Sri Lanka - Bird Photography Tour 2025

18 Nov 2025 - 29 Nov 2025 (12 days)

USD3,995 - Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Ryan Tyrer

Tour price (Per person): USD3,995 * GBP3,189 * EUR3,843 * AUD6,416

Single Supplement: USD670 * GBP535 * EUR645 * AUD1,076

Sri Lanka - Bird Photography Tour 2026

19 Nov 2026 - 30 Nov 2026 (12 days)

USD4,200 - Spaces Available

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Pricing notes : *Prices are estimated and dates may change*

Tour price (Per person): USD4,200 * GBP3,353 * EUR4,041 * AUD6,745

Sri Lanka is a friendly island nation boasting verdant scenery, characterised by terraced tea plantations and forest patches, and blessed with many surprisingly large national parks brimming with game and birds. 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, and potentially even photograph, every single country endemic on a well-planned trip such as this. Overall, the opportunities for photography are some of the finest in Asia making this Bird Photo Tour a ‘must’ for the keen bird photographer! Sri Lanka is also blessed with a fascinating history, vibrant culture and delicious cuisine, making this a truly exotic destination and a pleasure to explore.

Highlights

  • Spending time exploring beautiful national parks like Yala, Bundala and Uda Walawe in open air safari vehicles. These reserves are some of Sri Lanka’s premium wildlife havens
  • Enjoy a wide variety of large mammals including good chances for Leopard, Sloth Bear, Water Buffalo, and Asian Elephant
  • Excellent chances at seeing and even photographing all of Sri Lanka’s endemic birds

 

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

10 with 1 Rockjumper Tour 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. • Our Bird Photo Tours are a hybrid between our Classic birding tours and dedicated photographic tours. You don’t have to be a professional photographer or have the biggest lens; this is for everyone with an interest in photography and birding. Whether you’re using a bridge camera or the latest body and prime lens, our aims are the same. • These tours are not aimed at seeing the most species possible on the route, rather taking time to photograph key targets and any other interesting species we may find. Naturally, the overall species list will be lower than a comparable birding focused tour. • Whilst we may use blinds, feeders and hide setups on some of these tours, we will not be spending an entire day nor even several hours fixed in one spot. • These tours are suitable for photographers who prefer opportunistic photography over entire days in a hide. • Our leaders will assist in helping everyone secure good photographic opportunities and advise as much as they can on camera setup. However, they are not professional photographic tour leaders.

Accommodation

Comfortable.

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.

Other Attractions

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

Photographic Opportunities

Generally excellent but no dedicated hides or ad hoc feeders.

What our clients say about us

David Hoddinott
LD, Sri Lanka 2018

This was my last hard core birding tour, and I did it so that I could have David Hoddinott as my guide again. He is so very superb and I got quite teary giving him a hug goodbye! I also enjoyed Holly Faithfull a great deal. And our entire group was most delightful.

Glen Valentine
DH - Sri Lanka 2024

The leadership on this trip was great! Glen Valentine was fantastic as usual. He is very responsive to everyone's needs, and constantly adjusting in response to even casual comments. He is wonderful at spotting and hearing birds up, down, far away, in the dark - wherever they are. I especially appreciated his wizardry with a scope - getting us great views of many birds through impossibly think vegetation. He makes everyone feel comfortable. The local guide Ashoka was absolutely fantastic at spotting, at local expertise, and general natural history background. Some amazing examples, he spotted an Indian Pitta in dark thicket from a moving jeep, and found a clear view of the head of a Legge's Hawk Eagle through thick vegetation that eluded all the rest of us - and then Glen got it in the scope in seconds! Glen and Ashoka were a great team. Ashoka speaks great English and was able to keep in mind what everyone had seen or missed, just as Glen does. Ashoka had great background knowledge on other animals and plants, and was enthusiastic to share.

Glen Valentine
MW, Sri Lanka

I am so glad that this tour was able to run amidst another Covid wave. The tour exceeded my expectations. Glen is an outstanding guide with a superb ability to find birds and show them to the participants. He is enthusiastic and personable, and we look forward to traveling with him again. The local guide was determined to find all the elusive owls possible. His perseverance is greatly appreciated. I also want to acknowledge the first-rate tour bus and crew that drove us safely over the winding roads of Sri Lanka. Finally, we very much enjoyed the food and the nice beer (thanks to Glen!).

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

Stephan Lorenz
SA & PA, Sri Lanka 2018

So much went right on this trip that it is difficult to summarise all of our positive thoughts. One highlight: some of our group had the Sri Lanka Field Guide to birds, while others including ourselves were not able to get it prior to the trip. While en route, we expressed interest in getting this book; soon after the bus pulled over, the guide, Stephan Lorenz, exited to talk to someone, and returned with brand new copies of the field guide for all who needed it. We were flabbergasted! I call that service above and beyond. Everything else worked out very well, from the excellent guiding to the food and accommodations. Thanks again for a great trip experience.

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Route Map

Tour Route Map

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