Bundala National Park
Covering an area of slightly more than 6,200 hectares, the Bundala National Park is located in the southern district of Hambantota in Sri Lanka. It falls within the dry zone and its climate can be described as hot and arid. The vegetation is predominantly of a dry thorny scrubland variety which provides a natural barrier to the wind and the terrain is flat with sand dunes that border the coastline.
Bundala features a series of lagoons which are an important habitat for wintering water birds. It is due to this fact that Bundala was declared Sri Lanka’s first Ramsar wetland. The best time to visit the Bundala National Park is between August and April when shore bird numbers can reach as high as 20,000 with approximately 197 species, including several species of migratory waterfowl.
The park has also been recognized as an Important Bird Area (IBA) in Sri Lanka. Bundala is home to an impressive catalogue of avifauna including Lesser Whistling Ducks, Indian Cormorants, and Black-necked Storks as well as large water birds like the Grey Heron, Painted Stork and the Black-headed Ibis. These grounds are simply a birder’s paradise. It is an internationally important wintering ground for migratory birds in Sri Lanka as well and was designated as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 2005. The migratory flocks that come here have become one of the park’s main attractions.
