An Inland wetland of Man-made origin located in the Wet Zone of the Western province. Thalangama Tank was built during the era of King Parakramabahu VI (1551-1547 AD) for paddy cultivation and is situated close to the ancient city of Kotte. The tank is an important habitat for water birds, functioning as an urban biodiversity refuge, as it is surrounded by densely populated human settlements of the Colombo District. The tank and its environs are within the Madiwela catchment area, which is influenced by 3 hydrological zones and is an important component for water drainage in the city of Colombo. The tank and its surrounding habitats serve as an important flood retention area. Major habitat types include seasonally flooded grassland/paddy fields (between ridge bund and Hokandara?Talawatugoda road), freshwater swamp forests (western boundary of the tank, dominated by Annona glabra, Cerbera odollam and Pandanus odoratissima), aquatic macrophytic vegetation (floating plants and rooted plants with floating leaves) like Eichhornia crassipes and Nelumbo sp., and Annona glabra and Pandanus spp. which occupy the tank edge, home scrublands dominated by species such as Lantana spp., Macaranga peltata and Syzygium caryophyllatum. Large trees like introduced Alstonia spp. are found in abundance within home gardens along the tank margin. Forty-one plant species have been recorded. 90 bird (13 migrants), 12 reptiles, 10 mammals and 15 freshwater fish species have also been recorded from the tank and its environs. Freshwater fish in the tank are a mix of exotic and indigenous species. The native fish include Puntius singhala, Etroplus maculates and Esomus thermoicos. Bird fauna of the tank is very significant when considering its small size. Locally declining aquatic birds include Pelecanus philippensis and Rostratula benghalensis. Reptiles include Lissemys punctata, and Xenochrophis piscator, while remnant populations of the endemic primate Trachypithecus vetulus, and other rare mammals such as Prionailurus viverrinus and Lutra lutra have been recorded.

Thalangama Tank Related references