UDAWALAWA NATIONAL PARK
SRI LANKA
(Sambaragamuwa and Uva Provinces) (SE & SW respectively)
Lat: 6o25’21’’N 80o49’05’’E (S), 30,821 ha, 77-131 m ()
Protected/registered status
Best Time for visit; anytime (January 2017)
Birding Site Guide
Udwalawa is 165 km from Colombo on the edge of the wet and dry zones. We stayed at the popular Safari Village Hotel, which is just 9 km SW from the park, S of the reservoir. It was reasonably priced (c.£40) nice and basic but clean, being a complex of small bungalows rooms in a connected complex. It has wi-fi. (Safari Village Hotel, R.B. Canal Road, Udwalawa, 70190 Udawalawe).
The largest of the two reservoirs; Uda Walawe is 8.9 km by 6.25 km long though the main body is smaller it has many arms. The other Eastern one is about 3.6 km by 4.15 km.
Species lists are 184 birds (33 of which are migratory)
Species seen
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis, Spot-billed Pelican Pelicanus philippensis, Intermediate Egret Egretta intermedia intermedia, Great Egret Egretta alba modesta, Grey Heron Ardea cinerea cinerea, Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala, Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia leucorodia, Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus vociferus, Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus indus, White-bellied Sea Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster, Grey-headed Fish Eagle Icthyophaga icthyaetus, Crested Hawk Eagle Spizaetus cirrhatus ceylanensis, Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus, Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus himantopus, Indian Stone-curlew Burhinus indicus, Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius, Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius mongolus, Yellow-wattled Lapwing Vanellus malabaricus, Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus lankae, Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis, Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia, Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus, Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos, Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica nilotica, Little Tern Sterna albifrons, Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybridus hybridus, Rock Pigeon Columba livia intermedia, Spotted Dove Stigmatopelia chinensi ceylonensis, Orange-breasted Green Pigeon Treron bicincta leggei, Grey-bellied Cuckoo Cacomantis passerinus, Little Indian Nightjar Caprimulgus asiaticus eidos, Jerdon's Nightjar Caprimulgus atripennis aequabilis, Indian Swiftlet Aerodramus unicolor, Little Swift Apus affinis singalensis, Asian Palm Swift Cypsiurus balasiensis balasiensis, White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis fusca, Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis leucomelanura, Little Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis ceylonicus, Blue-tailed Bee-eater Merops phillippinus phillippinus, Chestnut-headed Bee-eater Merops leschenaulti leschenaulti, Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis indica, Malabar Pied Hornbill Anthracoceros coronatus (photo of roost) Coppersmith Barbet Megalaima haemacephala indica, Yellow-fronted Pied Woodpecker Dendrocopus mahrattensis m, Indian Pitta Pitta brachyura brachyura, Jerdon's Bushlark Mirafra affinis, Ashy-crowned Finch-lark Eremopterix griseus, Oriental Skylark Alauda gulgula gulgula, Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica rustica, Blyth's Pipit Anthus godlewskii, Yellow Wagtail ("Grey-headed") Motacilla flava thunbergi, White Wagtail Motacilla alba dukhunensis, Sri Lanka Woodshrike Tephrodornis affinis, Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer haemorrhous, White-tailed Iora (Marshall's I) Aegithna nigrolutea, Indian Robin Saxicoloides fulicata, Zittining Cisticola Cisticola juncidis omalurus, Grey-breasted Prinia Prinia hodgsonii pectoralis, Plain Prinia Prinia inornata insularis, Jungle Prinia Prinia sylvatica valida, White-browed Fantail Rhipidura aureola compressirostris, Yellow-eyed Babbler Chrysomma sinense nasale, House Crow Corvus splendens, Rosy Starling Sturnus roseus.
43 mammals
Toque Macaque Macaca sinica, Tufterd Grey Langur/Hanuman L Semnopithecus priam, Grey Mongoose Herpestes edwardsii, Asian Elephant Elephas maximus (photo), Water/Domestic Buffalo Bubalus bubalus, Flying Fox/Giant Fruit Bat Pteropus giganteus.
33 reptiles
Mugger (photo), Land Monitor Varanus bengalensis, Flapshell Turtle Lissemys punctata.
Also amphibians 21 fish 3, 135 species of butterflies and 94 plants.
Author: BSG
www.birdingsiteguide.com
