Birdwatching in the North-West Coast

The north-west offers fantastic opportunities for seeing the birds of Sri Lanka, particularly migrating species which find a home on the island between October and March.  For birdwatching in Negombo visitors should head to the Muthurajawela Wetlands, 6,000 hectares of land covered with mangroves and marshlands which also encompasses the Negombo Lagoon. This area is soaked in seawater each day during high tide, which over the years has led to the development of a brackish and biologically diverse eco system which attracts lots of Sri Lankan wildlife, including numerous kinds of birds, butterflies and fish as well as crocodiles, monitor lizards and the python, Sri Lanka’s largest snake.  Keen birders should go birdwatching in Mannar, a remote spit of land on the north-west coast which is just a few miles from south-east India. Between October and March visitors should go to the Giant’s Tank Sanctuary or the Mannar Vankalai Sanctuary to spot many species of migrant birds, including several types of waders and the vibrant pink flamingos.  Last but certainly not least is Wilpattu National Park, the largest and arguably most picturesque wildlife park in Sri Lanka. It is comprised of many different types of habitat, including lakes, coastline, cliffs, open grasslands, scrubland and patches of forest and so houses a wide variety of Sri Lanka’s wildlife, including elephants, sloth bear, leopards and many species of birds including painted storks, open bills, white ibis, cormorants and kingfishers.