top of page
hero-scrim.png

NATURE AND WILDLIFE

Bellanwila Attidiya Bird Sanctuary

බෙල්ලන්විල අත්තිඩිය අභය භූමියh

WESTERN PROVINCE

COLOMBO DISTRICT

6°50'12.8"N 79°53'26.6"E

Scroll

hero-scrim.png

Three hundred and seventy hectares of marsh inside a city, taking industrial waste and still full of birds.

STAND INSIDE IT — 360°

Drag to look around

THE PLACE

Three hundred and seventy-two hectares of marsh inside Colombo's southern suburbs, protected by the Department of Wildlife Conservation. Open water, reed, and a river running through it. Lesser whistling teal, Asian openbill, purple heron, spot-billed pelican, black-winged stilt, white ibis. Four kinds of kingfisher — common, pied, white-breasted, stork-billed.


Industrial waste still goes into the waterways that feed the marsh. It was once a very rich wetland and it is poorer now, and it goes on holding warblers and crakes and herons regardless: Blyth's reed warbler, Pallas's grasshopper warbler, ruddy crake, water cock, purple coot.


A marsh this close to a capital city survives on paperwork alone. So far the paperwork has held.

Filter by tags

PROVINCE

Western Province

DISTRICT

Colombo District

DS DIVISION

Kesbewa Divisional Secretariat

GN DIVISION

LOCALITY

FROM COLOMBO

13 km · 34 min

COORDINATES

6°50'12.8"N 79°53'26.6"E

THE PHOTOGRAPHS

THE PHOTOGRAPHER'S NOTES

Colombo → Nugegoda → Pepiliyana, then towards Bellanwila Temple. Past the temple, turn left, then right after 30 m; that road runs through the marsh. Or continue 200 m past the temple and turn right towards the Water Resources Board pump house, where a footpath runs about half a kilometre into the marsh along the river.

- Viran de Silva

ONWARD

Blue Gradient Background

nearDist

nearTitle

nearCat

Blue Gradient Background

nearDist

nearTitle

nearCat

Blue Gradient Background

nearDist

nearTitle

nearCat

Or let the island choose – take me anywhere

UNIQUE SRI LANKA

colTally

SOURCES

colSources

RECORD

colSources

CONTACT

Photographs © Viran de Silva
info@virandesilva.com
uniquesrilanka.com

bottom of page