මොණර මල්[Monara-Mal]/Peacock flower/Paradise flower (Caesalpinia pulcherrima)

Monara-Mal is a small tree, native to tropical America, which was introduced to Sri Lanka at an early time as an ornamental plant. Very common in home gardens and sometimes escaped and naturalized plants can be seen along roadsides and scrub lands

Marsh Skimmer (Orthetrum luzonicum)

Common in marshes and swampy areas from lowlands to the central hills while widely distributed in montane and submontane areas. 

Black-naped Monarch (Hypothymis azurea)

Common breeding resident in forests and adjoining well wooded home gardens of lowlands and hills up to 1700m a.s.l., while more frequent in the wet zone and riverine habitats of the dry zone. It feeds on flying insects in usual flycatcher habits and constantly travels about in the canopy solitary or in pairs. The breeding season is from March to May and, the nest a small deep cup placed in a fork of small sapling few feet from the ground to higher levels of the canopy. 

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Ceylon Lace Wing/Tamil Lace Wing (Cethosia nietner nietner)

Rather uncommon butterfly occurred all over the island throughout the year, while relatively abundant in mid country jungles. Its larva feeds on Adenia hondala [හොඬල/පොතු හොඬල] plants of family Passifloraceae. 

Common Iora (Aegithina tiphia)

Common Iora is a very common breeding resident distributed mainly in gardens, scrublands, and forest edges of low country and lower hills up to 1000m a.s.l. But it is much common in dry zone. Iora lives in pairs and feeds on insects, especially on caterpillars among leaves of trees. While feeding it keeps in touch with each others by frequently calling in variety of whistling sounds. Breeding season is mainly from April to June and the nest a little cup made out of fibers and cobwebs fastened to a twig of a tree where it lays 2 or 3 eggs.

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ලීනිය[Liniya]/Screw tree (Helicteres isora)

Liniya is rather common indigenous shrub or small tree found in scrub lands, secondary forest edges, roadsides, beach edges and also of primary forests of dry and intermediate zones of the island from sea level to about 225 m a.s.l. Timber use to manufacture oars and bark provides a strong fiber. Fruits and seeds are used by traditional medical practitioners to treat colic and ear ulcers respectively. 

White Four-Ring (Ypthima ceylonica)

White Four-Ring is a common butterfly found in all elevations of the island in all the year round, while less common in higher hills. Its larva feeds on පොටු තණකොළ (Axonopus compressus) and Cyrtococcum trigonum of the family Poaceae

ඕලු[Olu]/Water Lilly (Nymphaea pubescens)

Olu is a very common indigenous aquatic herb of ponds and tanks, particularly in the dry lowlands. Flowering throughout the year and color of the flowers vary from nearly white to red. The seeds are edible and also use in traditional medicine. 

Little Green Bee-eater (Merops orientalis ceylonicus)

Little Green Bee-eater is a very common breeding resident of open areas, cultivations and open spaces of forests in dry lowlands.  Sometime perching birds on wires are not uncommon in suburban areas and it is occasional visitor to wet zone too.  It usually encounters as pairs and communal roosting during the night are observed in bushy trees. Like all other bee-eaters its main food consists of varies type of flying insects like beetles, bees, butterflies, dragonflies, etc. and it darts out to feed on them from its favorite perching wires or branches of a tree and often return to same place to swallow its catch. Little green Bee-eater breeds during April to August and lays 3-5 white color eggs in a nesting burrow which it dug into the side of a bank. 

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නිල් මානෙල්[Nil Manel]/Common water Lilly(Nymphaea nouchali)

An indigenous aquatic herb with floating leaves common in ponds and tanks of lowlands, particularly in dry zone and often cultivated in other areas. Flowering all the year round and flowers used for worshipping in Buddhist temples. 

Blue Tiger(Tirumala limniace leopardus)

Very common butterfly found in open scrub lands throughout the island though very common in lowlands below 1000ft a.s.l . Larva feeds on leaves of Dragia volubilis (අගුණ). It takes part in migration.  

නෙලුම්[Nelum]/Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera)

An aquatic indigenous herb common in ponds and tanks, particularly in dry zone. Seeds and rhizomes are edible and flowers use as temple offering. Color of the flowers vary from white to pink. Flowering throughout the year. 

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.