Among the190 odd species of migrant birds that grace our shores during the bird migration season (September - June), the Greater Flamingo can be ranked as one of those stately migrant birds.
The favourite flamingo hide-outs from many years of time have been located in the eastern, southern and northern (one time only) provinces where there are lagoons and salterns. Down south well-known flamingo havens have been located in the Bundala, Malala, Kolampokuna lagoons, the Maha Lewaya (main Hambantota saltern) and the Kalametiya lagoon (a bird sanctuary off Hungama), Karagan Le-waya and Palutapana (in the Yala National Park).
The bulk of these vast flamingo assemblies have been spe-nding their winter vacation around Bundala, Malala, and Kolampo-kuna lagoons till August this year. Their arrivals here have been mostly in September and by June-July they leave for their breeding grounds in the Rann of Klutch (Indo-Pakistan border) from where they are supposed to come here. Bundala and its adjacent lagoons lie in the Bundala National Park.
But from last year's bird migration season to August this year, most of them had left, while some have opted to remain in the lagoons like Bundala, Malala and Kolampokuna.
The last occasion this writer had observed a big concentration of these flamingoes was in mid July this year in the above mentioned lagoons. According to game officials in the Bundala National Park, where these lagoons lie, an estimated flock of 8000 to10,000 flamingoes had taken refuge in varied groups in those lagoons mentio-ned above around Bundala and Kalametiya. It is said that some of these flamingoes while staying in these lagoons took off to the Kalametiya lagoons (off Hungama) and Palutapana (in the Yala National Park). Out of that number, the game officials say about 2500 to 5000 have still remained in the Bundala, Malala, and Kolampokuna lagoons. Some of them had even built nests made of mud which are cone shaped small mounds rising to about 6 to 12 inches.
Any migrant bird that seeks its winter abode here, does not have the biological instinct or urge to lay eggs for purposes of breeding, but leave for their own native lands where lie their breeding grounds. These vast assemblies of flamingoes arrive here, along with their juveniles. During their stay here these juveniles may get the natural urge to start building nests as observed presently aro-und the Bundala lagoons. G.M. Henry in his "A Field Guide To The Birds of Ceylon" (1971 edition) has mentioned that from a long time, it was suspected that flamingoes built their nests and layed eggs.
A team drawn from the agricultural section of the University of Peradeniya, versed in ornithology has been exploring the aspects of nest building around Bundala lagoons and the potential for breeding, if any here. So far no concrete evidence has been revealed, hence their supposed breeding capabilities remain a mystery.
The most fascinating spectacle we beheld in the Bundala lagoon in our last visit this July, was the vast conglomeration of flamingoes in which they indulged in a fantastic display of their serenade. In the groups we observed there were 500 to 600 flamingoes. It was a lively line up which was staged in single, double and treble files. It was akin to a march past of soldiers in a military parade, displaying their movements in about turns and forward turns. Some were parading in single file followed by others in double file as they moved towards the shore. Amidst them, there was a slow march, a trot and finally it turned into a dance like a foxtrot in forward and backward movements. They bunched together, then scattered in varied directions forward and backwards. The most striking was their about turns to go backwards and then turn again forward which movements were dramatized in an alternative fashion. This ensemble of flamingoes was a fiesta similar both to a serenade and a march past of soldiers in a gallant parade. The sky was overcast tinged with dark clouds over the eastern horizon. But till sundown we watched with awe this spellbound serenade of these stately flamingoes in their real show of dance and march.
How to get to Bundala National Park: Along the Colombo - Galle - Matara - Hambantota Tissamaharama highway, turn off at the 154th mile post at Weligatta " distance to Bundala about ten kilometres. At the 2nd mile-post lies the Bundala Park office from where one gets the clearance and a game guard for escort.
Where to Stay: In any tourist hotel, tourist Inn around Tissamaharama or Hambantota. Vehicles could be hired from any of these places like Tissamaharama/Hambantota " distance being about 32 to 40 kilometres either way. The tourist guides and drivers, are conversant with the whereabouts of flamingo hide-outs around the Bundala - Malala, Kolampokuna lagoons