A Photographic Guide to the Wildlife of Sri Lanka

British birder and wildlife celebrity David Lindo,

“As essential for visiting Sri Lanka as carrying a passport.”

Gavin Thomas, author of the Rough Guide to Sri Lanka

“Dedicated naturalists will find it an invaluable field guide during trips to the island, while the book also provides a comprehensive desktop resource for anyone wishing to deepen their knowledge of Sri Lanka’s remarkable wildlife and biodiversity.”

Helen Macdonald, author of H is for Hawk

“This is a spectacularly useful and very beautiful book.”

Author and award-winning conservationist Rohan Pethiyagoda.

“A Photographic Guide to the Wildlife of Sri Lanka is your indispensable companion to navigating the astonishing diversity of life that will exhibit itself to you as you navigate your holiday...” 

Dominic Mitchell, Founder Editor of Birdwatch Magazine “Anyone interested in wildlife will want to take a guide with them when visiting an unfamiliar country, and in the case of Sri Lanka there is plenty of fauna and flora to see. This book claims to feature over 90 per cent of all birds, mammals and dragonflies recorded in the country, but its reach is far broader than that - it also features butterflies and other invertebrates, reptiles and amphibians, marine and freshwater fish, and plants. “There are 1,180 species in total, each illustrated by a single colour photo, with a paragraph of text on the facing page describing field characters, habitat, distribution, voice and status. Common and scientific names are given, as are measurements, and endemic species are clearly indicated with a white 'e' in a green circle. There's also a useful introductory section with glossaries of technical terms, topographical diagrams, a country introduction and an overview of taxonomy and species groups. “Overall, the photos are excellent, the coverage extensive and the text surprisingly detailed. It's a tall order to cover so many species in one guide, but this book does it remarkably well. Birders will also want to take a dedicated field guide which has space to illustrate more than a single plumage, but for most bird species the images in this guide more than suffice for identification purposes. For mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, butterflies and odonata, this is the ideal companion - and to have so much in a single portable guide is a major achievement. I referred to it frequently on a recent trip to Sri Lanka, and highly recommend it to other visitors. IBIS, The International Journal of Avian Science, October 2025. Alan Francis “This is a lovely book for visitors who are keen to see the whole gamut of Sri Lankan wildlife. The book has 400+ pages of excellent photographs covering almost 1200 species, including 450 birds, 120 mammals (including Asian Elephants, Sloth Bear, Leopard and Dugong), and 70 or so reptiles/amphibians. There are also many pages covering fish and plants. In terms of wildlife, Sri Lanka is one world’s best destinations in terms of the number and diversity of endemic species. “The main author is a Sri Lankan specialist, with several hundred published articles on the wildlife, and a host of safari-type expeditions which have publicized the country as the place to see whales and dragonflies, as well as the land mammals and birds. “The book starts with a list of how to measure birds, mammals and other species, and a list of technical details. The topographical illustrations and a list of the best places to go follows, as do the species themselves. Each is accompanied by an excellent photograph and a very short note which includes habitat, voice and status for the birds, and similar data for the other species. The endemic birds are starred with an ‘e’ to add the visitor who is keen to see those species, many of which are very scarce, with some endangered. Of the list of endangered endemics, the most beautiful are the Serendib Scops-owl (Otus thilohoffmanni) and the equally beautiful Sri Lanka Blue Magpie (Urocissa ornata). The images of brilliantly coloured marine fish might well persuade a visitor to go for a swim, while the butterflies and dragonflies could tempt others to explore more remote areas: but beware of the Spectacled Cobra (Naja naja) which is highly venomous but whose population is stated as of ‘Least Concern’!”