Kumana

Protected since 1938 as part of the eastern extension of the Yala system, Kumana holds in its main lagoon the largest nesting waterbird colony in Sri Lanka, with thousands of pairs of storks, herons, ibises and pelicans breeding at once through the wet season, an ornithological spectacle that draws birdwatchers from around the world, with considerably fewer visitors than neighbouring and far busier Yala.