World Wetlands day - 2016
World Wetland day marks the date of the signing of the convention on Wetlands, called the Ramsar Convention, on 2 February 1971, In the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea. World Wetland Day was celebrated for the first time I 1997 and made an encouraging beginning. Each year, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and groups of citizens at all levels of the community have acted t raise public awareness of wetland values and benefits in general and the Ramsar Convention n particular. Each year since 1997, the Ramsar Secretariat has provided materials so that government agencies, non-governmental organizations, conservation organizations, and groups of citizens can help raise public awareness about the importance and value of wetlands. Within ten years, the Convention’s Web site had posted reports from more than 95 countries of WWD activities of all sizes and shapes, from lectures and seminars, nature walks, children’s art contests, sampan races, and community clean-up days, to radio and television interviews and letters to newspapers, to the launch of new wetland policies, new Ramsar sites, and new programmes at the national level.
To commemorate the World Wetlands Day 2016 Sri lanka post has issued beautiful set of stamps with four souvenir sheets.
01. Chundikkulam National Park
Chundikkulam National Park is a national park in northern Sri Lanka, approximately 12 km ( 7 mi ) north east of Kilinochchi.
Chundikkulam Lagoon and its surrounding area was designated as a bird sanctuary on 25 February 1938 under the Fauna and Flora protection ordinance ( No.2 ) of 1937. In January 2009 the Sri lanka Army's 55 division,advancing from Nagar Kovil,re-captured the area around Chundikkulam sanctuary from the militant liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Subsequently the Sri Lankan military started building military bases in the sanctuary and barred local fisherman from using the sanctuary and local residents from returning to their homes. The army opened the Chundikulam Nature park Holiday resort in the northern part of the sanctuary in January 2012.Following the end of the Sri Lankan Civil war the government announced plans to convert various sanctuaries in the Northern Province in to national parks. An integrated Strategic Environmental Assessment of Northern Province produced by the government with the assistance of United nations Development Programme and United nations Environment Programme and published in October 214 recommended that Chundikkulam sanctuary be extended westwards towards Elephant Pass and south-eastwards towards Chalai and Pallamatalan and be upgraded to a national park. The recommendation would see the sanctuary's area grow from 11,143 ha ( 27,550 acres ) to 19,565 ha ( 48,347 acres ), partly as a result of absorbing state-owned forests nearby. In May 2015 the government announced that Chundikkulam,along with Adam's bridge,Delft and Madhu Road, would be designated national parks. Chundikkulam sanctuary became a national park on 22 June 2015 with an area of 19,565 ha ( 48,347 acres )
Chundikkulam Lagoon is partly surrounded by mangrove swamps and sea grass beds.The surrounding area includes palmyra palm plantations, scrub forests and a variety of dry zone flora. Numerous varieties of water and wader birds are found in the park including bar-tailed godwit, black-tailed godwit, black-winged stilt, brown-headed gull, common sandpiper, curlew sandpiper, eurasian coot, eurasian curlew, eurasian spoonbill, eurasian teal, eurasian wigeon, garganey, greater flamingo, gull-billed tern, marsh sandpiper, northern pintail, oriental ibis, painted stork, ruff, shoveler, terek sandpiper and wood sandpiper.Mammals found in the park include leopard, sloth bear and deer. Mugger crocodile and saltwater crocodile have also been seen in the park.
Stamp featured Greater Flamingo.
The greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) is the most widespread species of the flamingo family. It is found in Africa, Indian subcontinent, the Middle East and southern Europe.
This is the largest species of flamingo, averaging 110–150 cm (43–59 in) tall and weighing 2–4 kg (4.4–8.8 lb). The largest male flamingos have been recorded at up to 187 cm (74 in) tall and 4.5 kg (9.9 lb).It is closely related to the American flamingo and Chilean flamingo, with which it has sometimes been considered conspecific.
Like all flamingos, this species lays a single chalky-white egg on a mud mound. Most of the plumage is pinkish-white, but the wing coverts are red and the primary and secondary flight feathers are black. The bill is pink with a restricted black tip, and the legs are entirely pink. The call is a goose-like honking. Sub-adult flamingos are whitish-grey and only attain the pink coloration several years into their adult life. The coloration comes from the carotenoid pigments in the organisms that live in their feeding grounds.
The bird resides in mudflats and shallow coastal lagoons with salt water. Using its feet, the bird stirs up the mud, then sucks water through its bill and filters out small shrimp, seeds, blue-green algae, microscopic organisms and mollusks. The greater flamingo feeds with its head down and its upper jaw is movable and not rigidly fixed to its skull
02. Vankalai Wildlife Sanctuary
Vankalai Sanctuary (8°56'N 079°55'E) is located North-West of Sri Lanka in the District of Mannar. This site covers an area of 4,839 ha and consists of several ecosystems which range from arid-zone thorn scrubland, arid-zone pastures and maritime grasslands, sand dunes, mangroves, salt marshes, lagoons, tidal flats, sea-grass beds and shallow marine areas. Due to the integrated nature of shallow wetland and terrestrial coastal habitats, this sanctuary is highly productive, supporting high ecosystem and species diversity. The site provides excellent feeding and living habitats for a large number of waterbird species, including annual migrants, which also use this area on arrival and during their exit from Sri Lanka. It harbours more than 20,000 waterbirds in a given year, including the Northern Pintail (Anas acuta), Greater Flamingo (Phoenico¬pterus roseus) and the Eurasian Wigeon (Anas Penelope), of which Vankalai Sanctuary supports 1% of the population of the latter two species. The site's coastal and marine ecosystems are important for over 60 species of fish, marine turtles, and rare species such as Dugongs (Dugong dugon). These ecosystems provide important spawning and feeding grounds for juvenile fish species such as Trevally (Caranx spp.), Snappers (Lutjanus spp.), and also host a number of threatened species, such as the Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas), Dugongs (Dugong dugon), and Saltwater Crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus). Vankalai Sanctuary sustains diverse food chains, while also sustaining the livelihoods of fisheries-dependent communities in the area. Civil unrest has kept human activity out of this region for nearly two decades, hence there are only few permanent settlements in the area. Locals engage in small-scale livestock grazing, subsistence and commercial fishing. Part of the Vankalai Sanctuary is an archaeological site since it is partly located in the major port of ancient Sri Lanka, dated from 6th century BC to 13th century AD. The Department of Conservation is directly responsible for managing this diverse and culturally rich wetland.
Stamp featured Western spot-Billed duck
03. Adam's Bridge National Park
Adam's Bridge Marine national park is a national park surrounding Adam's Bridge in northern Sri lanka, approximately 30 km ( 19 mi) north west of Mannar.
An Integrated Strategic Environmental Assessment of Northern Province produced by the government with the assistance of United Nations Development Programme and United Nations Environment Programme and published in October 2014 recommended that a national park with an area of 18,990 ha (46,925 acres) be created on the Sri Lankan section of Adam's Bridge.[In May 2015 the government announced that a part of Adam's Bridge, along with Chundikkulam, Delft and Madhu Road would be designated national parks. Adam's Bridge became a national park on 22 June 2015 with an area of 18,990 ha (46,925 acres).The Indian section of Adam's Bridge is part of the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park.
Many migratory birds follow the Pamban Island-Adam's Bridge-Mannar Island route when flying to/from Sri Lanka.[The sand dunes of Adam's Bridge are also used as breeding grounds by birds such as the brown noddy.Numerous varieties of fish and sea grasses thrive in the shallow waters Adam's Bridge. Sea life found around Adam's Bridge include dolphin, dugong and turtle.
Stamp featured Caspian Tern
The Caspian tern (Hydroprogne caspia, formerly Sterna caspia) is a species of tern, with a sub cosmopolitan but scattered distribution. Despite its extensive range, it is monotypic of its genus, and has no subspecies accepted either.In New Zealand it is also known by the Maori name taranui.
It is the world's largest tern with a length of 48–60 cm (19–24 in), a wingspan of 127–145 cm (50–57 in) and a weight of 530–782 g (18.7–27.6 oz).Adult birds have black legs, and a long thick red-orange bill with a small black tip. They have a white head with a black cap and white neck, belly and tail. The upper wings and back are pale grey; the underwings are pale with dark primary feathers. In flight, the tail is less forked than other terns and wing tips black on the underside.In winter, the black cap is still present (unlike many other terns), but with some white streaking on the forehead. The call is a loud heron-like croak
Their breeding habitat is large lakes and ocean coasts in North America (including the Great Lakes), and locally in Europe (mainly around the Baltic Sea and Black Sea), Asia, Africa, and Australasia (Australia and New Zealand). North American birds migrate to southern coasts, the West Indies and northernmost South America. European and Asian birds spend the non-breeding season in the Old World tropics. African and Australasian birds are resident or disperse over short distances. The global population is about 50,000 pairs; numbers in most regions are stable, but the Baltic Sea population (1400–1475 pairs in the early 1990s) is declining and of conservation concern. The Caspian tern is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.
04. Anawilundawa Wild Life Sanctuary
Anawilundawa Sanctuary is one of the 6 RAMSAR wetland in Sri Lanka, The sanctuary covers 1,397ha lying between the costal line and the Negambo – Putlam railway line. This wetland consist of six large man made tanks and 3 peripheral tanks interconnected to create a complex irrigation system. The larger tanks are Pinkattiya, Maradansola, Anawilundawa, Mayyawa, Surawila and Vellawali.
The history of these tank system goes back to 12th century and sadly the water ways which fed this system is lost without an trace and today these tanks are fed by flood waters of the Deduru Oya brought to the area via the Sengaloya scheme. These tanks has created a natural habitat which is ideal for the birds as well as supplied water to paddy fields around this area for over 800 years.
Today this area is very popular among bird watchers and nature lovers. During migration season a large variery of birds can be seen using this area as feeding ground as well as breeding ground .
Stamp featured Fulvous Whistling Duck
The fulvous whistling duck or fulvous tree duck (Dendrocygna bicolor) is a whistling duck that breeds across the world's tropical regions in much of Mexico and South America, the West Indies, the southern US, sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian subcontinent. It has mainly reddish brown plumage, long legs and a long grey bill, and shows a distinctive white band across its black tail in flight. Like other members of its ancient lineage, it has a whistling call which is given in flight or on the ground. The preferred habitat is shallow lakes, paddy fields or other wetlands with plentiful vegetation.
The nest, built from plant material and unlined, is placed among dense vegetation or in a tree hole. The typical clutch is around ten whitish eggs. The breeding adults, which pair for life, take turns to incubate, and the eggs hatch in 24–29 days. The downy grey ducklings leave the nest within a day or so of hatching, but the parents continue to protect them until they fledge around nine weeks later.
The fulvous whistling duck feeds in wetlands by day or night on seeds and other parts of plants. It is sometimes regarded as a pest of rice cultivation, and is also shot for food in parts of its range. Despite hunting, poisoning by pesticides and natural predation by mammals, birds and reptiles, the large numbers and huge range of this duck mean that it is classified as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
There are 20 stamps per sheet produced in the Horizontal format. The Stamp sizes 13 1/4 X 12 Perforations with a star type holes in the middle of the horizontal edges. The Photographs had been credited to Dr. Sudeera Bandara and Mr. Rohita Gunwardhana. The Stamp Designer had been D.G. Sudath Jawawardhena.
