Sinharaja Forest Reserve is a forest reserve and a biodiversity hotspot in Sri Lanka. It is of international significance and has been designated a Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
It is situated 172.1 km from Colombo via the Southern Expressway and is accessible from any of its three entrances; Pitadeniya, Kudawa and Morning Side. The vegetation at Sinharaja is that of a tropical wet evergreen forest with large trees that grow to heights of 35m to 40m and even going up to 50m, believed to have unbelievable genetic potential, waiting to be tapped.
The total area of the Sinharaja Forest Reserve is 18,900 acres or 7,648 hectares. It ranges in altitude from 300m to 1,170m. Sinharaja Forest reserve is also home to over 50% of Sri Lanka’s endemic species of mammals and butterflies, as well as many kinds of insects, reptiles and rare amphibians.
The endemic birds witnessed here include Ceylon Lorikeet, Layard’s parakeet, Jungle & Spur fowl, Sri Lanka Blue magpie, Sri Lanka Grackle, Ceylon Hanging parrot, Ceylon Grey hornbill, Ashy-headed laughing thrush, Layard’s parakeet, Spotted-wing thrush, Brown-capped babbler, Ceylon Hill mynah, Red faced malkoha, Legge’s flower-pecker amongst many others.
