Ingiriya Forest Reserve
449 hectares in extent and protected as a forest reserve, this park is managed by the Forest Department. Within the forest is a Buddhist place of meditation and therefore being silent and behaving decently are of paramount importance. This forest is threatened by encroachments all around. However, one is able to walk for about 1 1/2 km inside the forest and also ascend a small hillock from where the surrounding forest canopy can be observed. There are well defined paths to walk as well as cement steps to climb the hillock. Though not as rich as some of the large forests reserves in terms of the diversity of birds, this location is popular with the Colombo birders due to its proximity to the city.
How to get there:- Colombo - Nugegoda - Piliyandala - Horana - 4 km from Horanajunction, look out for a board stating "Dombagaskanda Forest Hermitage (Aranya)" Follow the boards to the forest (1 1/2 hours)
BIRDS: reen-Billed Coucal, Ceylon Trogon, Ceylon Crested Drongo, Indian Three-Toed Kingfisher, Yellow-Fronted Barbet, Black-Capped, Yellow-Browed & Black Bulbuls, Legge's Flower Peckker, Black-Naped Flycatcher, Large-Billed & Green Leaf Warblers, Ceylon & Green Imperial Pigeons, Brown-Capped & Black-Fronted Babblers and many more
