Bird watching
Being home to a large number of fascinating avians, Sri Lanka is the ornithologist's paradise. A total 431 species of birds have been recorded so far out of which 251 are resident and 23 are endemic to the island. Most of the endemic birds are confined to the wet zone.
The ideal places to steal a view of the endemic birds are Sinharaja Natural World Heritage, Horton Plains National Park and the Peak Wilderness Sanctuary.
Coastal wetlands of Bundala and Yala National Parks and Muturajawela & Bellanwila Marsh provide a good place of habitation for migratory shore birds. Migratory tree warblers, thrushes, cuckoos etc. can be seen in the forests. The large reservoirs in the dry zone draw various species of ducks, terns and herons. Flocks of visiting flamingoes have brought immense fame to Bundala.
Sinharaja
Sinharaja is a great tropical rain forest spanning across Galle, Matara and Ratnapura. It offers some splendid views of the endemic birds found in the island. It offers such a wide variety for the bird watchers that even an entire lifetime will be insufficient to unearth its mysteries. It is home to a number of endemic birds such as the black-crested bulbul, whistling thrust, Sri Lanka white eye etc.
Bundala
246 kms southeast of colombo, Bundala is the birdwatcher’s paradise. It is the terminating point of a vast migration of birds from the north. At any given point of time from August to April it hosts over 20,000 shore birds. The lagoons and the inter-tidal mud provide safe nesting and feeding place for wintering birds. Migratory Stints, Sand Pipers, Plovers, Terns, Gulls, Ducks, and Flamingos, in vast numbers, co-habit with the resident water birds such as Herons, Egrets, Pelicans, Cormorants, Teals, Storks, Stilts, and Grebes, to create a colourful blend for the tourists to relish.
Yala (Ruhuna) National Park
Situated 309 km. south of Colombo, Yala spans over an area of 1,259 sq.km and shares its northern frontiers with the Lahugala Elephant Sanctuary. The vegetation ranges from open parkland to dense jungle. The entire park is dotted with water holes, small lakes, lagoons which are home to flocks of birds which holds the fascination of the bird watchers.
The ideal places to steal a view of the endemic birds are Sinharaja Natural World Heritage, Horton Plains National Park and the Peak Wilderness Sanctuary.
Coastal wetlands of Bundala and Yala National Parks and Muturajawela & Bellanwila Marsh provide a good place of habitation for migratory shore birds. Migratory tree warblers, thrushes, cuckoos etc. can be seen in the forests. The large reservoirs in the dry zone draw various species of ducks, terns and herons. Flocks of visiting flamingoes have brought immense fame to Bundala.
Sinharaja
Sinharaja is a great tropical rain forest spanning across Galle, Matara and Ratnapura. It offers some splendid views of the endemic birds found in the island. It offers such a wide variety for the bird watchers that even an entire lifetime will be insufficient to unearth its mysteries. It is home to a number of endemic birds such as the black-crested bulbul, whistling thrust, Sri Lanka white eye etc.
Bundala
246 kms southeast of colombo, Bundala is the birdwatcher’s paradise. It is the terminating point of a vast migration of birds from the north. At any given point of time from August to April it hosts over 20,000 shore birds. The lagoons and the inter-tidal mud provide safe nesting and feeding place for wintering birds. Migratory Stints, Sand Pipers, Plovers, Terns, Gulls, Ducks, and Flamingos, in vast numbers, co-habit with the resident water birds such as Herons, Egrets, Pelicans, Cormorants, Teals, Storks, Stilts, and Grebes, to create a colourful blend for the tourists to relish.
Yala (Ruhuna) National Park
Situated 309 km. south of Colombo, Yala spans over an area of 1,259 sq.km and shares its northern frontiers with the Lahugala Elephant Sanctuary. The vegetation ranges from open parkland to dense jungle. The entire park is dotted with water holes, small lakes, lagoons which are home to flocks of birds which holds the fascination of the bird watchers.
Bird Sanctuaries - Sri Lanka
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.
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.
New bird discovered by Sri Lankan ornithologist
(Sunday Island: 25.02.2001)
A previously unknown species of a bird (a type of owl) has been discovered recently in Sri Lanka - the first such discovery in 132 years, the Ceylon Bird Club reported last week.
"The discovery of a species today is a major event in world ornithology. It happens mostly in little-explored parts of the planet. That a species should evade detection in Sri Lanka, so well covered by bird studies since colonial times, is astonishing," a bird enthusiast said.
Deepal Warakagoda, one of the world’s finest field ornithologists, had been tracking the bird by its call for several years and on January 23 he finally saw it in a wet-zone forest. As he had thought all along, it was an owl of a kind unknown in the island before.
Soon after, Chandima Kahan-dawala, accompanying Warakagoda took good photographs of the species in the wild, a remarkable feat so soon after its discovery. Ed Hagen of the USA was present on the first occasion and Nanda Senanayake, Chairman of the Ceylon Bird Club, and Udaya Sirivardana on the second.
The material gathered on the owl was studied by Dr. Pamela Rasmussen of the USA, a leading authority on the ornithology in this region, who states that the species is almost certainly new to science. Warakagoda and she are collaborating on studies to determine its taxonomy, distribution, ecology and biology, a Bird Club spokesman said.
A previously unknown species of a bird (a type of owl) has been discovered recently in Sri Lanka - the first such discovery in 132 years, the Ceylon Bird Club reported last week.
"The discovery of a species today is a major event in world ornithology. It happens mostly in little-explored parts of the planet. That a species should evade detection in Sri Lanka, so well covered by bird studies since colonial times, is astonishing," a bird enthusiast said.
Deepal Warakagoda, one of the world’s finest field ornithologists, had been tracking the bird by its call for several years and on January 23 he finally saw it in a wet-zone forest. As he had thought all along, it was an owl of a kind unknown in the island before.
Soon after, Chandima Kahan-dawala, accompanying Warakagoda took good photographs of the species in the wild, a remarkable feat so soon after its discovery. Ed Hagen of the USA was present on the first occasion and Nanda Senanayake, Chairman of the Ceylon Bird Club, and Udaya Sirivardana on the second.
The material gathered on the owl was studied by Dr. Pamela Rasmussen of the USA, a leading authority on the ornithology in this region, who states that the species is almost certainly new to science. Warakagoda and she are collaborating on studies to determine its taxonomy, distribution, ecology and biology, a Bird Club spokesman said.
yala
Location: 309 kms south of ColomboTotal Area: 1, 259 sqkms.Main Attractions: Asiatic Elephant, Leopards, Birds
Situated 309 km. south of Colombo, Yala national park spans over an area of 1,259 sq.km and shares its northern frontiers with the Lahugala Elephant Sanctuary. The vegetation ranges from open parkland to dense jungle. The entire park is dotted with water holes, small lakes, lagoons and streams providing adequate water for the animals and birds as well as a treat for the eyes of the visitors. Elephants and leopards are the most prominent wildlife species found in Yala wildlife sanctuary. Other attractions include- crocodile, deer, sambar, bear, wild bore, wild buffalo and peacock and may varieties of birds including migratory birds such as flamingos. The scenic ocean frontage adds to the beauty of the park and attracts a lot of visitors. Yala safari is an ultimate destination for afternoon picnic with friends and family.
Other Attractions
Within the yala national park there are many sites of archaelogical interest among which the ancient monastery of Sithulpahuwa perched atop a beautiful rocky platform is among it's most visited sites.
A favurite haunt for bird watchers is Salt pans at Palatupana
Exploring the Park
To explore the deeper zones of the park it is necessary to hire a four wheeler.
Accessibility
Trains are the best means to commute within Sri Lanka. One can board a train at Colombo and reach destination Yala. Tourist cabs are also available and it is better to fix the fare beforehand.
Staying
Accomodation is available at the special bunglows maintained by the Department of Wild life Conservation.
Situated 309 km. south of Colombo, Yala national park spans over an area of 1,259 sq.km and shares its northern frontiers with the Lahugala Elephant Sanctuary. The vegetation ranges from open parkland to dense jungle. The entire park is dotted with water holes, small lakes, lagoons and streams providing adequate water for the animals and birds as well as a treat for the eyes of the visitors. Elephants and leopards are the most prominent wildlife species found in Yala wildlife sanctuary. Other attractions include- crocodile, deer, sambar, bear, wild bore, wild buffalo and peacock and may varieties of birds including migratory birds such as flamingos. The scenic ocean frontage adds to the beauty of the park and attracts a lot of visitors. Yala safari is an ultimate destination for afternoon picnic with friends and family.
Other Attractions
Within the yala national park there are many sites of archaelogical interest among which the ancient monastery of Sithulpahuwa perched atop a beautiful rocky platform is among it's most visited sites.
A favurite haunt for bird watchers is Salt pans at Palatupana
Exploring the Park
To explore the deeper zones of the park it is necessary to hire a four wheeler.
Accessibility
Trains are the best means to commute within Sri Lanka. One can board a train at Colombo and reach destination Yala. Tourist cabs are also available and it is better to fix the fare beforehand.
Staying
Accomodation is available at the special bunglows maintained by the Department of Wild life Conservation.
Wilpattu national park
Location: 176 kms north of ColomboTotal Area: 1, 908 sqkmsMain Attractions: Leopard, Sloth Bear
Situated 176 km. north of Colombo, Wilpattu covers an area of 1,908 sq.km. Its dense jungle cover with numerous little lakes makes it an exciting park and animals have to be tracked rather than spotted. What attracts the nature lovers here is the large number of leopards and sloth bears which inhabit the park.
Transportation within the park
to have a glance at the amazing wild animal’s visitors must hire a four wheeler.
Situated 176 km. north of Colombo, Wilpattu covers an area of 1,908 sq.km. Its dense jungle cover with numerous little lakes makes it an exciting park and animals have to be tracked rather than spotted. What attracts the nature lovers here is the large number of leopards and sloth bears which inhabit the park.
Transportation within the park
to have a glance at the amazing wild animal’s visitors must hire a four wheeler.
Udawalawa
Location: 170 kms southeast of ColomboMain Attractions: Elephants, Deers, Wild Buffaloes.
Situated 170 km. South East of Colombo within Ratnapura and Morangala districts, the Uda Walawe National Park acts as the catchment to the Uda Walawe Reservoir. The park’s vegetation comprises of grasslands, thorn scrubs and many valuable species of trees. Large herds of Elephants and Deer species such as spotted Deer, Sambhur, Barking deer and Langur, Wild Boar, Water Buffalo, Jackal are some of the prominent wild animals found here. In addition, a variety of avifauna are also found in the park.
Exploring the park
Four wheelers are the best modes of commuting within the park.
Accessibility
Trains, buses and tourist cabs are available from Colombo. Train, however, is the best way to commute. If you hire a cab, fix the fare beforehand.
Accomodation
Tourists can unpack at the special bunglows maintained by the Department of Wildlife Conservation.
Situated 170 km. South East of Colombo within Ratnapura and Morangala districts, the Uda Walawe National Park acts as the catchment to the Uda Walawe Reservoir. The park’s vegetation comprises of grasslands, thorn scrubs and many valuable species of trees. Large herds of Elephants and Deer species such as spotted Deer, Sambhur, Barking deer and Langur, Wild Boar, Water Buffalo, Jackal are some of the prominent wild animals found here. In addition, a variety of avifauna are also found in the park.
Exploring the park
Four wheelers are the best modes of commuting within the park.
Accessibility
Trains, buses and tourist cabs are available from Colombo. Train, however, is the best way to commute. If you hire a cab, fix the fare beforehand.
Accomodation
Tourists can unpack at the special bunglows maintained by the Department of Wildlife Conservation.
maduru-oya-national-park
Location: 300 kms from ColomboTotal Area: 58, 849 hectaresMain Attractions: Purple Monkey, Sambhur, Reptiles, Birds
This park with a total area of 58,849 hectares is located in the Dry Zone and is 300 k.m. away from Colombo. Apart from a wide variety of wildlife including some endemic birds species and reptiles, the park is also rich in ancient ruins. Among the important animals found here mention may be made of the purple monkey and the Sambhur, a member of the cat family.
Accessibility
Trains and buses are available from Colombo. You can also hire a tourist cab, but the best way to reach your destination is by the railway.
Where to Stay?
Tourists can stay at the bunglows maintained by the Department of Wildlife Conservation.
This park with a total area of 58,849 hectares is located in the Dry Zone and is 300 k.m. away from Colombo. Apart from a wide variety of wildlife including some endemic birds species and reptiles, the park is also rich in ancient ruins. Among the important animals found here mention may be made of the purple monkey and the Sambhur, a member of the cat family.
Accessibility
Trains and buses are available from Colombo. You can also hire a tourist cab, but the best way to reach your destination is by the railway.
Where to Stay?
Tourists can stay at the bunglows maintained by the Department of Wildlife Conservation.