Sri Lanka is home to 35 endemic bird species. The number of bird species recorded in the island is 500+ of which 219 are breeding residents. BirdLife International recognize Sri Lanka as one of the world's Endemic Bird Areas (EBAs). The number of endemic species has changed over the years. This is largely due to "close taxonomic revisions". The number of endemic species has fluctuated from 20 to 47. Since 1977 the number has settled at around 21. The figure was increased to 23 in 1990. Many authorities have accepted this figure since then. Wijesinghe published A Checklist of the Birds of Sri Lanka in 1994 which considered the addition of three more species, but this move did not receive widespread recognition because its rationale was not in keeping with rigorous taxonomic practice. Subsequent publications on the avifauna of Sri Lanka and the South Asia region have not listed these three as endemics. However, within some Sri Lankan circles considered the endemics proposed by Wijesinghe as acceptable. This may be due to an over-enthusiasm in increasing endemic numbers to create a better ornithological image and increase the demand for commercial birdwatching.

In 2004, Deepal Warakagoda and Pamela C. Rasmussen described a new bird species, the Serendib scops-owl (Otus thilohofmanni). This is the first new bird species discovered in Sri Lanka since 1868, when the Sri Lanka whistling thrush (Myophonus blighi) was described. There are some proposals for species level taxonomic revisions, and therefore endemic status in Sri Lanka. The country prefix "Sri Lanka" in common names is normally restricted to endemic species. However Sarath Kotagama et al. (2006) disagree with Sibley and Monroe (1990) on the use of "Ceylon" in common species' names, suggesting instead that they should reflect the change of the official English name of the island from Ceylon to name Sri Lanka. Sibley and Monroe's rationale was "Ceylon" is the geographical unit and "Sri Lanka" is the country which occupies the island. The geographical name is normally used for animal ranges, for example Madagascar is used rather than its nation, the Malagasy Republic."

Change in number of endemics

Year Number of species Reference Comment 1872 37 Holdsworth – Catalogue of Birds found in Ceylon 1880 47 Legge – A History of Birds of Ceylon Included 17 species in the present list 1931 25 Wait – Manual of Birds of Ceylon Excluded the red-faced malkoha 1944 22 Whistler – Avifaunal Survey of Ceylon 1946 20 Ripley – Comments to Endemic Birds of Ceylon Grey hornbill, rufous babbler and red-faced malkoha were excluded 1952 21 Phillips – Revised Checklist of Birds of Ceylon Red-faced malkoha and Ceylon grackle included 1975 20 Phillips – Revised Checklist of Birds of Ceylon Black-capped bulbul excluded 1977 21 Flemming – Notes On Endemic Birds of Ceylon Rufous babbler included 1978 21 Phillips – Revised Checklist of Birds of Ceylon 1990 23+1 Sibley & Monroe – Distribution and Taxonomy of Birds of the World Crimson-fronted barbet suggested as endemic 1994 23+1 Kotagama and Fernando – A Field Guide to the Birds of Sri Lanka Follow Sibley and Monroe 1994 23+3 Wijesinghe – A Checklist of the Birds of Sri Lanka Three species are suggested as endemic 1996 23+3 Inskip et al. – An Annotated Checklist of the Birds of the Oriental Region Follow Sibley and Monroe refers to Wijesinghe 1998 23 Grimmett et al. – Birds of the Indian Subcontinent 1999 23 Harrison – A Field Guide to the Birds of Sri Lanka 2013 26 Kotagama – A Field Guide to the Birds of Sri Lanka (revised) Crimson-fronted barbet, pompadour green pigeon and black-capped bulbul included

Source: Kotagama et al., 2013

The number has since increased to 35 with the Sri Lanka shama (Copsychus leggei) being split from white-rumped shama (Copsychus malabaricus) in 2022.Clements, J. F., P. C. Rasmussen, T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, A. Spencer, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, M. Smith, and C. L. Wood. (2024). The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2024.

Endemic species Low vulnerabilityThreatenedLeast concernNear threatenedVulnerableEndangered

Common name Binomial Family Habitat, abundance, distribution Status Order GalliformesSri Lanka spurfowl Galloperdix bicalcarata(Forster, 1781)PhasianidaeHumid forests. Common. All zones, except northern region.Kotagama 2006: p. 44Sri Lanka junglefowlGallus lafayetii(Lesson, 1831)PhasianidaeForests, scrub jungles. Very common. All zones. Order ColumbiformesSri Lanka wood pigeonColumba torringtoniae(Kelaart, 1853)ColumbidaeForests, gardens. Restricted range. Hill country. Descends to low country wet zone during fruiting seasons.Kotagama 2006: p. 62Sri Lanka green pigeonTreron pompadora (Gmelin, JF, 1789)Columbidae Order PsittaciformesSri Lanka hanging parrotLoriculus beryllinus(Pennant, 1781)PsittacidaeForests, gardens. Common. All zones. More common in wet zone.Kotagama 2006: p. 54Layard's parakeetPsittacula calthrapae(Blyth, 1849)PsittacidaeForests, gardens. Common. Wet zone and some riparian forests dry zone. Order CuculiformesRed-faced malkohaPhaenicophaeus pyrrhocephalus(Pennant, 1769)CuculidaeForests. Confined to undisturbed forest areas in the wet zone and riparian forests of the dry zone. Restricted location. All zones.Kotagama 2006: p. 52Green-billed coucalCentropus chlororhynchos(Blyth, 1849)CuculidaeUndisturbed forests. Associated with bamboo and cane rushes. Restricted range. Low country wet zone and wet foothills.Kotagama 2006: p. 50 Order StrigiformesSerendib scops owlOtus thilohoffmanni(Warakagoda & Rasmussen, 2004)StrigidaeRestricted range. Low country wet zone.Kotagama 2006: p. 58Chestnut-backed owletGlaucidium castanotum(Blyth, 1851)StrigidaeForests, scrubs, cultivations. Restricted range. Wet zone and hill country. Order BucerotiformesSri Lanka grey hornbillOcyceros gingalensis(Shaw, 1812)BucerotidaeForests, gardens. Very common. All zones. Most plentiful in dry zone.Kotagama 2006: p. 48 Order PiciformesCrimson-backed flamebackChrysocolaptes stricklandi (Layard, 1854)PicidaeRed-backed flamebackDinopium psarodes (Lichtenstein, AAH, 1793)PicidaeYellow-fronted barbetPsilopogon flavifrons(Cuvier, 1816)MegalaimidaeForests, home gardens. Very common. More common in hill country.Crimson-fronted barbetPsilopogon rubricapillus (Gmelin, JF, 1788)Megalaimidae Order Passeriformes Suborder Passeri: SongbirdsSri Lanka blue magpie Urocissa ornata(Wagler, 1829)CorvidaeUndisturbed forests. Restricted range. Wet zone.Kotagama 2006: p. 72Black-capped bulbulRubigula melanicterus (Gmelin, JF, 1789)PycnonotidaeYellow-eared bulbulPycnonotus penicillatus(Blyth, 1851)PycnonotidaeForests, gardens close to forest, Common. Hill country.Kotagama 2006: p. 82Sri Lanka drongoDicrurus lophorinus (Vieillot, 1817)DicruridaeSri Lanka bush warblerElaphrornis palliseri(Blyth, 1851)SylviidaeForest undergrowth. Restricted range. Hill country.Kotagama 2006: p. 84Brown-capped babblerPellorneum fuscocapillus(Blyth, 1849)TimaliidaeForests, scrub jungles. Ground level. Common. All zones.Kotagama 2006: p. 90Sri Lanka scimitar babblerPomatorhinus melanurus(Blyth, 1847)TimaliidaeForests understory. Common. All zones.Orange-billed babblerArgya rufescens(Blyth, 1847)TimaliidaeForests. Common. Wet zone. Less in hill country.Ashy-headed laughingthrushArgya cinereifrons(Blyth, 1851)TimaliidaeForests, mainly in understory and on the ground. Common. Wet zone. More in low country.Sri Lanka white-eyeZosterops ceylonensis(Holdsworth, 1872)ZosteropidaeForests, gardens, cultivations. Very common. Hill country.Kotagama 2006: p. 88Sri Lanka mynaGracula ptilogenysBlyth, 1846SturnidaeForests. Common. Wet zone. More common in Low country.Kotagama 2006: p. 80White-faced starlingSturnus albofrontatus(Layard, EL, 1854)SturnidaeForests. Restricted range. Wet zone. Less in hill country.Sri Lanka whistling thrushMyophonus blighi(Holdsworth, 1872)TurdidaeUndisturbed montane forests, streams. Restricted range. Hill country.Kotagama 2006: p. 78Spot-winged thrushGeokichla spiloptera(Blyth, 1847)TurdidaeHumid forest undergrowth. Common. All zones. More common in wet zone.Sri Lanka thrushZoothera imbricataLayard, 1854TurdidaeForests undergrowth. Common. Hill country, some locations in low country wet zone.Dull-blue flycatcherEumyias sordida(Walden, 1870)MuscicapidaeForests, home gardens, well-wooded ravines. Hill country. Also in humid locations in the low country wet zone.Kotagama 2006: p. 76Legge's FlowerpeckerDicaeum vincens(Sclater, PL, 1872)DicaeidaeForests. Common. Low country wet zone and lower hill country.Sri Lanka woodshrikeTephrodornis affinis (Blyth, 1847)VangidaeSri Lanka swallowCecropis hyperythra (Blyth, 1849)HirundinidaeA variety of open country habitats in both the lowlands and foothills in Sri Lanka, including farm fields and lightly wooded areas.Sri Lanka shamaCopsychus leggei (Whistler, 1941)MuscicapidaeNot Evaluated

References

Literature cited