Kumana National Park in Sri Lanka is known for its birds, especially large groups of migratory waterfowl and wading birds. The park is located 391 kilometers (243 miles) southeast of Colombo on Sri Lanka's southeastern coast. Kumana is connected to Yala National Park and was previously called Yala East National Park. It was renamed Kumana National Park in 2006.

The park was closed from 1985 until March 2003 because of attacks by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE). It was also damaged by the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004.

Physical features

Kumbukkan Oya marks the southern edge of the national park. About 20 lagoons and tanks help support the many birds living in the park. The lagoons are shallow, with depths less than 2 meters (6.6 feet). Kumana villu sometimes floods with seawater. The area’s height ranges from sea level up to 90 meters (300 feet). The average temperature is 27.3°C (81.1°F), and the region gets 1,300 millimeters (51 inches) of rain each year.

Flora

The park's wetland areas are near a dry tropical forest with thorny trees. The inland forest's main plants include Manilkara hexandra (Sinhalese "palu"), Hemicyclea sepieria, Bauhinia racemosa, Cassia fistula ("ehela"), Chloroxylon swietenia ("burutha"), and Salvadora persica. The main tree in the Kumana villu is Sonneratia caseolaris, while Typha angustifolia is the most common reed. Terminalia arjuna trees are the most common in the forests near the Kumbukkan Oya river. The common plants in the swamp include colorful Ludwigia species, Nelumbo nucifera, Nymphaea pubescens, Aponogeton species, and Neptunia oleracea.

Fauna

Kumana Bird Sanctuary, established in 1938, is part of Kumana National Park. This area is one of the most important places in Sri Lanka for birds to nest and raise their young. More than 255 types of birds have been recorded in the park. Between April and July, tens of thousands of birds travel to the Kumana swamp region. Some rare birds that live there include the black-necked stork, lesser adjutant, Eurasian spoonbill, and great thick-knee. Birds called waders, which belong to the families Scolopacidae and Charadriidae, visit the area, along with waterfowl. Pintail snipes travel from Siberia to Kumana, flying distances of 9,000 to 11,000 kilometers. Many other bird species, such as Asian openbill, glossy ibis, purple heron, great egret, Indian pond heron, black-crowned night heron, intermediate egret, little egret, spot-billed pelican, Indian cormorant, little cormorant, common moorhen, watercock, purple swamphen, white-breasted waterhen, pheasant-tailed jacana, black-winged stilt, lesser whistling duck, and little grebe, migrate to the area in large groups. Rare birds that visit include the yellow-footed green pigeon, greater racket-tailed drongo, Malabar trogon, red-faced malkoha, and sirkeer malkoha. Common wading birds in the park include Pacific golden plover, greater sand plover, lesser sand plover, grey plover, ruddy turnstone, little ringed plover, wood sandpiper, marsh sandpiper, common redshank, common sandpiper, curlew sandpiper, little stint, common snipe, and pintail snipe.

Fish such as tilapia and mullet are commonly caught in the area, and fish species like Channa are sometimes caught. Reptiles found in the park include mugger crocodile, Indian flap-shelled turtle, and Indian black turtle. Mammals such as golden jackal, wild boar, Sri Lankan elephant, European otter, and fishing cat visit the swamp to find food. It is estimated that 30 to 40 elephants live in the Kumana area.

Cultural significance and conservation

The Kumana area is part of an ancient civilization that began in the 3rd century BC. Rock inscriptions from the 2nd and 1st centuries BC have also been discovered in this region. Kumana National Park is located along the path of the traditional annual pilgrimage by foot to the Hindu temple at Kataragama. Both Tamil and Sinhalese communities participate in this pilgrimage.

The number of birds seen in the national park has decreased in recent years. People who care about the environment and wildlife are worried about a road planned to be built from Kirinda to Panama, which would run along the park’s coastline.

Flora and fauna of Kumana

• Lagoons
• Pelican
• Indian peafowl
• Painted stork
• Black-necked stork
• Common sandpiper
• Indian cormorant
• Sri Lankan junglefowl
• Sri Lankan leopard
• Sri Lankan elephant
• Sri Lankan axis deer
• Wild water buffalo
• Sri Lankan jackal
• Stripe-necked mongoose
• Cassia fistula
• Ludwigia
• Nelumbo nucifera
• Nymphaea pubescens
• Eurasian spoonbill
• Golden jackal
• Fishing cat
• Sri Lankan elephant