විස්සනි/මහමැදහන්ගු[Wissani/Maha-Medahangu]/Langali (Pergularia daemia)

A twining indigenous herb common in dry and arid zones of sri lanka, often in disturbed vegetations.  It has greenish white flower with five petals flowering from February to September.

Spot-Billed Duck (Anas poecilorhynacha)

Spot-billed duck has been considered as a rare migrant till recent time.  But Ceylon Bird Club members were able to observe some breeding birds of this duck in Vankalai Ramsar wetland site recently and so it is now considered as a Breeding resident of Sri Lanka supplemented by migrant birds from India during the North-East monsoons .Migrant birds are earlier reported from tanks, paddy fields and marshes of Jaffna peninsula, Mahawelli flood plain national park and eastern sea belt. This duck can be distinguished from all other ducks by its colorful bill. Vankalei is a good site for observing this duck and above picture was taken while it was flying over the Mannar causeway. 

Indian Duskhawker (Gynacantha dravida)

This rather uncommon dragonfly can be easily identified by a distinct constriction in its abdomen. It appears at dusk and come frequently to lights in houses though its usual habitats are tanks edges and marshlands where it flies rapidly during dusk and probably dawn as well. During day time they rest in shrubs overhanging the water surface. 

Forest Daygecko (Cnemaspis silvula)

Forest daygecko is a recently described (Manamendra-arachchi, Batuwita & Pethiyagoda – Zeylanica - 2007) endemic gecko species of lowland wet zone forests. So far it is recorded from Kanneliya, Sinharaja, Beraliya, Kaluthara, Mathara, Galle, Kottawa etc. It is diurnal in habit and usually found in large tree trunks.  It can be distinguished from other Cnemaspis species by having about 7 indistinct V-shaped markings on the dorsum and light yellow spot between two chevrons on the occipital region. 

කොළඹ කපුටා[Kolamba Kaputa ] House Crow (Corvus splendens)

Very common breeding resident of all zones. Abundant in coastal and urban areas but never in thick forests.  It is omnivorous and scavenges on anything edible. In recent history uncontrolled garbage disposal has created an ideal condition for House crow to extend its habitats while threatening to survival of most other animals especially avifauna in most urban areas.  House crow roosts in large flocks in tall trees still remains in towns and it is a common sight of arriving crows from every direction at the dusk to such roosting places, sometime from very long distance of their day time feeding grounds.  The breeding season is from May to September and it builds a nest which is just a mass of twigs with the hollow lined with fibres.  

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වනරාජ [Wanaraja] (Anoectochilus regalis[Anoectochilus setaceus])

An endemic terrestrial orchid species grows in shade of trees among leaf litter in the tropical wet evergreen forests and subtropical montane forests (From 305m to1829m altitude). Flowering in January, May to September and December. Wanaraja is used for treating snake-bite poisoning in traditional Sinhalese medicine. It has been collecting extensively and illegally for medicinal as well as ornamental purposes. Therefore this orchid species has become rare in most places where it was abundantly occurred previously.    

Kandian Gecko (Hemidactylus Depressus)

An endemic gecko with wide distribution in the island excluding higher altitudes and perhalf far north of the country.  Nocturnal and feed on insects. It inhabits on trees, rock crevices and sometime even in houses.  Lay two eggs in a  rock crevice or a tree hole.

Common Nawab (Polyura athamas)

Nawab is a fast flying rare butterfly from sea level to about 1500m elevation of hill country excluding extreme North.  Larva feed on Albizia chinensis (කබල් මාර/හුලං මාර), Calliandra surinamensis,  Senegalia caesia (හිඟුරු-වැල්), Acacia pennata (ගොඩ හිඟුරු), Ventilago madraspatana (යකඩ වැල්),  Albizia lebbeck (සූරිය මාර), Delonix regia (මල් මාර/රතු මාර/Flame tree/Flamboyant/Golden Mohur), Caesalpinia bonduc (කුඹුරු/කුඹුරු වැල්/කළු වවුලැටිය/Grey Nicker), Biancaea sappan and Falcataria moluccana (මාර). 

Common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)

Common indigenous wader distributed in tanks, paddy fields and marshes of low country dry zone and less commonly in wet zone.  Usually found in pairs or as small scattered flocks.  To escape a danger such as attack of a hawk it dives and remain under water for some time clinging to under water weeds, while keeping only  its beak above the surface for breathing.  It feeds on water insects and such small animals, and also various kinds of vegetarian stuffs.  During breeding season which is from March to July it make a nest on top of a shrub growing in water and lay 5-8 eggs.

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රට තෝර[Rata-tora]/Candle bush/Candle stick/rinworm shrub(Senna alata [Cassia alata])

A native plant of tropical America and introduced and cultivated in Sri Lanka.  There are escaped plants grows in waste places, canal banks, tanks and paddy field edges etc. Use as a medicine for ringworm and hence the one of vernacular English name.

Bark Gecko/(Hemidactylus leschenaultii)

Comparatively large gecko from dry zone. It inhabits large trees (specially [Terminalia arjuna], rock outcrops and sometime even houses. It is diurnal in habit but mostly active during dawn and dusk.  Its main prey consist of insects though there are records of this gecko feeds on large animals like other geckos, skinks, snakes (Ruchira somaweera reported a instance where it was preying on a wolf snake (Lycodon striatus) – gecko (2) 2004 ) and mouse (from India).

Indian Rockdweller ( Bradinopyga germinate )

Rare dragonfly with well camouflaged coloration in its usual habitats such as granite rocks and cemented ponds.

Sri Lankan Keelback/දියබරියා[Diya Bariya] (Xenochrophis asperrimus)

An  endemic and common water snake of both dry and wet zone up to 1000m a.s.l.  Found in rice fields, tanks, marshes, rivers and streams. It is active in water bodies both by day and during night in search of its prey which consist mainly of fish and frogs.  It can be easily identified by having about 20 dark spots or bars of its first half of the body and two dark lines behind eye. 

Brown-headed Gull (Larus brunnicephalus)

Brown-headed Gull is probably the most common gull of the island, which is abundant in northern coastal and lagoon areas during winter and rarely found in other coastal areas such as South-eastern part of the country. There are some summer loiters as well. It is gregarious and flocks can be seen resting on the water close to beach. It scavenges in harbours and also follows ships for ‘easy food’ thrown overboard from them.  Brown-headed gull can be easily distinguished from other gulls by dark-tipped red bill and black wing tips with two white spots near the edge visible when  flight. Brown hood appears of  breeding birds by the end of March.

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ඇලි වඳුරා [Elli wadura]/Grey langur (semnopithecus priam)

A common monkey found throughout the wooded areas of the low country dry zone of the island.  Lives as family parties of both sexes of around 5 to 20 or 30 individuals lead by a dominant male. Each troop has its own domain and they spend day time on the ground or in trees in seeking foods which consist mainly of vegetable stuffs like fruits, flowers, leaves and seeds.  It keep its tail held up when walk on the ground. Other than man who hunt them for meat specially Veddas, only leopard (Panthera pardus) and perhalf Python (Python molurus) can be considered as it enemies. 

Black Headed Ibis/සුදු දෑතුඩුවා/හිසකළු දෑකැත්තා[Sudu dhatuduwa/Hisa kalu dhakaththa] (Threskiornis melanocephalus)

Common breeding resident of low country dry zone marshes, tanks, paddy fields and lagoons. However there are considerable number of breeding birds in wet zone especially wetlands around Colombo, said to be originated from a colony at the Dehiwela zoo. Its food consists of frogs, insects, crabs, worms, etc. It is partially nocturnal and flocks forming V formation can be seen flying to distance feeding grounds at dusk from their day time roosting places.  It breeds during early part of the year colonially with other species of herons, egrets etc on a nest made out of piles of sticks in trees in flooded water.

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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.