Renowned for being home to an impressive array of avifauna, Kumana National Park is a paradise for nature lovers and birdwatchers. With oodles of water bodies, lush vegetation, and an abundant supply of insects and other critters for food, the park offers an idyllic setting for birds to thrive, thus, it attracts a large number of migratory birds. Millions of birds around the world flock here for breeding and some use the park as a resting site from where they will continue their journey fully replenished.
The Park is bordered by a river and houses a sum of 20 tanks and lagoons that offer nourishment for an extensive array of birdlife and a large mammalian population. Located in the dry zone, Kumana features a thorny tropical forest, that offers excellent nesting ground for birds, the region also consists of salty marshes and swamp which offers habitat for a large number of amphibians and creatures such as saltwater crocodiles and monitor lizards.
Due to its ecological significance, Kumana was designated as a national park in 1938. Over 255 species of birds have been recorded here and many of its migratory visitors can be spotted from April to July. Some of the bird species that migrate to Kumana in larger flocks are the glossy ibis, Asian openbill, great egret, purple heron, Indian pond heron, black-crowned night heron, little cormorant, little egret, spot-billed pelican, Intermediate egret, Indian cormorant, common moorhen, watercock, purple swamphen, lesser whistling duck and little grebe. The park also attracts a variety of rare bird species that could be witnessed here in groups, some of them are the sirkeer malkoha, yellow-footed green pigeon, Malabar trogon, red-faced malkoha, greater racket-tailed drongo, Eurasian spoonbill, black-necked stork, lesser adjutant, and great thick-knee.
There is also a wide variety of mammals which includes the golden jackal, wild boar, slender lorries, Sri Lankan elephant, and more. If you are lucky you could also spot the elusive fishing cat and the Sri Lankan Leopard as well.
Tourists can explore the park’s enticing wildlife by joining safari expeditions and seeing them up close and personal will help you reconnect with nature and indulge in a profound sense of adventure and discovery!
