A vast coastal wetland of lagoons, mudflats and salt marsh south of Mannar, and one of Sri Lanka's finest sites for migratory waterbirds and flamingos.

Overview

The Vankalai Sanctuary, also called the Mannar Bird Sanctuary, spreads across lagoons, mudflats, salt marshes and mangroves along the causeway approach to Mannar Island. A Ramsar-listed wetland of international importance, it is one of the country's premier birdwatching destinations, hosting well over a hundred species. In the northern winter its shallows fill with greater flamingos, pintails, wigeon, godwits, terns and pelicans, drawn along the great migratory flyway between India and Sri Lanka.

History

The wetland was declared a sanctuary by the Department of Wildlife Conservation in 2008 and later recognised as a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance for its outstanding value to migratory birds. It lies close to the historic Mannar causeway on the flyway that follows Adam's Bridge between the Indian subcontinent and Sri Lanka.