Sri Lanka is one of the best places in the world for watching birds, where you can see a wide spectrum of resident and migratory birds on the island. Being home to more than 400 bird species including 33 endemic species, there are several bird sanctuaries designated in Sri Lanka to protect them. Bird watching is becoming a more and more popular activity around these bird sanctuaries and protected wetland reserves. If bird watching is your passion, pick up your binoculars and set off to this birdwatcher’s paradise.
Migratory birds prefer Sri Lanka due to its tropical climate, abundance of food, and exotic landscape. The paradise isle of Sri Lanka is a true haven for birds who arrive from all over the world. These migratory birds fly to Sri Lanka to escape from the harsh winter season in colder regions. Around 200 species of migratory birds are arriving from Siberia, Scandinavia, and Western Europe. Thus, months from October to April give the opportunity to witness these great flocks of migratory birds in Sri Lanka.
Here we cover the 10 best bird sanctuaries where avid bird watchers can spot the flying marvels in Sri Lanka. We hope this guide will help you to witness the most amazing sceneries of Sri Lankan birds.
1. Mannar Bird Sanctuary
Have you ever seen a flock of 2,000 flamingos in one place? If not, you can witness them in Mannar Bird Sanctuary in Sri Lanka, between October to April. Located around 250 km north of the capital of Colombo, Mannar Bird Sanctuary, also called Vankalai Lagoon and Adam’s Bridge Marine National Park are paradises for migratory birds. These are the best places where you can see the colorful flamboyancy of flamingos.
The greater flamingo is a migrant bird species that lives in the salterns and lagoons of Mannar during the winter months. When they arrive, they’re whitish to pale pink in color, which grows darker and more vibrant by their diet. The water around Mannar is abundant with their food sources. They like to feed on algae and crustaceans, which give a deep pink color to their plumage.
These beauties who arrive in white and depart in pink are some of the most beloved guests in Sri Lanka. The amazing sight of these gorgeous birds on lagoons in Mannar gives an eye-pleasing view to the bird watchers. Since this magical encounter lasts only a few months, you should catch a glimpse while they are in Sri Lanka.
If you are a bird lover, this is one of the most spectacular sights not to miss in Sri Lanka. Above all, if you are going to witness this great flamingo spectacle, kindly refrain from using drones to photograph them. These birds get highly distressed by the noise of drones, thinking of it as an aerial predator. Remember to snap these lovely visitors without disturbing their daily lives.
2. Anawilundawa Bird Sanctuary
Anawilundawa Bird Sanctuary is a favorite place among bird watchers and nature lovers in Sri Lanka. It gives an opportunity to spot rare birds and watch their behavior in the natural environment. The surrounding is quite beautiful, so there are many opportunities for lovely nature photography in this area. Without a doubt, this is one of the best bird sanctuaries in Sri Lanka to add to your bucket list.
The uniqueness of Anawilundawa is its immediate proximity to three vastly different ecosystems; the coast, the mangroves, and the freshwater tanks. Therefore, it includes one of the six RAMSAR Wetlands in Sri Lanka. This unique ecological setting has made it a favorable nesting and breeding ground for hundreds of species of birds.
Anawilundawa spreads over 1,397 hectares of forest land and comprises nine tanks; six giant manmade cascading tanks and three secondary tanks. Each one is connected with the other and works as one unit. These tanks store water for irrigation and act as a natural habitat and refuge for 150 species of water birds.
Some of the Bird species found here are a large breeding colony of Herons, the Open-bill, Great cormorant, White ibis, Egret, Stalk, and the Purple Swamp Hen. Most endemic and resident birds can be observed right through the year, while the migrants are best seen between the months of October and April.
Anawilundawa bird sanctuary is located around 100 km north of the capital of Colombo. It belongs to the Puttalam district in Northwestern Province and locates between the coast and the Chilaw-Puttalam railway line.
3. Kumana Bird Sanctuary
One of the finest bird sanctuaries ideal for bird watching in Sri Lanka is Kumana. It is an important bird nesting and breeding ground in the southeastern part of the island. The vegetation of the park is mainly tropical dry zone forest, where the western boundary is the Kumbukkan Oya and to the south is the coastal stretch that runs to Panama.
The park’s extensive bird life thrives on a massive 200-hectare natural mangrove swamp, call as the “Kumana Villu”. Plenty of tanks and lagoons are scattered around this area and thousands of birds build nests and breed here. Kumana Bird Sanctuary has recorded 255 species of birds. It is known that thousands of birds migrate to the swamp every year between the months of April to July.
This mangrove swamp is home to many water birds. Regular sightings include species of pelicans, painted storks, spoonbills, white ibis, herons, egrets, and little cormorants. The very rare black-necked stork has also been spotted in the swamp. He is classified Highly scarce resident and endangered bird. It is also the tallest and largest bird in Sri Lanka.
Situated 391 km from Colombo on the southeastern coast of the country, Kumana marks the eastern corner of the Yala National Park. Although Yala is highly famous among visitors, Kumana is less visited and less crowded. Hence it gives great opportunities to observe them peacefully and capture wonderful shots of Sri Lankan birds.
4. Bundala Bird Sanctuary
Bundala is a paradise for bird lovers in Sri Lanka. It harbors nearly 200 species of birds, out of which 58 species are migratory birds. The rare highlights in Bundala are Black-necked Stork and Great Thick-knee. It is easy to spot the Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Red Shank, Spot-billed Pelican, Blue-faced Malkoha, Crested Hawk Eagle, Brown Shrike, and many more in the park.
The lagoons at the park attract a great variety of aquatic birds. Flocks of herons and storks are a regular sight, while ibis, pelicans, painted storks, terns, gulls, sand-pipers, snipes, teals, egrets, and spoonbills live in these wetlands. Endemic birds including Ceylon Junglefowl are a common sight. Bundala is among the top bird sanctuaries in Sri Lanka, where you can witness a large number of birds in one place.
Since it locates in the bird migratory route, it is a favorite breeding ground of them. There are plenty of migratory birds coming in between the months of October to April during the winter in the northern hemisphere. Migrants make the long journey from as far as Siberia and over 15,000 shorebirds might be feeding at any time in this season. Greater flamingos used to come to Bundala, but nowadays they prefer Mannar Bird Sanctuary.
Bundala locates around 390 km from Colombo, pretty close to the wildlife hotspot Yala National Park. The park is just 15 km to the east of Hambantota city.
5. Kalametiya Bird Sanctuary
Kalametiya bird sanctuary locates in the Hambantota district, 22 km from Tangalle. It margins by the vegetation of mangroves and consists of many species of resident birds, migratory birds, and endemic birds. Kalametiya wetland records about 150 species of birds. For instance, pelicans, herons, egrets, open-billed storks, and large wintering populations of migratory birds can be seen in the sanctuary.
Beautiful Kalametiya lagoon locates closer to one of the most gorgeous hidden beaches, Kahandamodara. This is a tranquil and scenic place, an excellent location for bird watching and nature photography. The boat safari in the lagoon will bring you close to lots of bird species. You’ll glide over a true paradise into the sunset and can watch an abundance of tropical birds. As well, you can climb up the rocks in the middle of the bird sanctuary and see the beautiful scenery around.
The sanctuary is located just 21 km east of the beach town Tangalle. If you’re visiting Yala or Kumana National Parks, you can make a short detour to this place.
6. Diyasaru Park
If you like to go bird watching near Colombo, Diyasaru Park is the best place in the city. Formerly known as Thalawathugoda Wetland Park, this 60-acre urban wetland is located just beside Diyawanna Oya in Colombo. It comprises a range of wetland habitats such as marshes, flooded woodlands, lakes, and ponds. Numerically, there are more than 80 species of wetland birds including 50 species of migratory birds.
The park offers many Eco touristic, recreational, and leisure activities. Many facilities are available in the park to observe birds, without disturbing their daily lives. Bird Watching Tower is a good facility you are provided to watch them. There is a bird hide to capture their lovely shots, without distracting the birds.
7. Muthurajawela Wetland
Muthurajawela is a coastal wetland ecosystem located in the Gampaha is the largest wetland in Sri Lanka. Since Muthurajawela locates quite closer to the capital, it is one of the best places for an awesome day trip from Colombo. The marsh is a major local and tourist attraction, highly popular for bird watching in Sri Lanka. As many as 102 species of birds in Sri Lanka are found here, including one endemic and 19 migrants.
The mixture of vegetation types and aquatic habitats in Muthurajawela has made it an ideal eco-zone for a variety of birds. It is a main biodiversity hot spot consisting wide array of unique flora & fauna species. For instance, you can see many species of herons, egrets, cormorants, lapwings, waders, and kingfishers around this wetland system.
There are boating tours for sightseeing from the Muthurajawela Visitor Centre. You can take a 2–3 hours bird watching tour, where visitors are guided through the sanctuary. This is a marvelous opportunity to immerse in the beauty of calm and serene nature and witness the lovely birds in the area.
8. Sinharaja Rain Forest
Sinharaja Rain Forest Reserve is a protected area and a biodiversity hotspot in Sri Lanka. It has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sinharaja represents the country’s last viable area of primary tropical rainforest and acts as a treasure trove of unique flora and fauna. Without a doubt, it considers a great place for bird watching in Sri Lanka.
Sinharaja Forest has a recoded of over 154 species of birds and it is home to several endemic birds in Sri Lanka. They include birds such as Ceylon Junglefowl, Red-faced Mal Koha, Sri Lanka Blue Magpie, and many other species.
Sinharaja locates far from the most visited attractions on the Island, hence you’ll have to allocate extra days to your itinerary to visit the place. The nearest town is Ratnapura around 50 km far. There are 3 entrances to the forest reserve and the most used one is the Kudawa entrance.
9. Knuckles Mountain Range
The picturesque Knuckles Mountain Range is a world heritage site and a biodiversity hotspot locates between Kandy and Matale cities. It considers the hiker’s heaven in Sri Lanka, who likes to hike and trek through the jungles for bird watching. Nestled in an altitude above 2000 m of sea level, this mountain range gives home to many species of hill country birds.
The Knuckles Mountain Range has recorded 128 bird species of which 17 are endemic. Some of them are Black Eagle, Flower Peckers, Bulbuls, Flycatchers, Babblers, and White-eye. For those who love bird watching in Knuckles Range, there are excursions of 1 day, 2 days, and even 3 days organized by various tour companies.
The Knuckles Mountain Range locates around 40 km from Kandy or Matale cities. Certainly, hiking through jungles in the Knuckles Mountain Range gives lots of opportunities to observe Sri Lankan birds. If you are a bird lover, remember to visit Knuckles and witness the lovely hill country birds in Sri Lanka.
10. Victoria Park
Victoria Park is an attractive oasis in Nuwara Eliya city, popular as a family-friendly destination and bird watchers’ paradise in Sri Lanka. It spreads out on 27 acres of land filled with trees and flowers. This park is an ideal place for a fresh natural walk to watch the hill country birds. Grab a pair of binoculars on your way there, since you’ll find dozens of small hill country birds perched on the trees around.
Definitely, a large number of rare bird species can be found in the park. For instance, a few of them are Indian Pitta, endemic Yellow-eared BulBuls, Sri Lanka White-eye, Scimitar Babbler, Pied Thrush, and Indian Blue Robin. In addition, the vulnerable Kashmir Flycatcher is an attractive bird species found in the park.
To sum up, here we have bought the details about the 10 best bird sanctuaries in Sri Lanka. Moreover, most National Parks in Sri Lanka including Yala, Wilpattu, Udawalawe, Wasgamuwa, Minneriya, and Horton Plains are good places for bird watching. Add these charming places to your itinerary and enjoy the flying colors of Sri Lankan birds. Happy bird watching for you all!
Text by Magnificent Sri Lanka. Images from Wikimedia Commons, Facebook, and Twitter. All copyrights are reserved by original authors.
