Many passionate bird lovers rank Sri Lanka among one of the favourite destinations in the world for birding. It is home to 494 recorded avian species, 230 of which are breeding residents and 33 of which are endemic. 426 bird species have been seen in Sri Lanka, and 33 of these are endemic to Sri Lanka, that is, found nowhere else (this number may soon be revised upwards based on a new taxonomic study). Between October and April, many migrant birds visit Sri Lanka, as far away as Siberia. Sri Lanka's avifauna lives in mixed-species flocks, which makes it easier for birders to study and research interactions between different species. Our birding guide, Upul, will provide all the technical support for bird watching.

Upul is a naturalist. He is an expert on birds, terrestrial and marine mammals, palaeobiodiversity besides natural history as well as professional photographer and wildlife enthusiast. He has had his initial training on natural sciences at The Open University of Sri Lanka with his involvement in many research projects on bears, birds, sambhur, elephants, loris, small cats and endemic fish. He is also a member of the team which conducts bird netting and ringing programmes.

Upul has been awarded the National Tour Guide License from the Sri Lanka Tourist Board and is a holder of the Certificate in Wildlife Conservation & Management from The Open University of Sri Lanka and Diploma in Palaeobiodiversity from the Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology, University of Kelaniya. He has been touring Sri Lanka for many years and is a responsible tour guide who is a great travelling companion.