Wetlands are important ecological habitats with associated unique flora and fauna. These permanent or temporary accumulations of water are protected under the Convention on Wetlands, referred to as the RAMSAR Convention. This wetland conservation project started in 1971, aiming to provide international protection to wetland ecosystems in Sri Lanka.
The wetlands of Sri Lanka belong to three broad categories. Firstly, the natural freshwater bodies such as rivers, streams, marshes, swamp forests, and villus. Secondly, marine and saltwater bodies including lagoons, estuaries, mangroves, sea grass beds, and coral reefs. Thirdly, man-made wetlands such as tanks, reservoirs, rice fields, and salterns. According to this definition, there are 6 RAMSAR wetlands in Sri Lanka.
Wetlands are home to an extraordinary number of floral and faunal communities. In this post, we are going to show you the spectacular beauty of 6 RAMSAR wetlands in Sri Lanka.
1. Bundala National Park
The Bundala wetlands consist of four shallow brackish-water lagoons. It is a RAMSAR wetland and also an outstanding bird sanctuary in Sri Lanka. They are of international importance because it gives lodging for migrating birds who are coming to warm countries, during the winter season. The wetland habitats in Bundala give home to around 100 species of water birds, half of them being migrant birds. More than 15,000 migratory sea birds are enjoying this wetland during the migratory season.
Especially, migrant birds make the journey from far away countries as far as Siberia. They visit Sri Lanka every winter season. It is wonderful scenery to see these birds follow an established migratory route spread over such a long distance. Moreover, the adjacent seashore of Bundala is a breeding ground for all five species of globally endangered sea turtles that migrate to Sri Lanka.
There is a strip of Palu tree forest on the sand dunes of Bundala which is a unique type of forest in Sri Lanka. The terrain is generally flat with sand dunes bordering the coastline. Mostly, the vegetation is dry thorny scrub lands. Thus, this bordering forest provides a natural barrier to the winds which would accelerate the desertification of the countryside.
Bundala is a paradise for bird lovers and nature enthusiasts. The rare Black-necked Stork and Great Thick-knee are birding highlights. Particularly, the Black-necked Stork is the largest species of Stork live in Sri Lanka.
It is easy to spot migratory birds such as Blue-tailed Bee eaters, Red Shank, Spot-billed Pelican, Blue-faced Malkoha, Crested Hawk Eagle, and Brown Shrike. You’ll witness hundreds of shore birds feeding at wetlands during the daytime in Bundala wetlands.
2. Anavilundawa Sanctuary
The Anavilundawa Wildlife Sanctuary is the second RAMSAR wetland in Sri Lanka. It is home to about 35% to 40% of the species of amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals that are found in Sri Lanka. Moreover, it is providing a home for several endangered species. Nearly half of the freshwater fish species of Sri Lanka have been recorded in these wetlands.
Anavilundawa 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. The uniqueness of Anawilundawa is its immediate proximity to three vastly different ecosystems; the coast, the mangroves, and the freshwater tanks.
This wetland is home to 150 species of water birds and 74 species of beautiful butterflies. This complex ecological setting has made it a favorable nesting and breeding ground for hundreds of species of birds. Some of the bird species found here are a large breeding colony of Herons, the Open-bill, the Great cormorant, the White ibis, the Egret, the Stalk, and the purple swamp hen.
This is one of the best places in Sri Lanka to see the mysterious small wild cats. Both the Rusty-spotted cat and the Fishing cat live in this wetland. The rusty-spotted cats live only in India and Sri Lanka while they’re the world’s smallest cat species.
It is internationally important as it provides a refuge for migrant birds. They are available from October to April during the European winter season. Certainly, Anawilundawa is a bird watcher’s paradise and it is a perfect place to capture some spectacular scenery around the wetlands.
3. Madu Ganga Sanctuary
Madu Ganga RAMSAR wetland is located near the southern coast of Balapitiya town. This is Sri Lanka’s largest remaining natural mangrove swamp. Before the Madu River flows into the ocean, it forms a complicated network of mangrove swamps and a wide-open lake dotted with several islets. These mangrove-forested islets form a complex coastal wetland ecosystem.
Madu River is famous as the “river with 64 islands”. But the actual number of islands is around 26. The reason is most of the small islands are submerged in the water and only the islands with a larger land mass are remaining.
One of the unique features of the Madu Ganga RAMSAR wetland is the presence of the critically endangered and very rare Mangrove species Lumnitzera littorea (Rathamilla). This native mangrove species is extremely rare to find on the island. There are only a smaller number of trees in the Pathamulla area in the Madu Ganga wetland. This species has attractive, conspicuous red flowers.
The Madu Ganga is home to a large number of organisms and is very rich in biodiversity. If you go for a boat safari in the Madu River, you’ll see a large number of flora and fauna. Approximately 30% of local flora and fauna and 45% of foreign species live here. There are 110 species of birds, 24 mammal species, 70 fish species, 30 reptile species, 50 butterfly species, and 300 plant species. With the rich biodiversity and beauty of nature, Madu Ganga is one of the best places for a day trip around Colombo.
4. Vankalai Sanctuary
Vankalei Sanctuary is located in the Mannar district, 255 km north of the capital of Colombo. This sanctuary has been an important archaeological site since it was a major port in ancient Sri Lanka. It is made up of a vast ecosystem with shrub forests, tanks, sand dunes, mangrove forests, salt marshes, lagoons, and sea grasslands. With its numerous local and migratory bird species, Vankalei has been declared as a prominent bird sanctuary in Sri Lanka.
Since this area belongs to the arid zone, the vegetation mostly consists of thorn scrubland and pastures. The site consists of several ecosystems which range from maritime grasslands, sand dunes, mangroves, salt marshes, lagoons, tidal flats, sea-grass beds, and shallow marine areas. Due to the integrated nature of shallow wetlands and terrestrial coastal habitats, this sanctuary supports a large ecosystem and rich biodiversity.
During the start of the winter season, thousands of migrant birds arrive in Sri Lanka, making landfall in the Vankalai lagoon. Similarly, when leaving the country at the end of the season, they use Vankalai as their last staging point. Here, the major highlight is the Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus). During the months from December to April, these beautiful birds make marvelous scenery in the lagoon.
The site’s coastal and marine ecosystems are important for over 60 species of fish, marine turtles, and rare species such as Dugongs. These ecosystems provide important spawning and feeding grounds for juvenile fish species such as Trevally and snappers, and also host a number of threatened species, such as the Green Turtle and Saltwater Crocodiles.
5. Kumana National Park
The 5th RAMSAR wetland in Sri Lanka is Kumana National Park which belongs to Yala East in the Ampara district. It is a bird paradise where you can see 50% of the bird species in Sri Lanka and 35% of the migratory aquatic birds. This is a wetland with lively habitat lagoons, estuaries, mangroves, and salt marshes of the coastal zone. Since this area is rich in food, it provides shelter, protection, and breeding grounds for birds.
A large number of tanks and lagoons scattered around the Kumana National Park brings an ideal place for birds to make nests and lay their eggs. Every year between April to July thousands of migratory birds visit Kumana National Park. The Eurasian spoonbills, Black-necked stork, and Great thick-knee are breeding inhabitants. The visiting waders include the Waterfowl and pintail snipes migrating from as far away as Siberia.
Amongst the other feathered visitors are the Asian open-bill, Glossy ibis, purple heron, Great egret, Indian pond heron, Black-crowned night heron, Intermediate egret, little egret, Spot-billed pelican, Indian cormorant, Little cormorant, Common moorhen, Watercock, Purple swamp hen, White-breasted water hen, Black-winged stilt, Lesser whistling duck and little Grebe.
The rare visitors include the beautiful pigeon species of Yellow-footed green pigeon, Greater racket-tailed drongo, Malabar trogon, Blue-faced malkoha, and endemic Red-faced malkoha,
Especially, Pheasant-tailed jacanas are one of the most interesting water birds you’ll find in Sri Lankan wetlands. They have unusual parenting roles in that males incubate the eggs and care for the young, while females defend the hatchlings against attacks by predators.
6. Wilpattu National Park
Wetlands in Wilpattu are the largest among the RAMSAR wetlands in Sri Lanka. It is declared as the 6th RAMSAR wetland of the country. These wetlands are unique due to the combination of coastal natural wetlands, territorial wetlands, natural terrestrial vegetation, and man-made irrigation systems.
This is the only place where the Villu wetlands exist in Sri Lanka. Villu is a very unique wetland that has been formed by rainwater. They are flat, shallow depressions containing rainwater, usually with no inlet or outlet. They give Wilpattu its name: the “land of lakes”.
Wilpattu’s freshwater villus is home to buffaloes, as well as the mugger crocodiles while the brackish water villus closer to the coast is home to estuarine crocodiles. This is a unique habitat where you can see two crocodile species within the same radius.
It is home to an abundance of birdlife such as Jungle Fowl, painted storks, owls, terns, gulls, eagles, herons, and several winter migrants. Moreover, beautiful butterflies such as Blue and Common Mormons, Common Rose, and Crimson Rose can be seen vividly fluttering around.
To sum up, these are the 6 designated RAMSAR wetlands in Sri Lanka. A majority of the wetlands in Sri Lanka are facing various threats that are posed by harmful human activities. Rapid urbanization and deforestation lead to the ultimate loss of wetlands and pose a great threat to aquatic flora and fauna. We hope these wetland ecosystems and the surrounding nature will be protected for future generations.
Text by Magnificent Sri Lanka. Images from Wikimedia Commons, Facebook and Twitter. All the copyrights are reserved by the original authors.
