Bundala National Park

Bundala is the ideal location for visitors to experience just how exciting a bird-spotting location Sri Lanka is. Bundala National Park is situated on the south east coast near Hambantota, 256 kilometers from Colombo. It stretches nearly 20 km along a coastal strip, and is 6,216 hectares in extent, The history of Bundala as a conservation area began in 1969, when it was declared a sanctuary. Then in 1992 it was upgraded to a national park. Sri Lanka is a signatory to the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance for Migratory Waterfowl, known simply as the Ramsar Convention.

The high species richness of birds associated with Bundala resulted in it being declared as Sri Lanka’s first Ramsar site in 1990Bundala’s hot parched wilderness is otherworldly. It consists of brackish lagoons, sand dunes, salt marshes, mangroves and thorny scrub alongside a dry mixed evergreen forest. Though a large number of mammals and reptiles, especially huge crocodiles and snakes, are resident in Bundala, it is primarily a bird sanctuary and ornithologists’ paradise. The diverse habitats found here, especially the brackish watering holes, attract all species of aquatic birds resident in the country and up to an incredible 20,000 shorebirds during migratory season.FloraScrublands mainly consist of Andara , Eraminiya , Karamba . However the invasive species such as Prosopis juliflora and Opuntia delenii are spreading in the grasslands and scrublands.Forest is covered by typical dominants of Dry mixed ever green forests Palu , Weera and Mallithan. Maila and diwul are also frequently seen. However, the arid vegetation consists mostly of grass flats studded with scrub jungle. Marshes and streams contain water hyacinth and water lilies.FaunaPark provides the shelter for Elephant, Spotted Dear, Wild Boar, Black naped hare, Grey & Ruddy mongoose, toque macaque, Grey Langur & porcupine, jackal and fishing & Rusty Spotted cats.