiaster
• Malayan Night HeronGorsachius melanolophus
• Brown NoddyAnous stolidus
• Indian CourserCursorius coromandelicus
• Red KnotCalidris canutus
• Sooty ShearwaterArdenna grisea
• Slender-billed GullChroicocephalus genei
• Amur FalconFalco amurensis
• Collared PratincoleGlareola pratincola
• Brown BoobySula leucogaster
• Black-naped OrioleOriolus chinensis
• Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargus
• Blue-cheeked Bee-eaterMerops persicus
• Grey-necked BuntingEmberiza buchanani
• Eastern Marsh HarrierCircus spilonotus
• Sharp-tailed SandpiperCalidris acuminata
• Siberian StonechatSaxicola maurus
• Red-billed TropicbirdPhaethon aethereus
• Red-throated PipitAnthus cervinus
• Red-naped IbisPseudibis papillosa
• Black-winged PratincoleGlareola nordmanni
• Roseate TernSterna dougallii
• Pied AvocetRecurvirostra avosetta
• Isabelline WheatearOenanthe isabellina
• Red-necked StintCalidris ruficollis
• Blue-throated Blue FlycatcherCyornis rubeculoides
• Great TitParus major
• Oriental Turtle DoveStreptopelia orientalis
• Blue Rock ThrushMonticola solitarius
• Desert WheatearOenanthe deserti
• Daurian StarlingAgropsar sturninus
• Grey-headed LapwingVanellus cinereus
• Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
• Baillon's CrakeZapornia pusilla
• Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotos
• Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
• Short-tailed ShearwaterArdenna tenuirostris
• Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
• Chestnut-tailed StarlingSturnia malabarica
• Blue-and-white FlycatcherCyanoptila cyanomelana
• Lesser FrigatebirdFregata ariel
• White-tailed TropicbirdPhaethon lepturus
• MallardAnas platyrhynchos
• Spotted RedshankTringa erythropus
• Eyebrowed ThrushTurdus obscurus
• Muscovy DuckCairina moschata
• Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
• Eurasian WryneckJynx torquilla
• Common Rock ThrushMonticola saxatilis
• Persian ShearwaterPuffinus persicus
• Fulvous Whistling DuckDendrocygna bicolor
• Common SwiftApus apus
• Black-headed BuntingEmberiza melanocephala
• Ruddy ShelduckTadorna ferruginea
• Chinese Pond HeronArdeola bacchus
• Streaked ShearwaterCalonectris leucomelas
• Pacific SwallowHirundo javanica
• Great FrigatebirdFregata minor
• Masked BoobySula dactylatra
• Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
• White-rumped ShamaCopsychus malabaricus
• European Honey BuzzardPernis apivorus
• Tropical ShearwaterPuffinus bailloni
• Eurasian HobbyFalco subbuteo
• African OpenbillAnastomus lamelligerus
• Christmas FrigatebirdFregata andrewsi
• DunlinCalidris alpina
• Greater Spotted EagleClanga clanga
• Rain QuailCoturnix coromandelica
• Greenish WarblerPhylloscopus trochiloides
• Asian House MartinDelichon dasypus
• Bulwer's PetrelBulweria bulwerii
• Black-browed Reed WarblerAcrocephalus bistrigiceps
• Barau's PetrelPterodroma baraui

Rare visitors

Recorded here, though only as vagrants or rarities.

• Western House MartinDelichon urbicum
• WhinchatSaxicola rubetra
• Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagris
• White-browed WagtailMotacilla maderaspatensis
• Red-footed BoobySula sula
• Caspian PloverAnarhynchus asiaticus
• Common QuailCoturnix coturnix
• Asian DowitcherLimnodromus semipalmatus
• Common CuckooCuculus canorus
• Booted WarblerIduna caligata
• Arctic TernSterna paradisaea
• Red Collared DoveStreptopelia tranquebarica
• Jungle BabblerArgya striata
• Black BulbulHypsipetes leucocephalus
• European RollerCoracias garrulus
• Common Hill MynaGracula religiosa
• Blue-eared KingfisherAlcedo meninting
• Himalayan BuzzardButeo refectus
• Javan MuniaLonchura leucogastroides
• White StorkCiconia ciconia
• Common RosefinchCarpodacus erythrinus
• Wire-tailed SwallowHirundo smithii
• Red JunglefowlGallus gallus
• Bar-headed GooseAnser indicus
• South Polar SkuaStercorarius maccormicki
• Mountain Hawk-EagleNisaetus nipalensis
• Red-headed BuntingEmberiza bruniceps
• Jouanin's PetrelBulweria fallax
• Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimus
• Ortolan BuntingEmberiza hortulana
• Goliath HeronArdea goliath
• Black-naped TernSterna sumatrana
• Brown SkuaStercorarius antarcticus
• White's ThrushZoothera aurea
• Yellow-rumped FlycatcherFicedula zanthopygia
• Swinhoe's SnipeGallinago megala