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Wildlife of Sri Lanka
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Sri Lanka is a tropical island situated close to the southern tip of India. Thebird life of Sri Lanka is very rich for its size and more than 500 species have been recorded. In addition to the many resident birds, a considerable number ofmigratory species winter in the country to escape their northern breeding grounds.

35 species are confirmed asendemic,^[1] the latest addition being theSri Lanka shama, which previously considered as a subspecies of thewhite-rumped shama. The other resident species are also found in the nearbyIndian mainland, but over 80 have developed distinct Sri Lankan races. Some of these races are very different in their plumage characteristics from the related forms in India. 26 species are globally threatened.

Bird distribution in Sri Lanka is largely determined by itsclimatic zones. The dry zone is largest of the three, covering more than half of the island, with a prolonged dry and hot period and only onemonsoon (the north east monsoon from October to January).

The wet zone, with twomonsoons, is in the south western quarter of the island, where the few remainingrain forests are found and humidity is high.

The central hill zone rises to over 2450 m (8-10,000 ft) and has a cool temperate climate. Most of the 34 endemic species are confined to the wet and the hill zones, with only a few extending into the dry zone as well.

Recent updates and sighting information can be obtained through theField Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka website. The following list is prepared according toAn Illustrated Guide to the Birds of Sri Lanka on 2010 bySarath Kotagama and Gamini Ratnavira. Supplemental updates and taxonomy followThe Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 2022 edition.^[2][3]

The following tags have been used to highlight several categories. The commonly occurring native species do not fall into any of these categories.

• (A)Accidental - a species that rarely or accidentally occurs in Sri Lanka
• (E)Endemic - a species native or restricted to Sri Lanka
• (I)Introduced - a species introduced to Sri Lanka as a consequence, direct or indirect, of human actions

Order:Anseriformes   Family:Anatidae

The family Anatidae includes theducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such asgeese andswans. These birds are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet, flattened bills, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to an oily coating.^[4]

Order:Galliformes   Family:Phasianidae

The Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds. In general, they are plump and have broad, relatively short wings.

Order:Phoenicopteriformes   Family:Phoenicopteridae

Flamingos are gregarious wading birds, usually 3 to 5 feet (0.9 to 1.5 m) tall, found in both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. Flamingos filter-feed on shellfish and algae. Their oddly shaped beaks are specially adapted to separate mud and silt from the food they consume and, uniquely, are used upside-down.

Order:Podicipediformes   Family:Podicipedidae

Grebes are small to medium-sized diving birds. They breed on fresh water, but often visit the sea whilst migrating and in winter. They have lobed toes and are excellent swimmers and divers; however, their feet are placed far back on their bodies, making them quite ungainly on land.

Order:Columbiformes   Family:Columbidae

Pigeons anddoves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshycere.

Order:Cuculiformes   Family:Cuculidae

The family Cuculidae includescuckoos,roadrunners andanis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails and strong legs. Many arebrood parasites.

Order:Caprimulgiformes   Family:Podargidae

The frogmouths are a group of nocturnal birds related to thenightjars. They are named for their large flattened hooked bill and huge frog-like gape, which they use to take insects.

Order:Caprimulgiformes   Family:Caprimulgidae

Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds that usually nest on the ground. They have long wings, short legs and very short bills. Most have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is camouflaged to resemble bark or leaves.

Order:Caprimulgiformes   Family:Apodidae

Swifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang.

Name	Binomial	Subspecies	Status	IUCN
White-throated needletail	Hirundapus caudacutus			Least concern (A)
Brown-backed needletail	Hirundapus giganteus			Least concern
Indian swiftlet	Aerodramus unicolor			Least concern
Himalayan swiftlet	Aerodramus brevirostris			Least concern (A)
Alpine swift	Tachymarptis melba			Least concern
Common swift	Apus apus			Least concern (A)
Pallid swift	Apus pallidus			Least concern (A)
Blyth's swift	Apus leuconyx			Least concern (A)
Dark-rumped swift	Apus acuticauda			Vulnerable (A)
Little swift	Apus affinis			Least concern
Asian palm-swift	Cypsiurus balasiensis			Least concern

Order:Caprimulgiformes   Family:Hemiprocnidae

The treeswifts, or crested swifts, are closely related to thetrue swifts. They differ from the other swifts in that they have crests, long forked tails and softer plumage.

Order:Gruiformes   Family:Rallidae

Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes therails,crakes,coots andgallinules. Typically they inhabit dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps or rivers. In general they are shy and secretive birds, making them difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs and long toes which are well adapted to soft uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and to be weak fliers.

Order:Charadriiformes   Family:Burhinidae

Thick-knees are a group of largely tropical waders in the family Burhinidae. They are found worldwide within the tropical zone, with some species also breeding in temperate Europe and Australia. They are medium to large waders with strong black or yellow-black bills, large yellow eyes and cryptic plumage. Despite being classed as waders, most species have a preference for arid or semi-arid habitats.

Order:Charadriiformes   Family:Recurvirostridae

Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds, which includes theavocets andstilts. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills.

Order:Charadriiformes   Family:Haematopodidae

Theoystercatchers are large and noisyplover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising openmolluscs.

Order:Charadriiformes   Family:Charadriidae

The family Charadriidae includes theplovers,dotterels andlapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings. They are found in open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water.

Order:Charadriiformes   Family:Rostratulidae

Painted-snipes are short-legged, long-billed birds similar in shape to the true snipes, but more brightly coloured.

Order:Charadriiformes   Family:Jacanidae

Thejacanas are a group of tropical waders in the family Jacanidae. They are found throughout the tropics. They are identifiable by their huge feet and claws which enable them to walk on floating vegetation in the shallow lakes that are their preferred habitat.

Order:Charadriiformes   Family:Scolopacidae

Scolopacidae is a large diverse family of small to medium-sized shorebirds including thesandpipers,curlews,godwits,shanks,tattlers,woodcocks,snipes,dowitchers andphalaropes. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Variation in length of legs and bills enables multiple species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food.

Order:Charadriiformes   Family:Turnicidae

The buttonquail are small, drab, running birds which resemble the true quails. The female is the brighter of the sexes and initiates courtship.

Order:Charadriiformes   Family:Dromadidae

The crab-plover is related to the waders. It resembles a plover but with very long grey legs and a strong heavy black bill similar to a tern. It has black-and-white plumage, a long neck, partially webbed feet and a bill designed for eating crabs.

Order:Charadriiformes   Family:Glareolidae

Glareolidae is a family of wading birds comprising thepratincoles, which have short legs, long pointed wings and long forked tails, and thecoursers, which have long legs, short wings and long, pointed bills which curve downwards.

Order:Charadriiformes   Family:Stercorariidae

The family Stercorariidae are, in general, medium to large birds, typically with grey or brown plumage, often with white markings on the wings. They nest on the ground in temperate and arctic regions and are long-distance migrants.

Order:Charadriiformes   Family:Laridae

Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds, thegulls andterns. Gulls are typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet. Terns are a group of generally medium to large seabirds typically with grey or white plumage, often with black markings on the head. Most terns hunt fish by diving but some pick insects off the surface of fresh water. Terns are generally long-lived birds, with several species known to live in excess of 30 years.

Order:Phaethontiformes   Family:Phaethontidae

Tropicbirds are slender white birds of tropical oceans, with exceptionally long central tail feathers. Their heads and long wings have black markings.^[5]

Order:Procellariiformes   Family:Oceanitidae

Southern storm-petrels are small birds which spend most of their lives at sea, coming ashore only to breed. They feed on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering or pattering across the water. Their flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like.^[6]

Order:Procellariiformes   Family:Hydrobatidae

Northern storm-petrels are small birds which spend most of their lives at sea, coming ashore only to breed. They feed on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering or pattering across the water. Their flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like.^[6]

Order:Procellariiformes   Family:Procellariidae

The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels", characterised by united nostrils with medium septum and a long outer functional primary.^[6]

Order:Ciconiiformes   Family:Ciconiidae

Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked, wading birds with long, stout bills. Storks are virtually mute, but bill-clattering is an important mode of communication at the nest. Their nests can be large and may be reused for many years. Many species are migratory.^[7]

Order:Suliformes   Family:Fregatidae

Frigatebirds are large seabirds usually found over tropical oceans. They are large, black and white or completely black, with long wings and deeply forked tails. The males have coloured inflatable throat pouches. They do not swim or walk and cannot take off from a flat surface. Having the largest wingspan-to-body-weight ratio of any bird, they are essentially aerial, able to stay aloft for more than a week.^[5] None are resident.

Order:Suliformes   Family:Sulidae

Thegannets andboobies in the family Sulidae are medium to large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish.^[5]

Order:Suliformes   Family:Anhingidae

Anhingas or darters are often called "snake-birds" because they have long thin necks, which gives a snake-like appearance when they swim with their bodies submerged. The males have black and dark-brown plumage, an erectile crest on the nape, and a larger bill than the female. The females have much paler plumage, especially on the neck and underparts. The darters have completely webbed feet and their legs are short and set far back on the body. Their plumage is somewhat permeable, like that of cormorants, and they spread their wings to dry after diving.^[5]

Order:Suliformes   Family:Phalacrocoracidae

Phalacrocoracidae is a family of medium to large coastal, fish-eating seabirds that includes cormorants and shags. Plumage colouration varies; the majority of species have mainly dark plumage, but some are pied black and white, and a few are more colourful.^[5]

Order:Pelecaniformes   Family:Pelecanidae

Pelicans are large water birds with a distinctive pouch under their beak. As with other members of the order Pelecaniformes, they have webbed feet with four toes.^[5]

Order:Pelecaniformes   Family:Ardeidae

The family Ardeidae contains thebitterns,herons andegrets. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more wary. Unlike other long-necked birds such as storks, ibises and spoonbills, members of this family fly with their necks retracted.^[7]

Order:Pelecaniformes   Family:Threskiornithidae

Threskiornithidae is a family of large terrestrial and wading birds which comprises theibises andspoonbills. Its members have long, broad wings with 11 primary and about 20 secondaryflight feathers. They are strong fliers and, despite their size and weight, very capable soarers.^[7]

Order:Accipitriformes   Family:Pandionidae

The family Pandionidae contains only one species, the osprey. The osprey is a medium-largeraptor which is a specialist fish-eater with a worldwide distribution.

Order:Accipitriformes   Family:Accipitridae

Accipitridae is a family of birds of prey, which includeshawks,eagles,kites,harriers andOld World vultures. These birds have powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, powerful talons and keen eyesight.

Order:Strigiformes   Family:Tytonidae

Barn owls are medium to large owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long strong legs with powerful talons.

Order:Strigiformes   Family:Strigidae

Thetypical owls are small to large solitary nocturnal birds of prey. They have large forward-facing eyes and ears, a hawk-like beak and a conspicuous circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disk.

Order:Trogoniformes   Family:Trogonidae

The family Trogonidae includes trogons and quetzals. Found in tropical woodlands worldwide, they feed on insects and fruit, and their broad bills and weak legs reflect their diet and arboreal habits. Although their flight is fast, they are reluctant to fly any distance. Trogons have soft, often colourful, feathers with distinctive male and female plumage.

Order:Bucerotiformes   Family:Upupidae

Hoopoes have black, white and orangey-pink colouring with a large erectile crest on their head.

Order:Bucerotiformes   Family:Bucerotidae

Hornbills are a group of birds whose bill is shaped like a cow's horn, but without a twist, sometimes with a casque on the upper mandible. Frequently, the bill is brightly coloured.

Order:Coraciiformes   Family:Alcedinidae

Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long, pointed bills, short legs and stubby tails.

Order:Coraciiformes   Family:Meropidae

The bee-eaters are a group ofnear passerine birds in the family Meropidae. Most species are found in Africa but others occur in southern Europe, Madagascar, Australia and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies and usually elongated central tail feathers. All are colourful and have long downturned bills and pointed wings, which give them a swallow-like appearance when seen from afar.

Order:Coraciiformes   Family:Coraciidae

Rollers resemblecrows in size and build, but are more closely related to thekingfishers andbee-eaters. They share the colourful appearance of those groups with blues and browns predominating. The two inner front toes are connected, but the outer toe is not.

Order:Piciformes   Family:Megalaimidae

The Asian barbets are plump birds, with short necks and large heads. They get their name from the bristles which fringe their heavy bills. Most species are brightly coloured.

Order:Piciformes   Family:Picidae

Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds with chisel-like beaks, short legs, stiff tails and long tongues used for capturing insects. Some species have feet with two toes pointing forward and two backward, while several species have only three toes. Many woodpeckers have the habit of tapping noisily on tree trunks with their beaks.

Order:Falconiformes   Family:Falconidae

Falconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey. They differ from hawks, eagles and kites in that they kill with their beaks instead of their talons.

Order:Psittaciformes   Family:Psittaculidae

Characteristic features of parrots include a strong curved bill, an upright stance, strong legs, and clawedzygodactyl feet. Many parrots are vividly coloured, and some are multi-coloured. In size they range from 8 cm (3.1 in) to 1 m (3.3 ft) in length. Old World parrots are found from Africa east across south and southeast Asia and Oceania to Australia and New Zealand.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Pittidae

Pittas are medium-sized by passerine standards and are stocky, with fairly long, strong legs, short tails and stout bills. Many are brightly coloured. They spend the majority of their time on wet forest floors, eating snails, insects and similar invertebrates.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Campephagidae

The cuckooshrikes are small to medium-sized passerine birds. They are predominantly greyish with white and black, although some species are brightly coloured.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Oriolidae

The Old World orioles are colourful passerine birds. They are not related to the New World orioles.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Artamidae

The woodswallows are soft-plumaged, somber-coloured passerine birds. They are smooth, agile flyers with moderately large, semi-triangular wings.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Vangidae

The Vangidae comprises a group of often shrike-like medium-sized birds distributed from Asia to Africa. Many species in this family were previously classified elsewhere in other families.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Aegithinidae

The ioras arebulbul-like birds of open forest or thorn scrub, but whereas that group tends to be drab in colouration, ioras are sexually dimorphic, with the males being brightly plumaged in yellows and greens.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Rhipiduridae

The fantails are small insectivorous birds which are specialist aerial feeders.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Dicruridae

The drongos are mostly black or dark grey in colour, sometimes with metallic tints. They have long forked tails, and some Asian species have elaborate tail decorations. They have short legs and sit very upright when perched, like a shrike. They flycatch or take prey from the ground.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Monarchidae

The monarch flycatchers are small to medium-sized insectivorous passerines which hunt by flycatching.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Laniidae

Shrikes are passerine birds known for their habit of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions of their bodies on thorns. A typical shrike's beak is hooked, like a bird of prey.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Corvidae

The family Corvidae includescrows,ravens,jays,choughs,magpies,treepies,nutcrackers andground jays. Corvids are above average in size among the Passeriformes, and some of the larger species show high levels of intelligence.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Stenostiridae

Most of the species of this small family are found in Africa, though a few inhabit tropical Asia. They are not closely related to other birds called "flycatchers".

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Paridae

The Paridae are mainly small stocky woodland species with short stout bills. Some have crests. They are adaptable birds, with a mixed diet including seeds and insects.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Alaudidae

Larks are small terrestrial birds with often extravagant songs and display flights. Most larks are fairly dull in appearance. Their food is insects and seeds.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Cisticolidae

The Cisticolidae are warblers found mainly in warmer southern regions of the Old World. They are generally very small birds of drab brown or grey appearance found in open country such as grassland or scrub.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Acrocephalidae

The members of this family are usually rather large for "warblers". Most are rather plain olivaceous brown above with much yellow to beige below. They are usually found in open woodland, reedbeds, or tall grass. The family occurs mostly in southern to western Eurasia and surroundings, but it also ranges far into the Pacific, with some species in Africa.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Locustellidae

Locustellidae are a family of small insectivorous songbirds found mainly in Eurasia, Africa, and the Australian region. They are smallish birds with tails that are usually long and pointed, and tend to be drab brownish or buffy all over.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Hirundinidae

The family Hirundinidae is adapted to aerial feeding. They have a slender streamlined body, long pointed wings and a short bill with a wide gape. The feet are adapted to perching rather than walking, and the front toes are partially joined at the base.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Pycnonotidae

Bulbuls are medium-sized songbirds. Some are colourful with yellow, red or orange vents, cheeks, throats or supercilia, but most are drab, with uniform olive-brown to black plumage. Some species have distinct crests.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Phylloscopidae

Leaf warblers are a family of small insectivorous birds found mostly in Eurasia and ranging into Wallacea and Africa. The species are of various sizes, often green-plumaged above and yellow below, or more subdued with greyish-green to greyish-brown colours.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Scotocercidae

The members of this family are found throughout Africa, Asia, and Polynesia. Their taxonomy is in flux, and some authorities place some genera in other families.^[15]

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Sylviidae

The family Sylviidae is a group of small insectivorous passerine birds. They mainly occur as breeding species, as the common name implies, in Europe, Asia and, to a lesser extent, Africa. Many species are difficult to identify by appearance, but many have distinctive songs.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Zosteropidae

The white-eyes are small and mostly undistinguished, their plumage above being generally some dull colour like greenish-olive, but some species have a white or bright yellow throat, breast or lower parts, and several have buff flanks. As their name suggests, many species have a white ring around each eye.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Timaliidae

The babblers, or timaliids, are somewhat diverse in size and colouration, but are characterised by soft fluffy plumage.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Pellorneidae

These small to medium-sized songbirds have soft fluffy plumage but are otherwise rather diverse. Members of the genus Illadopsis are found in forests, but some other genera are birds of scrublands.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Leiothrichidae

The members of this family are diverse in size and colouration, though those of genusArgya tend to be brown or greyish. The family is found in Africa, India, and southeast Asia.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Sittidae

Nuthatches are small woodland birds. They have the unusual ability to climb down trees head first, unlike other birds which can only go upwards. Nuthatches have big heads, short tails and powerful bills and feet.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Sturnidae

Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds. Their flight is strong and direct and they are very gregarious. Their preferred habitat is fairly open country. They eat insects and fruit. Plumage is typically dark with a metallic sheen.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Turdidae

Thethrushes are a group of passerine birds that occur mainly in the Old World. They are plump, soft plumaged, small to medium-sized insectivores or sometimes omnivores, often feeding on the ground. Many have attractive songs.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Muscicapidae

Old World flycatchers are a large group of small passerine birds native to the Old World. They are mainly small arboreal insectivores. The appearance of these birds is highly varied, but they mostly have weak songs and harsh calls.