Eurasian Thick-knee/ගොළු කිරළා[Golu Kirala] (Burhinus oedicnemus)

Eurasian Thick-knee is a breeding resident of mainly coastal dry zone areas, though occasionally found in wet zone coastal areas as well. It lives in pairs or as small flocks, spending day time squatting on ground in the shade of small bush and as dusk descends it become active. It is mainly a crepuscular and nocturnal bird feeds on ground insects such as grasshoppers, beetles, termites, etc. and such small animals. Breeding season is from June to August and nest, a shallow scrape on the ground where it lays two eggs, well camouflaged with the ground by color and difficult to locate. 

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Indian Red Admiral (Vanessa indica nubicola)

Rather uncommon butterfly of the hill country, which seldom found below 900m a.s.l. However at certain times of the year it is very common in higher hilly areas like Horton plains, Hakgala, Nuwaraeliya, Haputhale,Pattipola etc. Its larva feeds on Girardinia diversifolia (ගස් කහඹිලියා/Giant nettle) and it ties the leaves into a ball about the size of an orange and pupae can be found inside this ball (Ormiston W. 1924) . Urtica urens is one of its another larval food plant which is an introduced herb, now naturalized in the home gardens and cultivated lands in the higher elevations.

Desert rose (Adenium obesum )

Native to eastern Africa and Northern Arabian countries (Kenya, Uganda, Arabia and Mozambique). Cultivated in gardens as an ornamental plant in tropical and subtropical countries. Flowering mainly after the dry period and it is very resistance to the dry climate. Sometimes referred as “Pride of Japan” though it is not a native shrub of Japan (Kottegoda S.R.1994).

Indian Sunbeam (Curetis thetis)

Indian Sunbeam is an uncommon butterfly with rather unusual male-female distribution pattern in Sri Lanka. W. Ormistom wrote in last century that “the male is very plentiful in Wellawaya, and is almost always found settled on wet roads and in river-beds. The female is scarce there. At Anuradhapura I have found the male scarce, but the female common.” (Ormiston W.,  1924). Base on museum specimens de’Abrera also confirmed this by stating “male is more visible south of the central mountain range, whilst the female is more visible in the northern low country dry zone.” (de’Abrera B., 1998)  Female in above picture was photographed at Anavilundawa sanctuary of North-Western province and male which is not shown here has dissimilar bright copper red recto. Its larva feeds on Derris parviflora,  Entada rheedei (පුස් වැල්), Indigofera tinctoria, Pericopsis mooniana, Pongamia pinnata(මගුල් කරඳ), Pterocarpus indicus,  Lepisanthes tetraphylla (දාඹු), Abrus precatorius (ඔළිඳ/Crab's Eyes/Indian Liquorice),Derris scandens (කල වැල්) and Canavalia rosea.

Ceylon spinach, Florida spinach, Philippine spinach [Talinum fruticosum(Synonyms: Talinum triangulare)]

A perennial herb, native to tropical America. Now a pantropical weed which is common along roadsides, waste places and forest edges of the island. Leaves edible.

White-browed Bulbul/ගළුගුඩු කොණ්ඩයා/බැම සුදු කොණ්ඩයා [Galugudu Kondaya/Bema Sudu Kondaya] (Pycnonotus luteolus insulae)

Common breeding resident of  entire low country and hills up to about 1000m a.s.l. while most common in dry lowlands. It inhabits home gardens, secondary forests, plantations and scrub lands. White-browed Bulbul feeds largely on varies type of berries as well as many insects. The main nesting season is from February to March and the nest, a cup of small twigs, rootlets etc. place on a bush, usually of 2-3 feet above the ground. 

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කහ පෙතන්/පෙතන්[Kaha-pethan/Pethan]/Bell-bauhinia (Bauhinia tomentosa)

An indigenous large erect shrub or small tree common in dry zone scrub lands

නිදිකුම්ඹා[Nidi-kumba]/Sensitive plant/Touch-me-not (Mimosa pudica)

Nidi-kumba is a native plant of Brazil and now pantropical. It is said to be introduced by Alexander moon then director of Peradeniya Botanical garden to the Sri Lanka. However it may have been introduced much earlier (Flora of Ceylon - Vol 1). It is very common weed of roadsides, waste lands, etc throughout the island being much common in wet and intermediate zones.

Small branded swift (Pelopidas mathias mathias)

A rare butterfly more likely to be found in low country. Similar species Little branded swift replace it from up country while both may be fly in intermediate mid-country.  Small branded swift is much smaller than Little branded and has complete arc of 5 spots in its under-side of the hind wings while it is incomplete of Little branded swift. Its larva feeds on Oryza sativa and Panicum maximum

සූරිය/ගන් සූරිය[Suriya/Gansuriya]/Indian tulip tree/Pacific rosewood (Thespesia populnea)

Indigenous small tree of 4-10m tall, usually found in coastal areas. Often cultivated as a shade tree. The flowers blooms throughout the year. 

Spotless grass yellow (Eurema laeta laeta)

Rather uncommon butterfly, found all the year round in patana grasslands of mid hills (500ft to 3000ft).Spotless grass yellow is a migratory species and its larva feeds on Chamaecrista leschenaultiana, Chamaecrista kleinii , Chamaecrista mimosoides and Chamaecrista nictitans (All Chamaecrista species are known as බිං සියඹලා in Sinhala)

Shrub vinca (Kopsia fruticosa)

Native plant of India and Malay Peninsula, cultivate as an ornamental plant in home gardens due to attractive white or pink flowers with dark pink eye. Flowering mainly during June to August months of the year.

පොල්කිච්චා[Polkichcha]/Oriental Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis)

Very common breeding resident of gardens, cultivations and scrublands of all zones. It avoids deep forests. Oriental Magpie Robin feeds mainly on insect, hopping on the ground solitary or in pairs. But vegetable foods such as rice, bread and etc thrown out of the houses are also taken. It is active even after dusk and territorial call of the male can be heard again before sunrise often uttered from a top of  tall tree or a lamppost. Fierce combats between males occur occasionally. Main breeding season is from March to September and the nest is a mass of grasses in a tree hole.

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Smooth rattle box (Crotalaria pallida)

An indigenous shrub of scrub lands and road sides of both wet and dry low lands. 

Aggressive Riverhawk (Onychothemis tonkinensis ceylanica)

“Though the type has come from Sri Lanka, there is no specimen in the Museum collection, nor have any of the usual authors reported on having seen any specimens from here” noted Terrence de Fonseka in 2000 (The Dragonflies of Sri Lanka WHT Publication). However Aggressive Riverhawk is a rare dragonfly of streams and rivers of lowland and mid-hill forest areas.  Above picture  of Aggressive Riverhawk was taken at the Kanneliya forest reserve while it was preying upon a Grey Pansy (Junonia atlites)

සුදු-පරවිමල්[Sudu-parey-mal]/Pigeon orchid/white dove orchid (Dendrobium crumenatum)

An introduced epiphyte often cultivated in low country wet zone home gardens. Pigeon orchid is believed to be introduced from Malaya since it is native plant of Malaya, South-east Asia and Indonesia. Vernacular names related with white dove since resemblances of it flowers with Pigeons. 

බළල් සේරා(Balal Sera)/Pheasant-tailed Jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus)

Common breeding resident bird of weed covered tanks and marshes in the low country. It lives as scattered flocks walking on the floating vegetation using their long toes and claws. It has a cat-like high-pitch mew, mew…. loud call and hence the Sinhala name Balal Sera. It feeds on seeds of varies water plants, grains and some aquatic insects, shrimps etc.. Breeding season is from February to July and nest, usually a water-logged pile of weeds among lotus leaves where it lays 3-4 bronze brown color eggs.

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ජපන් ජබර [Japan Jabara]/Water hyacinth (Pontederia crassipes [Syn: Eichhornia crassipes])

A floating herb native to Brasil and other South American countries, which introduced and naturalized in tropical African and Asian countries including Sri Lanka. It was introduced to Sri Lanka in 1905 as an ornamental plant and now a common invasive plant in most water bodies such as tanks, canals, ponds etc of lowland dry and intermediate parts of the island . Propagated mainly by runners (stolons) which produced new plants.

Tropic Dart (Potanthus Confucius satra)

Common butterfly of all elevations of the island. Larva feeds on Panicum maximum and  Axonopus compressus (Only when offered) of family Poaceae.

Orange cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus)

Very common herb which was originally cultivated in gardens and now escaped and naturalized in waste lands, roadsides etc. A native of tropical America.