SRI LANKA 5–15 February 2010 Leader: Taya Diaz

With 23 endemic bird species and 10–20 more probably to be split, this is an extremely interesting island for birders. There are also many other specialities and winter visitors and, with habitat varying from rain forest to open plains, Sri Lanka is a wonderful, warm winter destination. This tour will be led by the foremost expert on Sri Lankan birds so there is a good chance that we will see all of the endemic birds as well as many of the mammals. We will also experience many of the sights and culture of this wonderful island.

Day 1 Overnight flight from London to Colombo.

Day 2 Arrival in Colombo followed by a two-hour transfer to Kitulgala. En route we will see many common species such as Indian Pond-heron, Red-wattled Lapwing, White-breasted Kingfisher, Indian Roller and Common Myna. Our guesthouse is situated close to where the film Bridge on the River Kwai was filmed and you will notice photographs on the walls! It is also on the edge of the hill country, so, after checking in, we will visit the Kitulgala Forest Reserve, where we will look for Sri Lanka Hanging-parrot, Layard's Parakeet, Green-billed Coucal, Chestnut-backed Owlet, Brown Hawk-owl, Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill, Yellow-fronted Barbet, Black-rumped and Greater Flamebacks and Spot-winged Thrush. As the light fades we will look for the resident Sri Lanka Frogmouth in the grounds and for Serendib Scops-owl. Two nights in Kitulgala.

Day 3 We will spend the whole day birding around the Kitulgala Forest Reserve where a good variety of raptors can be found, including Oriental Honey-buzzard, Black and Rufous-bellied Eagles, Shikra, Crested Serpent-eagle and Mountain Hawk-eagle. Endemics which can be found here include Sri Lanka Junglefowl, Sri Lanka Spurfowl and Legge's Flowerpecker whilst Long-billed Sunbird is a regional endemic only shared with southern India.

Day 4 This morning we will have time to bird around the Kitulgala Forest Reserve again before we leave for Sinharaja. It is a three-hour journey to the Sinharaja World Heritage Wilderness area and we will take packed lunches with us. This superb area will probably provide us with the best birding of the whole tour although, as in all rainforests, birding can be frustrating at times with birds either high up in the canopy or deep in the understorey. We should see more of the endemic species of Sri Lanka here than in any other site in the country. After checking into the hotel we will start our search for the endemics and specialities, which include Sri Lanka Spurfowl, Chestnut-backed Owlet, Brown-backed Needletail, Sri Lanka Blue Magpie, Malabar Trogon, Chestnut-winged Cuckoo, Green-billed Coucal, Red-faced Malkoha, Lesser Yellownape, Ashy-headed Laughingthrush, Orange-billed Babbler, White-faced Starling, Sri Lanka Myna, Greater Racquet-tailed (Ceylon Crested) Drongo, Spot-winged Thrush and Black-throated Munia. Two nights in Sinharaja.

Day 5 We will spend all day at Sinharaja, concentrating on any of the endemics or specialities that we may have missed yesterday. In particular, we will look for Crested Goshawk, Sri Lanka Woodpigeon, Black, Black-crested and Yellow-browed Bulbuls, Orange-billed Babbler, Asian Paradise-flycatcher, Scaly Thrush, White-faced Starling and Hill and Sri Lanka Mynas. We may also be lucky enough to find a daytime roost site for Serendib Scops-owl. In addition, we will be able to enjoy the wonderful diversity of the rainforest with its lizards, dazzling butterflies and epiphytes hanging from trees.

Day 6 We will have the morning to bird around Sinharaja again before moving on after lunch to Embilipitiya. After checking into our hotel, if we have time, we will bird around the reservoir, where the regional endemic Yellow-wattled Lapwing can sometimes be found. Overnight in Embilipitiya.

Day 7 After breakfast we will visit the Udawattekele Sanctuary, where we will look for Spot-billed Pelican, Oriental Darter, Indian and Little Cormorants, Lesser Adjutant, Woolly-necked Stork, Black-headed Ibis, Montagu's and Pied Harriers, Changeable Hawk-eagle, Grey-headed and White-bellied Fish-eagles, Barred Buttonquail, Orange-breasted and Pompadour Green-pigeons, Plum-headed Parakeet, Grey-bellied and Pied Cuckoos, Oriental Dwarf and Stork-billed Kingfishers, Scarlet and Small Minivets, Blue-winged and Golden-fronted Leafbirds, Yellow-fronted Barbet, Emerald Dove, Sirkeer Malkoha, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Forest Wagtail, Tawny-bellied and Yellow-eyed Babblers and Tickell's Blue Flycatcher. Mammals may include Toque Monkey, Grey Langur, Golden Jackal, Asian Elephant, Spotted Deer and Water Buffalo. After lunch we will transfer to Nuwara Eliya, the highest town in Sri Lanka, birding en route. Three nights in Nuwara Eliya.

Day 8 After a very early breakfast we will leave with a picnic lunch to visit the Horton Plains. The specialities here and en route include Jerdon's Baza, Sri Lanka Wood Pigeon, Hill Swallow, Sri Lanka Bush-warbler, Green Warbler, Large-billed Leaf-warbler, Dull-blue and Red-breasted Flycatchers, Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher, Indian Scimitar-babbler, Sri Lanka Whistling Thrush, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Pied Bushchat, Black-throated Munia and hopefully a roosting Brown Wood Owl. In the afternoon we will return to Nuwara Eliya and visit Victoria Park. Species we will look for here include Indian Pitta, Kashmir Flycatcher, Pied Thrush, Indian Blue Robin, Yellow-eared Bulbul and Sri Lanka White-eye.

Day 9 We will have a second whole day to explore Horton Plains as the weather can sometimes be very inclement at this altitude.

Day 10 After breakfast we head back towards Colombo, visiting Bellanwila-Attidiya Sanctuary en route. Species we will look for here include Purple (Indian) Swamphen, Glossy Ibis and White-breasted Waterhen. Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler also occurs here but the chances of seeing one are quite small. After we have finished birding we will go to a hotel to wash, change and have lunch before transferring to the airport for the flight home arriving back on Day 11.

General Information Sri Lanka is quite hot at this time of year, but some rain is likely. The pace is easy, but with some early starts. The heat can be tiring at times. On most days, we will split the birding into two sessions with a break in the middle of the day so we can take time off to rest. There are a number of health requirements and you must consult your GP in this respect. Insects are not a major problem but you must take precautions to avoid other health risks. Accommodation is in medium-standard hotels, all with private facilities except Martin's Bungalows, which is very basic (but still mostly en-suite).

Group size Minimum number for tour to go ahead: 8; maximum group size: 14 with 2 leaders.

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