Uda Walawe National Park

Localization

South East Sri Lanka; 170 km south east from Colombo

Access

Easy

Characteristic

308 km²; Open parkland landscape - flat or slightly hilly countryside (from 100 to 383 m above the sea level). The park is situated around the artificial water dam Uda Walawe (3400 ha). Typical ecosystems - mainly grasslands, gallery forests along river banks and dry evergreen forests. Abandoned teak plantations inside the park area.

Fauna + Flora

Mammals:

Insectivores - Shrews (Soricidae): Suncus sp. (endemic species)

Primates - Old World Monkeys (Cercopithecidae): Grey Langur; Toque Macaque

Pholidota - Pangolins (Manidae): Indian Pangolin

Lagomorphs - Rabbits and Hears (Leporidae): Indian Hare

Rodents - Mice (Muridae): Fawn-colored Mouse; Gerbil (Tatera sp.);  Indian Bush Rat; Soft-furred Rat; Ceylon Spiny Mouse

- Squirrels (Sciuridae): Indian Giant Flying Squirrel; Indian Palm Squirrel

- Old World Porcupines (Hystricidae): Indian Crested Porcupine

Carnivores - Bears (Ursidae): Sloth Bear

- Dogs (Canidae): Golden Jackal

- Civets (Viverridae): Small Indian Civet; Asian Palm Civet; Golden Palm Civet

- Mongoose (Herpestidae): Mongoose Herpestes fuscus; Ruddy Mongoose; Striped-necked Mongoose

- Cats (Felidae): Jungle Cat; Leopard

Elephants - Elephants (Elephantidae): Asian Elephant (about 400 individuals)

Even-toed ungulates - Pigs (Suidae): Wild Boar

- Deers (Cervidae): Axis Deer; Barking Deer; Sambar Deer

Birds:

189 bird species

Pelecaniformes - Cormorants and Shags (Phalacrocoarcidae):Great Cormorant; Indian Cormorant; Little Cormorant

- Pelicans (Pelecanidae): Spot-billed Pelican

Ciconiiformes - Herons, Egrets and Bitterns (Ardeidae): Cattle Egret; Great White Egret; Intermediate Egret; Little Egret; Grey Heron; Striated Heron; Black-crowned Night-Heron; Indian Pond-Heron

- Storks (Ciconiidae): Lesser Adjutant; Asian Openbill; Painted Stork; Wooly-necked Stork

- Ibises and Spoonbills (Threskiornithidae): Black-headed Ibis; Eurasian Spoonbill

Birds of Prey - Ospreys (Pandionidae): Osprey

- Hawks, Eagles, Buzzards, Kites and Old World Vultures (Accipitridae): Besra; Booted Eagle; Grey-headed Fish-Eagle; White-bellied Fish-Eagle; Changeable Hawk-Eagle (endemic subspecies); Montagu´s Harrier; Pallid Harrier; Black-shouldered Kite; Brahminy Kite; Shikra

- Falcons and Caracaras (Falconidae): Eurasian Kestrel

Galliformes - Partridges, Pheasants and Quails (Phasianidae): Jungle Bush-Quail; Ceylon Junglefowl (endemic); Ceylon Spurfowl;

Gruiformes - Buttonquails and Hemipodes (Turnicidae): Barred Buttonquail

- Rails, Crakes, Coots and Gallinules (Rallidae): White-breasted Waterhen

Charadriiformes - Jacanas (Jacanidae): Pheasant-tailed Jacana

- Avocets (Recurvirostridae): Black-winged Stilt

- Wading Birds (Scolopacidae): Common Greenshank; Common Sandpiper; Marsh Sandpiper; Wood Sandpiper

- Plovers (Charadriidae): Red-wattled Lapwing; Little Ringed Plover

- Terns (Sternidae): Gull-billed Tern; Whiskered Tern

Columbiformes - Pigeons and Doves (Columbidae): Emerald Dove (endemic subspecies); Rock Dove; Spotted Dove; Orange-breasted Green-Pigeon (endemic subspecies); Yellow-footed Green-Pigeon; Green Imperial-Pigeon

Psittaciformes - Parrots (Psittacidae): Rose-ringed Parakeet

Strigiformes - Owls (Strigidae): Brown Fish Owl

Cuculiformes - Cuckoos, Anis, Coucals and Roadrunners (Cuculidae): Greater Coucal; Pied Cuckoo; Plaintive Cuckoo; Asian Koel; Blue-faced Malkoha; Red-faced Malkoha (endemic); Sirkeer Malkoha

Apodiformes - Swifts (Apodidae): Asian Palm-Swift; Little Swift; Indian Swiftlet

- Crested or Tree Swifts (Hemiprocnidae): Crested Treeswift

Coraciiformes - Kingfishers (Alcedinidae): Common Kingfisher; Stork-billed Kingfisher; White-throated Kingfisher

- Bee-eaters (Meropidae): Blue-tailed Bee-eater; Chestnut- headed Bee-eater; Little Green Bee-eater

- Rollers (Coraciidae): Indian Roller

- Hoopoes (Upupidae): Eurasian Hoopoe

- Hornbills (Bucerotidae): Malabar Grey-Hornbill; Malabar Pied-Hornbill

Piciformes - Barbets (Capitonidae): Brown-headed Barbet; Coppersmith Barbet; Crimson-fronted Barbet

- Woodpeckers, Wrynecks and Piculets (Picidae): Greater Flameback; Sunda Woodpecker; Yellow-crowned Woodpecker

Perching Birds - Pittas (Pittidae): Indian Pitta

- Larks (Alaudidae): Rufous-winged Lark; Oriental Skylark; Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark

- Swallows and Martins (Hirundinidae): Barn Swallow; Red-rumped Swallow (endemic subspecies)

- Crows and Jays (Corvidae): House Crow; Large-billed Crow

- Shrikes (Laniidae): Brown Shrike; Long-tailed Shrike

- Trushes and Chats (Turdidae): Oriental Magpie-Robin; Black-backed Robin (endemic subspecies)

- Starlings (Sturnidae): Common Myna

- Wagtails and Pipits (Motacillidae): Pipit Anthus richadi; Paddyfield Pipit; Forest Wagtail; Yellow Wagtail

- Cuckoo Shrikes and Minivets (Campephagidae): Black-headed Cuckooshrike; Small Minivet

- Bulbuls (Pycnonotidae): Red-vented Bulbul (endemic subspecies); White-browed bulbul (endemic subspecies); Yellow-browed Bulbul (endemic subspecies)

- Leafbirds (Chloropseidae): Golden-fronted Leafbird

- Ioras (Aegithinidae): Common Iora

- Sunbirds (Nectariniidae): Long-billed Sunbird; Purple-rumped Sunbird (endemic subspecies)

- Flowerpeckers (Dicaeidae): Pale-billed Flowerpecker

- Babblers (Timaliidae): Brown-capped Babbler; Yellow-billed Babbler; Oriental Yellow-eyed Babbler (endemic subspecies)

- Paradise Flycatchers (Monarchidae): Asian Paradise-Flycatcher (ednemic subspecies)

- Old World Flycatchers (Muscicapidae): Brown-breasted Flycatcher

- Old World Warblers (Sylviidae): Ashy Prinia (endemic subspecies); Grey-breasted Prinia; Plain Prinia (endemic subspecies); Blyth´s Reed Warbler; Fan-tailed Warbler; Greenish Warbler

- Old World Orioles (Oriolidae): Black-hooded Oriole (endemic subspecies)

- Waxbills, Mannikins, Munias and allied (Estrildidae): Black-headed Munia; White-throated Munia

- Weavers (Ploceidae): Baya Weaver

Reptiles:

Lizards and Snakes - Monitors (Varanidae): Commno Water Monitor

Plants:

Dicotyledons:

Malvales - Tiliaceae: Berrya cordifolia; Grewia tiliaefolia

- Dipterocarpaceae: Hopea cordifolia

Fabales - Fabaceae: Golden Shower (Cassia fistula)

Sapindales - Sapindaceae: Lac Tree (Schleichera oleosa)

- Flindersiaceae: Ceylon Satinwood (Chloroxylon swietenia)

Myrtales - Combretaceae: Tropical Almond (Terminalia arjuna)

Ericales - Ebenaceae: Ebony (Diospyros ebenum and D. ovalifolia)

Gentianales - Rubiaceae: Adina cordifolia

Lamiales - Verbenaceae:  Hairy-leafed Morave (Vitex pinnata)

Monocotyledons:

Poales - Grasses (Poaceae): Cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica); Cymbogon confertiflorus; Fountaingrass (Pennisetum olystachyon)

Possible activities

Taking pictures of mammals and birds - one of the best Sri Lanka´s places for birdwatching and elephants observation

Jeep safari riding through the park.

Note

Walking tourism is not allowedin the park

Best time to visit V-IX

Picture - source wikipedia.com