A friendly, safe country teeming with birds including a host of very attractive endemics. Sri Lanka offers an extraordinary mixture of some of the world's finest ancient culture, magnificent wildlife, and exciting photographable birds and mammals. A great opportunity to learn at leisure about Asian birds and wildlife on a delightful blend of wildlife safaris, some longer drives, and moderate walks.

Sri Lanka is literally teeming with birds, including some 26 rather fancy endemics. Our comprehensive itinerary will give us the best opportunity to see most, if not all, of the Sri Lankan endemics, in addition to a number of more wide-ranging species and some fascinating mammals. Furthermore, we will take time to explore some of Sri Lanka's most important and "must see" historical and cultural sites such as the extraordinary Lion Rock Fortress of Sigiriya.

Although we will focus on the island specialties, we will also be treated to some of the most wonderful waterbird spectacles in Asia. Island specialties include Sri Lanka Spurfowl, Sri Lanka Junglefowl, Sri Lanka Wood Pigeon, Sri Lanka Hanging-Parrot, the spectacular and elusive Red-faced Malkoha, Green-billed Coucal, Yellow-fronted Barbet, the handsome Sri Lanka Blue Magpie, Spot-winged Thrush, White-faced Starling, and Brown-capped and Orange-billed babblers. As for the waterbird spectacle, Bundala and Yala national parks and surrounding tanks, located in the far southeast, are considered by many to be among the best birding areas in Asia. More than one hundred species are regularly recorded during a morning's walk/drive, including five species of storks; thousands of Palearctic shorebirds, which feed along the drying edge of the tanks (man-made lakes); large numbers of local Spot-billed Pelicans; and a host of "bush-birds" such as Sirkeer Cuckoo and the uncommon Blue-faced Malkoha.

Our tour will take us from the rainforests of Sinharaja to high, wind-swept, moss-covered rhododendron forests. Sinharaja Forest is Sri Lanka's last major remaining area of tropical wet lowland forest and the single most important site on the island. Here we will search for some of Sri Lanka's most elusive species including the Red-faced Malkoha. We then have three days in the southeast to explore Bundala and Yala national parks and investigate the avian and mammalian riches of this fabulous area before ascending into the central mountains. From our attractive rest house at Nuwara Eliya, we will search mountain forests and botanical gardens for the surprisingly elusive Arrenga, Sri Lanka Bush-Warbler, and Sri Lanka Wood Pigeon, before heading farther north to the ancient centers of Kandy and Sigiriya where we will enjoy more great birding amongst the stunningly beautiful ancient monuments of this fascinating country.

Excellent to very attractive accommodations throughout; travel by coach and jeep; climate generally very pleasant to warm in the middle of the day in the lowlands, and cool to cold in the early morning and at night in the uplands. Outstanding local guides with crucial and intimate local information on where to find some very special birds.