The main trails from Kudawa and Deniyaya are where the flocks move. A single flock can hold dozens of species and hundreds of individuals travelling together — orange-billed babblers and greater racket-tailed drongos at the core, with red-faced malkoha, Sri Lanka blue magpie and ashy-headed laughingthrush among them. The reserve holds the longest-running study of such flocks anywhere.

The forest interior holds most of Sri Lanka's endemic birds — some thirty species, of which the great majority occur here — along with purple-faced langur and giant squirrel in the canopy.

The streams and leaf litter are where the reserve's herpetological fame lies: dozens of endemic amphibians including tiny shrub frogs, plus hump-nosed lizards and the green pit viper.

The night walks outside the reserve boundary add the endemic slender loris, tree frogs and the extraordinary insect life.

January to April and August to September are the drier windows. Rain is likely in any month, and leeches are guaranteed after it.

Practicalities

Kudawa in the northwest and Deniyaya in the southeast are the two main entrances, each with its own guides and lodges. A registered guide is compulsory.

Guides vary enormously — ask specifically for one who knows the endemic birds if that is your interest. Leech socks are essential and locally available. The reserve is a few hours from Galle or Colombo on winding roads.