Phaius wallichii

A terrestrial orchid species of sub-montane to montane wet evergreen forests between 915 – 2134 m asl.  Flowering February, April – June and again from September to November. It grows under shade of trees and locally common. 

කරවැල් කොකා[Karawal Koka]/Purple Heron(Ardea purpurea )

Purple Heron is a common resident bird of low country, both dry and wet zones. It feeds on fish, frogs and even insects on marshes, paddy fields, mangroves, lagoons and tanks by day, while most active at dawn and dusk.  Usually feed solitary by skulking among reeds. It breeds from December to February and again in May to June. Three or fours eggs lay in a nest which is just a pile of sticks placed on low trees growing in flooded water, often in company with other herons, egrets and cormorants.

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Psyche (Leptosia nina)

Psyche is a slow flying common butterfly with island wide distribution throughout the year, though less common above 1500m.  It is usually found fluttering by the low shrub lands of open country and under growth of jungles.  Its larval host plants are Brassica juncea (අබ), Cardamine hirsuta, Nasturtium officinale (කස්තුරු, කක්කු‍ටු පලා, වට‍රැස්ස), Capparis zeylanica, Cleome gynandra, Cleome rutidosperma (Common spider flower), Cleome viscosa (වල් අබ/රන් මානිස්ස/Yellow Spider Flower), Brassica oleracea (Cauliflower, Cabbage & Knol khol are varieties), Cleome aspera, Cadaba fruticosa, Capparis sepiaria, and Crateva adansonii (ලුණුවරණ)

Foggy-winged Twister ( Tholymis tillarga )

Common crepuscular dragonfly of shrub lands, usually close to water bodies such as tanks, lagoons, channels, marshes and streams from lowland plains to lower montane regions.  

රිලවා[Rilawa]/Toque Monkey (Macaca sinica)

This common endemic monkey found in jungles of all over the island. It is represented by three sub species in three major climatic zones.

Dry zone - Macaca sinica sinica

Wet zone - Macaca sinica aurifrons

Highland- Macaca sinica opisthomelas

It lives as family groups of about 20 or more. Each family group has its own territory and much of their time spend on ground or on tree tops of that demarcated area, in searching of food which consists of fruits, berries, insects, flowers, nestlings and eggs of birds, lizards, geckos, young rats and squirrels, etc. Highland sub species is much arboreal than two low land races.  Toque monkey can store amazing amount of foods in their cheek-pouches and masticate them at leisure.  It doesn’t have any particular breeding period and breeds throughout the year.  Normally single young is born and twins can be born occasionally.  Young can cling to its mothers breast fur and easily travels with her wherever she goes. 

නියඳ[Niyanda]/Snake Plant (Dracaena zeylanica [Syn: Sansevieria zeylanica])

Niyanda is a common indigenous herb of dry rocky and sandy places of low country dry zone to mid hills.  Fibers extracted from leaves are used in reed mat industry.  Roots use in indigenous medicine to treat bile and gonorrhea.

Small Salmon Arab (Colotis amata modestus)

Due to salmon-pink color and epi-center of its distribution - which is believed to be of Arabia-, this small butterfly of low country dry zone got that name Small Salmon Arab. It is rather uncommon butterfly of scrublands and open areas. Unlike most other butterflies it often flies during hot hours of the day.  Female of this species sometime has white form instead of usual salmon color.  Larva of Small Salmon Arab feeds on plants of Salvadora persica (මලිත්තන් /Mustard Tree) and Azima tetracantha of Salvadoraceae family. 

නියගලා[Niyagala]/Glory lily/Flame lily(Gloriosa superba)

Common climber in lowland forest boundaries and waste lands. Flowering in throughout the year in wet zone and September to January in other areas.  Powdered plant is used in indigenous medicine but rhizomes are poisonous. 

Sanderling (Calidris alba)

Uncommon winter visitor to North-Western and south-eastern coastal areas during migrate season and usually found in flocks during its stay here till end of winter in Northern half of the world.  It breeds in tundras in the far North. Its usual habitats are sandy beaches where it follows the waves as they advance and recede, while picking up small invertebrates exposing to view at each ebb.

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Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)

This common winter visitor arrives in the island from northern lands of Artic circle and occupies coastal areas, lagoons and estuaries mainly of the dry zone. Turnstone got that interesting name due to its habit of flipping over seaweeds, pebbles and shells in search of its prey which mostly consist of small invertebrates hide beneath them. 

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Pruinosed Bloodtail (Lathrecista asiatica asiatica)

A dragonfly of lowlands and mid hills. Often found in coastal areas. Uncommon. Females are similar to males (Shown above) but have yellowish green strips on mid dorsal area of the body. 

Blue dawn glory (Ipomoea indica)

Native vine of tropical America, introduced and later on naturalized in disturbed sites of villages and towns particularly of wet zone and hills. Very common and flowering during August to November.

Barn Swallow/Atu Wahilihiniya (Hirunda rustica)

Barn swallow is a very common winter visitor of all zones of the island, arriving at the beginning of the North-East monsoons and stay till end of April.  It has a very fast flight and much of its time while in Sri Lanka spends on the wing capturing small flying insects. They are very gregarious and often found as flocks of 10-30 or more birds perching on telegraph wires. There is a famous night time ‘roosting street’ in Rathnapra town of this bird consisting of thousands of birds during migration season.  

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කන කොකා [Kana Koka]/Indian Pond Heron ( Ardeola grayii)

Very common bird usually found in paddy fields throughout the island. It also lives close to tanks, lagoons and marshlands. Eventhough it is solitary in habit during day time feedings , flocks can be seen flying to its night time communal roosting trees at dusk. Breeding season is from December to May and nests can be observed in regular heronries sometime with other species of herons, cormorants.

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Black-crowned night heron/ රෑ කොකා/රෑ කණ කොකා [Raa Koka/Raa Kana Koka] (Nycticorax nycticorax)

Common resident bird of marshes, mangroves, rivers, tanks and lagoons of low country both wet and dry zone and foot hills.  Nocturnal in habit and spending the day time roosting communally in trees.  Its food consists mainly of fish, frogs and some water insects.

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Blue Daze (Evolvulus glomeratus)

Blue Daze is an ornamental plant introduced from tropical America and now widely cultivate in hill country gardens. Flowering probably throughout the year. 

Coppersmith Barbet (Megalaima haemacephala)

Coppersmith Barbet is a very common bird of forests and gardens of low country dry zone and lower hills. However occasional sightings of it in some wet zone areas are recorded and scattered colonies are reported from places like Kandy and Avissawella (A Guide to the bird of Sri Lanka – G.M. Henry 3^rd Edition).  It has a very unique note a slow wonk, wonk, wonk….like a hammer on a copper pan. Hence the name Coppersmith barbet. Its breeding season is from November to May and again from July to Sepetember. Lay 2-3 dull white eggs in a hole cut in a dead branch of a tree or an upright post.  It keeps solitary or in pairs and parties of few birds. Food mainly consist of berries and occasionally insects like moths and plying termites. 

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White-tipped Spreadwing (Lestes elatus)

Terrence de Fonseka wrote in 2000(The Dragonflies of Sri Lanka – WHT publications) “Apart from recorded locations nothings is known about this species in Sri Lanka”. Aluthnuwara, Kandy Mankulam Pundaluoya, Puttalam, Ramboda Trincomalee and Marichchkkaddi are mentioned as recorded locations.  However it is a locally common damselfly of low lands both in dry and wet zones and lower hills (Dragonflies of Sri Lanka – Gehan’s photo guide and personal observations)

වරා[Wara] (Calotropis gigantea)

Wara is a common tree/shrub of disturbed vegetations (Common around paddy fields and tanks) in dry and arid zones of low country.  Flowering all the year round. It is an indigenous plant of Sri Lanka and found also in several other south Asian countries like India, Pakistan and Maldives. Also in Malaysia and China. Milky juice extracted from this tree is used as a remedy for Leprosy.

Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)

Common Sandpiper is a common winter visitor to Sri Lanka from Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia, arrives in August to September in large numbers and departs in April and May.  During that season it can be found almost everywhere of country where rock and water exist together.  It is usually encountered as a solitary bird or a flock of scattered few feeding on tiny mollusks, insects and crustaceans while bobbing is tail up and down continually.

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