Birdlife

Had a wonderful, great tour with many highlights each day. Thanks for working overtime to help us see such great wildlife, reptiles, snakes, mammals and birds. Also appreciate your knowledge about Sri Lanka in general and history. Thanks so much. Hope to see you in the future

Thank you so much, I appreciate all of your hard work helping us find great snakes...

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and helping us find some fantastic wildlife. I really enjoyed Sri Lanka.

Thank you so much, I appreciate all of your hard work helping us find great snakes. I really loved seeing your country and I cant wait to come back.

Our custom-designed 3-week exploration of the natural world of Sri Lanka was expertly designed by Classic Wild and Rajiv. Our group of 6 photographers enjoyed our time spent in the National Parks and preserves searching for and photographing so many species found in Sri Lanka from butterflies to leopards. Rajiv designed our tour to meet the diverse interests of our group and to introduce us to a variety of habitats and species found in Sri Lanka. Thank you to Rajiv and his team for all of the efforts that went into planning our adventure!

Island Fever

Cannot thank Rajiv and Classic Wild enough for the two trips (and more planned) executed for my small groups. Great places to stay, excellent wildlife opportunities and no detail not taken care of from start to finish. This is the only way to experience the wilds of Sri Lanka…in comfort!

I went on the last weekend Yala tour with Rajiv Welikala and had a great trip, great organization, very comfortable and pleasing accommodation with good food. He is a true wild life enthusiast and it was lovely listening to his experiences in the jungle . I have been spreading the word to family and friends about the trip and I look forward to organizing another one to Yala with Rajiv and I plan to take a full contingent of my friends along as well.

I am writing this review to thank 'Rajiv Welikala for organizing the most memorable tour to Habarana ( Minneriya & Kaudulla National Parks) This was my first trip with Classic Wild and it was fully worth and very highly recommend. The naturalist guide 'Supurna Hettiarachchi (Hetti) was professional, polite and really patient. He had a very good eye for spotting birds, if not for Hetti, I would not have spotted many different varieties of birds. Overall I am highly satisfied with the entire journey and it was an adventure to remember. I am looking forward to joining Classic Wild for many other wildlife tours.

Good luck & God Bless you all !!

Had a wonderful 3 night excursion to Sinharaja arranged by Rajiv and his team at Classic Wild.

All arrangements with regards to transport, accommodation, food and guides were well taken care of and as promised. The birding guide Hetti was exceptional as were the local driver/ guides Tilak and Dhanuskha who went all out to seek and show us a pair of Frogmouths and a pair of Serendib Scops Owls amongst the many other endemic birds we were able to see. We had a fun trip and would definitely go back to Sinharaja with them.

We did a safari tour of Yala National Park with Rajiv Welikala and thoroughly enjoyed it. Rajiv was very attentive and ensured we enjoyed our stay. He and the other tour guides took extra effort to show us and the rest of our tour group the rarer animals in the park and as a result we did. The drivers were also extremely skilled and went out of their way to get us a rare sighting as well. All in all the trip was very enjoyable and we will not forget this amazing experience!

I've been to Yala National Park countless times and never truly experienced or appreciated the park until my recent trip with Rajiv Welikala and Classic Wild. Rajiv's enthusiasm for wildlife and photography makes him an expert guide and host, and I learned something new about our island's rich natural heritage with every sighting. I came out of the tour with a greater appreciation for wildlife, better photography skills under Rajiv's mentoring, great sightings and a wider circle of fellow animal enthusiasts and travelers. The trip to Yala was an absolute treat and Classic Wild is to be praised for its exceptional organization. Travel was smooth and comfortable and our stay at Yala was fantastic with truly great food, cosy rooms and brilliant service. I cannot recommend the trip highly enough for budding photographers or nature enthusiasts like myself. It isn't every day you get the opportunity to travel with a legendary wildlife photographer and enthusiast like Rajiv and learn so much.

Took part on a birding tour to Sinharaja with Classic Wild, it was a very well organized tour, our birding guide Hetti was amazing with his knowledge on bird calls and local knowledge on the whereabouts of each endemic bird species which made bird watching all the more easier even though the damp weather. A big thanks to Rajiv and Classic Wild for organizing the tour

Natural Selection Tours

Took part on a birding tour to Sinharaja with Classic Wild, it was a very well organized tour, our birding guide Hetti was amazing with his knowledge on bird calls and local knowledge on the whereabouts of each endemic bird species which made bird watching all the more easier even though the damp weather. A big thanks to Rajiv and Classic Wild for organizing the tour

Arguably one of the most sought after species on any birding tour to Sri Lanka, the Serendib Scops Owl is the newest bird species discovered to science. Discovered in 2001, this iconic owl is seen in the lowland rainforests of Sri Lanka. Being extremely secretive in nature the owl eluded surveys across the island which began by the Dutch colonialists over 200 years ago. Many eminent ornithologists explored this island for many years, and yet this charismatic bird may have been perched in hiding not far from them and yet remained undiscovered.

The vocalization of this bird was first noticed by eminent Sri Lankan ornithologist Deepal Warakagoda in 1995. Comparative analysis of recorded audio revealed this was infact an owl. Despite the audio evidence the owl evaded Deepal for many years, but until January 2001 when it was first sighted in the Sinharaja rainforest. Thereafter a team of dedicated ornithologists carried out the study to determine this owl as a new species. The research was carried out until early 2004 when enough detail was obtained to publish in June 2004.

The new owl was honored with the scientific name Otus thilohoffmanni which is after Mr. Thilo W. Hoffmann, a Sri Lanka’s leading worker for nature conservation in Sri Lanka, and was instrumental in saving the Sinharaja eco system, where the bird was discovered. The name ‘Serendib’ was selected as this was the ancient name for the island of Sri Lanka and also to signify the serendipity of this monumental discovery.

The Serendib Scops Owl is a small rufescent owl which has yellow to orange eyes. The adults have light speckles on the underparts which is not visible in juveniles. The Serendib Scops Owl though they don’t have natural “ear tufts” can show “false tufts” when they are alert and alarmed. They also showcase a triangular visage on their face when alarmed. They usually roost singly or in pairs in the understory, but are also seen in upper levels of trees at night. Their unique features of all rufous coloration, lack of prominent facial borders and limited markings below helps to easily separate it from other species of owls found in Sri Lanka.

They are found in both Sinharaja and Kitulagala rainforest eco systems and with a trained naturalist and expert local tracker one is very likely to find this amazing species of owl.

One of Sri Lanka’s most colorful endemics the Sri Lanka Blue Magpie is the unofficial symbol of Sinharaja.

Perfectly adapted to hunt in the dense forest canopy, this is a predatory bird, known to feed on insects, frogs, and small lizards. They have also been observed preying on other bird species, especially hatchlings. They have been even observed to rub hairy caterpillars against mossy branches to remove any irritating hairs before consuming.

They are monogamous and use co-operative breeding to raise their young. Usually seen in small flocks usually upto seven birds. Breeding season usually is from January to March and they lay three to five eggs at a time. Both the males and females of the Sri Lanka Blue Magpie build the nest and feed the offspring, with only the female bird incubating them.

Found in the wet lowland and some forest regions of the highlands these birds are listed as vulnerable due to the fragmentation of its habitat due to continuous de-forestation.

The legendary Sri Lanka Whistling Thrush also known locally as the “Arrenga” is arguably the most sought after bird to see on the island. Mythical in its reputation to be very elusive and to only come out into the open when its dark and misty, this beautiful bird is an endangered species and found only in small fragmented habitats on the island.

The bird prefers higher elevations as its habitat from sea level heights of 1,200-2,000 meters of densely wooded, ferny ravines and gorges. Feeding mainly on insects, lizards, small frogs and snails, the sexes of this species if quite different to each other. The male Sri Lanka Whistling Thrush has an overall blackish appearance with black beak and legs, and a bright blue patch on the shoulder which is often hidden by its wings. The female of the species is brown in coloration but also carries the blue patch on the shoulder.

Often seen as a pair they don’t form flocks. The size of the birds are small, usually ranging from 18-20 cm. The males usually sing a distinctive whistling call usually while deep in cover. Their breeding season usually is the best time to see them which begins in February.

Being very shy in nature they are notoriously evasive and difficult to see which makes its allure even that more enticing, but with the help of a world class birding guide one has a good chance of meeting the legendary “Arrenga” face to face.