Our Sri Lanka birding and wildlife tour takes us to without doubt one of the world's most pleasurable birdwatching and game viewing destinations. This friendly island nation boasts verdant scenery, characterised by terraced tea plantations and forest patches, and is blessed with many surprisingly large national parks brimming with game and birds. These attractions, coupled with a fascinating history and vibrant culture, make this a truly exotic destination and a pleasure to explore. From the central highlands to the rich lowland rainforests, Sri Lanka is one of only a handful of magical destinations where it is possible to see every single country endemic in a well-planned trip such as this, making this extension a ‘must’ for the keen birder!

Top Birds

Sri Lanka Spurfowl; Sri Lanka Junglefowl; Sri Lanka Wood & Sri Lanka Green Pigeons; Green-billed Coucal; Red-faced, Blue-faced & Sirkeer Malkohas; Serendib Scops & Sri Lanka Bay Owls; Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl; Chestnut-backed Owlet; Sri Lanka Frogmouth; Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill; Yellow-fronted & Crimson-fronted Barbets; Red-backed & Crimson-backed Flamebacks; Layard's Parakeet; Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot; Sri Lanka Woodshrike; Sri Lanka Drongo; Sri Lanka Blue Magpie; Black-capped, Yellow-eared, Yellow-browed, White-browed & Square-tailed Bulbuls; Sri Lanka & Hill Swallows; Sri Lanka Bush Warbler; Sri Lanka Scimitar, Brown-capped, Orange-billed, Dark-fronted, Tawny-bellied & Yellow-billed Babblers; Ashy-headed Laughingthrush; Sri Lanka White-eye; Sri Lanka & Southern Hill Mynas; White-faced Starling; Spot-winged, Sri Lanka Whistling, Sri Lanka & Pied Thrushes; Dull-blue & Kashmir Flycatchers; Indian Pitta; Black-headed Cuckooshrike; Marshall's Iora; Jerdon's & Indian Nightjars; Slaty-legged Crake; Barred Buttonquail; Small Pratincole; Black-necked Stork; Lesser Adjutant; Black, Cinnamon & Yellow Bitterns; Legge's Hawk-Eagle; Grey-headed Fish Eagle; Malabar Trogon; Malabar Pied Hornbill; Orange Minivet; Loten's Sunbird; Black-throated Munia.

Top Mammals

Leopard; Sloth Bear; Purple-faced Langur; Water Buffalo; Asian Elephant; Stripe-necked Mongoose.

Habitats Covered

lowland, hill & Montane forest, teak woodlands, lakes, coastal & inland wetlands, mudflats, saltpans

Expected Climate

warm and humid in lowlands, cool in highlands, chance of rain in forest areas

Max Group Size

8 with 1 Rockjumper leader

Tour Pace & Walking

Mostly undemanding. Suitable for all birding & wildlife interest levels. Comfortable tour for the reasonably fit. A few very early mornings & long days. Optional owling.

Accommodation

Comfortable lodges and hotels

Ease of Birding

Moderate to easy. Most species provide good visuals in open conditions. A few trickier/skulking species. Not unusual to record all endemics on a single tour.

Number of Species Expected

+-240

Other Attractions

Yala National Park, Sinharaja Rainforest, tea plantations, Horton Plains & surrounding mountains

Photographic Opportunities

Good. No dedicated hides, ad hoc feeders.

What our clients say about us

Stephan Lorenz
SS & JK - Sri Lanka 2019

Stephen Lorenz and our local guide were both great. Stephen's upbeat personality and unfazeable response to the unexpected are great assets to Rockjumper. We will travel with him again.

Stephan Lorenz
KH, Sri Lanka 2018

Stephan Lorenz did a great job of bird-finding and then managing to get everyone a chance to see the birds. Stephan provided lots of helpful tips about what to look and listen for and the general natural history of birds, kept us well-informed of the daily plans, and is personable and fun to be with. I'd love to be on another of his tours.

Glen Valentine
MW, Sri Lanka

I had been looking forward to visiting Sri Lanka for a long time, since it was still Ceylon. This tour was all I had hoped for. We did quite well on the birds, seeing or hearing just about everything possible in the country, including all the endemics and specialty birds. The tour was well run and the guides excellent. The local guide was determined to get us everything possible and was quite willing to go the extra mile for every bird. Glen was superb, always cheerful, extremely knowledgeable, even going so far as to find us a steady supply of stout for dinner. When we got stuck in Columbo because of a blizzard back home, Glen did what he could to ensure we made it back. We really look forward to traveling with him again.

Stuart Elsom
MC - Sri Lanka 2023

I have a great time on the Tour. This was my first time with Rockjumper Tours and I would 100% recommend to travel with them again. The Leaders always put the participants first in seeing the bird and made sure everyone could have time at the scopes. Very well organised and a pleasure to be on tour with. A sense of humor always is a plus and there was not shortage of that, lots of laughs and great memories. Go...Rockjumper, a real pleasure

Stuart Elsom
AK - Sri Lanka 2023

Both Stuart and Greg went all the way to make the group have a pleasant and memorable trip. They both worked hard on ensuring everyone in the group got onto all the birds, and made sure we all were comfortable with our hotels and food.

Sri Lanka - Endemic Birds & Big Game 2024

21 Nov 2024 - 01 Dec 2024 (11 days)

USD3,395 - Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: André Bernon

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Tour Leader: Nigel Redman

Tour price (Per person): USD3,395 * GBP2,704 * EUR3,144 * AUD5,127

Single Supplement: USD630 * GBP502 * EUR583 * AUD951

Can be linked with:

Sri Lanka - Endemic Birds & Big Game (Small Group) 2025

21 Jan 2025 - 31 Jan 2025 (11 days)

USD4,495 - 4 Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Carlos Bocos

Tour price (Per person): USD4,495 * GBP3,580 * EUR4,163 * AUD6,788

Single Supplement: USD620 * GBP494 * EUR574 * AUD936

Can be linked with:

Sri Lanka - Endemic Birds & Big Game 2025

16 Nov 2025 - 26 Nov 2025 (11 days)

USD3,595 - Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Gregory de Klerk

Tour price (Per person): USD3,595 * GBP2,863 * EUR3,329 * AUD5,429

Single Supplement: USD620 * GBP494 * EUR574 * AUD936

Can be linked with: India - Northern: Birds & Tigers 2025

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Route Map

Tour Route Map

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