Funday Times

Bundala National Park
(The Ramsar Wetland )
Where else in Sri Lanka could one enjoy viewing Migratory Shorebirds in their thousands. Bundala National Park an area of 6216ha, located 246 Km South East of Colombo is Sri Lanka’s only Ramsar Wetland, honored internationally for its significant role since it hosts over 20,000 shorebirds, at any given time over the period of August to April.

This is a unique area of picturesque lagoons and inter-tidal mud flats where the wintering birds rest and feed, golden beaches and sand dunes frequented by nesting sea turtles and the thorny scrub jungle where elephant, deer and wild buffalo roam. It is also a paradise for 149 species of resident and migratory birds.

It is interesting to note that 45 of these migratory birds are ‘Waders” associated with the lagoons, tidal mud flats and salterns. Migratory Stints, Sand Pipers, Plovers, Terns, Gulls, Ducks and Flamingoes, in their vast numbers, share the same area with the resident water birds such as Herons, Egrets, Pelicans, Cormorants, Teals, Storks, Stilts and Grebes and several other species. It would make visitors to the Park curious about where they come from and why and how they do so, only during a particular period of the year.

WHERE FROM?
These are the birds of Eastern Europe, inhabitants of the “tundra” of the Siberian region. The Flamingo comes from Rann of Kutch, of our neighbouring India

WHY?
The Freezing temperatures, snow clad earth and lack of day light cause a severe shortage of food, forcing these birds to take an annual journey -”migration” -of thousands of kilometers southward, braving fatigue, hostile conditions and the poacher to ensure survival to reproduce.

HOW?
Bird migration is a spectacular event in nature, but still a mystery. It is believed that the birds “navigate” during the night, taking their position from the moon and the stars and during the day time observing the movement of the sun, and also remembering the prominent and familiar land-marks such as mountains, rivers, sea coast, valleys etc.

WHEN?
The migration period begins from August with the commencement of the harsh winter and continues up to mid -April, when the Southern Hemisphere “attracts” them with plenty of food and sunshine

WHY VISIT US?
Sri Lanka is the end point of a vast migration of birds from the North. The birds of Eastern Europe and perhaps, some from the Western Europe, take the “Indo-Asian Fly Way” one of the two bird migratory routes in the region, through the Himalayas and the Southern tip of India to reach Sri Lanka.

Arriving at the Northern tip of the Island, after a tedious and decisive journey of thousands of kilometers, the weary shorebirds, take two routes.

* One along the North-Eastern coast, through similar habitats such as Jaffna, Chundikulam and Kokilai lagoons, Arugam Bay and Kumana group of lagoons, to reach the South- Eastern part of the Island, Yala, Bundala and Kalametiya.

* The other the North-Western route, stretching along the sea coast Southward, via lagoons, tidal mudflats, mangrove swamps of Mannar, Puttalam, Mundel and the Muthurajawela marsh to reach the South Western sector of the country

OUR RESPONSIBILITIES
Lagoons, estuaries, mudflats, mangroves swamps and other wetlands are the major habitats utilized by the “Winter Visitors” during their stay with us. Let us therefore Conserve, Protect and Use these areas WISELY for our enjoyment and to ensure the survival of our “visitors” and ours, as well.

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