Dense, dark, wet and mysterious; the 11,187 hectare Sinharaja pre-medieval forest is a rich treasure trove of nature, home to a great diversity of eco-systems inhabited by a vast repository of Sri Lanka’s endemic species. A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1989, this lowland evergreen rain forest is one of the few remaining virgin rainforests in the world; the total vegetation density is estimated to be a staggering 240,000 individuals (trees, shrubs, herbs and seedlings) per hectare.

One of the most interesting and colourful spectacles to be witnessed at Sinharaja are the mixed species feeding flocks, which are the largest of their kind in the world. Whilst the number of participants typically averages 41, as many as 59 species of birds have been observed to have contributed in the feeding flocks in Sinharaja including endemics such as the Red-faced Malkoha, the Ceylon Hanging Parrot and the Ashy-headed Babbler.

Indeed, as many as 95% of Sri Lanka’s endemic birds are found in Sinharaja; of the 25 species, others include the Sri Lanka Blue Magpie, the White-headed Starling and the Green-billed Coucal, the rarest of Sri Lankan birds. There is also a high degree of endemism among the butterflies, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. Many woody plants are also endemic to the region which is also famous for its fossil age plants.