All 4 in 3 days here: <5%
City
Colombo [Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte]
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
Asia, Sri Lanka 369 spp. recorded
Colombo is Sri Lanka's executive and judicial capital, as well as the country's most populous city. It is also the financial centre of the island and a tourist destination. It is located on the west coast of the island. Wikipedia
6.848° N 79.968° E
🦜 Nature
369 Species sighted
214,417 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Jan Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Asian Jackal
Canis aureus
NT
Leschenault’s Rousette
Rousettus leschenaultii
LC
Greater Bandicoot-rat
Bandicota indica
LC
Axis Deer
Axis axis
LC
Naked-rumped Pouched Bat
Saccolaimus saccolaimus
LC
Indian Hare
Lepus nigricollis
LC
Small Indian Civet
Viverricula indica
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Common skittering frog
Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis
Sri Lanka wood frog
Hydrophylax gracilis
LC
Hill Cricket Frog
Minervarya syhadrensis
LC
Jerdon's Bullfrog
Hoplobatrachus crassus
LC
Marbled balloon frog
Uperodon systoma
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
🌙 Most active after dark
Challenges you can complete here
Recent sightings in Colombo [Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte]
LIVEiNaturalistWhere to look
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
-
Thalagama Lake (and surrounding wetlands)
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Kerawalapitiya Sand Dunes
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Kerawalapitiya- Southern Marsh
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Kerawalapitiya Waste Disposal Site
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Negombo · Morawala Beach · seawatching
Sighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
57Jan
51Feb
50Mar
53Apr
47May
48Jun
49Jul
52Aug
51Sep
52Oct
50Nov
49Dec
🏙️ City
Essentials
Green cover
High
Protected land
1%
Protected sea
0.2%
Protected areas
5
areasWildlife spots
12
spotsZoos & centres
1
placesClimate
Tropical rainforest
World Heritage
No
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Zoos & rescue centres
0.0 World-class
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this city for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
ExcellentHow rich is the wildlife?
4.7
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 469
🐒 Mammals 135
🦎 Reptiles 128
🐸 Amphibians 43
775 Total Species
679 Global average across 380 cities
91 Threatened 77 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
ExcellentHow likely to see animals?
5.0
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
72% 📊
Coverage (136 species at ≥5% of 775 in the inventory)
18% 🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (9 bird, 2 reptile, 1 mammal)
54% 🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
5 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
28 🏕️
Experience
ExcellentHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
4.7
Climate Pleasant High
Green cover High High
Protected land & sea 1% land · 0.2% sea Medium
Protected areas 5 High
Wildlife spots 12 High
Zoos & centres 1 Medium
What visitors say
Before you go
What animals can you see in Colombo [Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte]?
369 species
Colombo [Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte]'s urban area has 369 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are Rose-ringed Parakeet (about 80%), House Crow (about 80%), Pearl-necked Dove (about 80%), Asian Koel (about 70%) and Yellow-billed Babbler (about 70%). Among mammals, the most-seen is Indian Palm Squirrel (about 70%); among reptiles, Oriental Garden Lizard (about 70%); among amphibians, Common Indian Toad (about 40%).
When is the best time to see wildlife in Colombo [Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte]?
Any time of year
Wildlife is about as easy to see all year: the city's 12 most-seen species average about 70% on a given day in every month with enough records.
Can you see a White-bellied Drongo in Colombo [Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte]?
Yes
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a White-bellied Drongo sighting in Colombo [Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte] on a given day, based on 4,624 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is February–June and August (about 60%).
Can you see an Indian Palm Squirrel in Colombo [Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte]?
Yes
About 70% of wildlife watchers report an Indian Palm Squirrel sighting in Colombo [Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte] on a given day, based on 311 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is January–March and August (about 80%).
Can you see a Common Water Monitor in Colombo [Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte]?
Yes
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Common Water Monitor sighting in Colombo [Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte] on a given day, based on 281 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is February and July (about 80%).
Where in Colombo [Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte] is wildlife easiest to see?
Thalagama Lake (and surrounding wetlands)
The spot where most wildlife watchers record their sightings is Thalagama Lake (and surrounding wetlands) (136 bird species recorded), followed by Diyasaru Park Thalawathugoda and Kerawalapitiya Sand Dunes. See them on the map.
Is Colombo [Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte] good for wildlife watching?
4.9 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, which rates each city against other cities, Colombo [Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte] gets 4.9/5: 11th of 380 cities worldwide and 4th in Asia. 32 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
Nearest Cities
Nearest Parks
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Nearest Zoos & Centres
Sources: urban area GHSL Urban Centre Database R2024A, European Commission JRC (CC BY 4.0) · protected land WDPA, UNEP-WCMC & IUCN (via GHSL) · climate NASA POWER · wildlife GBIF.org citizen-science data