Chundikulam National Park
Sum up
Chundikulam National Park began life as a bird sanctuary in 1938. It was upgraded to national park status after the end of the civil war in 2012, and extended three years later to include other areas such as Adam’s Bridge and Delft Island. It is slowly regaining recognition as a birders’ paradise as the Jaffna peninsular gradually begins to attract travellers once again.
Duration: 3 hours
Best Time: March to September
Additional Information
Chundikulam sits to the east of the Jaffna peninsular which is joined to the rest of Sri Lanka by a narrow spit of land. The Indian Ocean wraps round it on three sides and to the north-west lies the Jaffna lagoon. Chundikulam lagoon is at its heart.
These arid plains have many varied landscapes: beaches with mounds of sand-dunes, Palmyra palm plantations, salt marshes, wetlands, mangroves, thorny scrublands and dry forests.
A low human population means that this can be a birders’ paradise. There are numerous wader birds in this area such as painted storks, pelicans, godwits, ducks and spoon bills. The pink flamingos that have all but disappeared from Bundala in the south can be seen here in their thousands.
In the sand dunes, what few humans impose on the area might be fishermen casting aside small fish from their nets, so during the migratory season, spanning from November to February, the dunes are full of large flocks of birds, such as terns and gulls, and also kites and sea eagles.
Mammals such as the sloth bear, jackals and deer, as well as reptiles such as the mugger and saltwater crocodiles can also be seen within the park, but it is bird life that is likely to bring people here in the years ahead.
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