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| Expert tour guides for birds & wildlife watching in Sri Lanka |
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Our team comprises four professional tour leaders, and several other qualified tour leaders and experts, who have years of experience in observing and studying the birdlife and other wildlife of Sri Lanka. They have also been actively involved in wildlife conservation. Our main tour leaders are: Deepal Warakagoda, Uditha Hettige, Lester Perera and
Chinthaka De Silva. |
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| We have also professionals and top experts who collaborate exclusively on our specialized tours. Please click on Expert Collaborators to read about them. |
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| 35 years of experience in birding (Since 1975) |
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Discoverer of the Serendib Scops-owl in 2001 – the first new species of bird in Sri Lanka for 132 years – described in 2004 (Warakagoda & Rasmussen, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club 124: 2). |
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First records of 16 migrant species in Sri Lanka. |
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The consultant for Sri Lanka in Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide. |
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Author and co-author of numerous articles, and two standard, widely-used books, on birds of Sri Lanka. |
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Member of Ceylon Bird Club, Oriental Bird Club and other wildlife and conservation societies |
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The leading sound recordist of Sri Lanka bird sounds, and compiler and publisher of sound guides on birds, |
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and co-author of "Bird sounds and images of birds of Sri Lanka" CD - ROM guides. |
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The founder of the Drongo Nature Sounds Library. All the sounds tracks on this website are composed by him. |
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| 20 years of experience in bird & wildlife tour leading. (Since 1990) |
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Has led the highest number of bird & wildlife watching tours in Sri Lanka. |
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Local tour leader for Kingbird Tours, Sunbird, Ornitholidays, Shinwa Nature Tours and has led tours for Birdquest, Limosa Holidays, Naturetrek , Birdsekers and Birdfinders. |
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Extensive guiding in mammal and other wildlife watching together with bird tours. |
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Has found ‘ most - wanted ' ‘life birds' for world 's top bird listers like Tom Gullick, Martin Edwards, David Narins and the late Phoebe Snetsinger in Sri Lanka. |
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Has accompanied many professional bird photographers in Sri Lanka , e.g. Tim Loseby. |
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| Other special interests in wildlife include: |
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Mammals and butterflies. |
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Recording sounds of Sri Lankan wildlife. |
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| 21 years of experience in birding. (Since 1989) |
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Author and a co-author of many articles on birds of Sri Lanka. |
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Bird and wildlife sound recordist. |
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First-hand knowledge of birds and birding sites in South India. |
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Member of Ceylon Bird Club, Oriental Bird Club and other wildlife and conservation societies. |
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A leading sound recordist of Sri Lanka bird sounds, and co-author of "Bird sounds and images of birds of Sri Lanka" CD - ROM guides. |
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| 12 years of experience in bird & wildlife tour leading. (Since 1998) |
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Has led the second highest number of bird & wildlife watching tours in Sri Lanka. |
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Has found ‘most wanted’ ‘life birds’ in Sri Lanka for many world bird listers with high ‘life lists’. |
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Local tour leader for Avian Adventures, and has led tours for Naturetrek, Kiwi Wildlife, Wildlife Worldwide, Birding Worldwide, Travelling Naturalist, My Travels, Green Tours, etc. |
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Has led many mammal and other wildlife watching tours in Sri Lanka. |
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| 21 years of observing and studying other wildlife. (Since 1989) |
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Author and co-author of many articles on Sri Lankan butterflies, fish, herpetofauna (reptiles and amphibians), mammals and other fauna. |
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Very good knowledge on freshwater fishes of Sri Lanka. Co-ordinator of the program to introduce to new localities and monitor the endemic, threatened Bandula Barb Puntius bandula |
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Involved in a bat research program. |
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Very good knowledge of Sri Lankan flora. |
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Bird and wildlife sound recordist. |
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Much knowledge and experience of marine turtles. |
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Experienced in handling snakes. |
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| Other specialities include: |
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Wildlife photography. All the photographs in this website are by Uditha. |
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Wildlife painting. |
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Lester Perera |
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Holds a National Tourist Guide License of the Sri Lanka Tourist Board (legally essential for leading tours in Sri Lanka). |
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Visiting lecturer on Sri Lankan fauna in National Tourist Guide and Chauffeur Tourist Guide Training Courses conducted by Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism & Hotel Management of Sri Lanka Tourist Board.
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| 34 years of experience in birding. (Since 1976) |
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Has identified and recorded many rare migrant species and one new resident in Sri Lanka. |
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Bird and wildlife sound recordist. |
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Member of Ceylon Bird Club, Oriental Bird Club and other wildlife and conervation societies. |
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Currently carring out a study on the endemic White-faced Starling and Ceylon Hill-myna, a project funded by OBC. |
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| 10 years of experience in bird & wildlife tour leading. (Since 2000) |
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Found ‘most wanted’ ‘life birds’ in Sri Lanka for many world bird listers with high ‘life lists’. |
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Has led tours for Naturetrek, Wildlife Worldwide, Alula Nature Tours, and Abercrombie & Kent. |
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Has led mammal and other wildlife watching tours in Sri Lanka and India. |
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Currently the most experienced Sri Lankan leading bird tours in India. |
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Tour leader for Naturetrek South Indian tours since 2003. |
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| 27 years of observing and studying other wildlife. (Since 1983) |
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Very good knowledge and years of experience of cetaceans (whales and dolphins) and marine turtles. Instrumental in recording the first Blanville’s Beaked Whale in Sri Lankan waters. |
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| Other specialities: |
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One of the best known Sri Lankan bird and wildlife artists. The paintings in the gallery below are by Lester. |
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Exhibited his work on invitation in Scotland at the RSPB ''Art On The Wing'' exhibition held at the Maclaurin Galleries in Ayrshire |
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Chinthaka De Silva |
| Holds a National Tourist Guide License issued by the Sri Lanka Tourist Board (legally essential for leading tours in Sri Lanka). |
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| 29 years of experience in birding. (Since 1981) |
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Identified and recorded several rare bird species in Sri Lanka. |
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Bird and wildlife sound recordist. |
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Member of Ceylon Bird Club, Oriental Bird Club and other wildlife and conservation societies. |
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Currently carring out a study on the endemic Ceylon Scaly Thrush, a project funded by OBC. |
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| 9 years of experience in bird & wildlife tour leading. (Since 2001) |
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Has found ‘most wanted’ ‘life birds’ in Sri Lanka for several world bird listers with high ‘life lists’. |
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Has led tours for Naturetrek, Wildlife Worldwide, My Travels and Abercrombie and Kent. |
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Has led many mammal and other wildlife watching tours in Sri Lanka. Probably the best mammal tracker among Sri Lankan tour guides. Found 17 leopards (10 sightings) in 3 days on a leopard photography tour, and 30 species of mammal, including nocturnal (not counting bats) on a mammal and bird watching tour. |
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Handles wildlife photography tours. |
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| 24 years of observing and studying other wildlife. (Since 1986) |
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Involved in a bat research program . |
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Fair knowledge of Sri Lanka flora. |
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Good knowledge of Sri Lankan butterflies. |
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