 Being abode to an enormous collection of charming avian population, Sri Lanka
is bird watcher's paradise. Total number of bird species nestling in the
sanctuaries are 431 in number, out of which 251 are resident and 23 are
migratory to the island. Most of these birds are confined to the wet zone.
Some of the perfect locations for sighting the endemic birds are Horton Plains
National Park, Sinharaja Natural World Heritage and the Peak Wilderness
Sanctuary.
Wetland of coastal area of Bundala and Yala National Parks and Muturajawela and
Bellanwila swamp stocks a worthy location for migratory sea birds. Some of the
migratory birds like warblers, thrushes, cuckoos etc are easily traceable in the
forests of Sri Lanka. The grand basin attracts diverse species of herons, ducks
and terns. Bundala is also quite renowned for its migratory population of
flamingoes.
Kandalama Sanctuary
The sanctuary is spread over an area of 55 acre of dense forest with a diverse
variety of trees and plants, some trees are even 100 years old. The bank of
Kandalama tank is a home of rich variety of medicinal herbs with numerous bird
populations. The numerous varieties of habitat and the water tank offers its
visitors the opportunity to sight more than 145 species that comprises of almost
one third of total number of bird population in Sri Lanka. Some of the easily
sighted birds are arboreal, terrestrial and aquatic birds.
Yala (Ruhuna) National Park
Yala is extended over an area of 1,259sq.km and adjoins to the Lahugala Elephant
Sanctuary towards the North. It is at a distance of 309km from Colombo and
enjoys the terrain of vast open green land and thick forests. The complete
national park is embellished with water bodies, lakes and lagoons that provide
an idle location to flocks of birds that capture the charm of the bird
enthusiasts.
Kumana Bird Sanctuary
Kumana Bird Sanctuary a home to local as well as migratory aquatic birds is
located towards the northeast of Yala National Park. As the region enjoys the
vegetation of mangrove swamps it makes a perfect location for the world famous
bird population, that includes- flamingoes, ibis, herons and pheasants. The
other attraction of Kumana are elephants, the heard of elephants can also be
sighted frequently.
Sinharaja
Sinharaja is a vast hot and humid rain forest stretching across Galle, Matara
and Ratnapura. It is the home to some of the endemic birds found in the island
such as the black-crested bulbul, whistling thrust, Sri Lanka white eye etc. It
offers such an extensive melange for the bird watchers that even a complete
lifetime will be not enough to reveal its enigma.
Bundala
Bundala is the birdwatcher's celestial home located 246km from Colombo. The best
time to visit Bundala is from August to April, during this time almost 20,000
shore birds can be sighted. The water bodies and the swamp mud provides guarded
nesting and feeding place for wintering birds. The main attractions of the area
are Migratory Stints, Sand Pipers, Plovers, Terns, Gulls, Ducks, and Flamingos,
found in boundless numbers, along with the resident water birds such as Herons,
Egrets, Pelicans, Teals, Storks and Grebes.
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