මුහුදු බිම් තඹර[Muhudu-bin-tambara]/Goat’s foot glory (Ipomoea pes-caprae)

An indigenous trailing vine, very common in the coastal beaches and sand dunes.  Flowering throughout the year. Both the roots and leaves are used as medicine in India, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. Its common English name is due to two lobed leaves resembling the goat’s foot. 

Pale-faced Forest-Skimmer (Cratilla lineata calverti)

Pale-faced Forest-Skimmer was described by Fraser as a very common insect on the West Coast of India, but records here in Sri Lanka are only from Kandy (deFonseka T. 2000). However it is a rare forest dwelling dragonfly not only in Kandy but several other forested areas. It breeds in marshes in heavy jungles. (bedjanic, M et al 2007)

Striped Albatross ( Appias libythea libythea)

Rather rare butterfly of dry low lands but found in all elevations during migratory season from November to December. W. Ormiston stated that it is abundant in the Hambantota district in March and May and in the Mannar in July, November and January. (Ormiston W. 1924). Males often mud puddles on wet places to absorb minerals.  Its larva feeds on leaves of Cadaba fruticosa, Capparis grandis, Capparis roxburghii and Crateva adansonii (ලුණුවරණ) of the family Capparidaceae  and Cleome aspera of the family Cleomaceae

Yellow Wagtail/කහ හැලපෙන්දා[Kaha Halapendha] (Motacilla flava thunbergi)

Winter migrant to the island where it can be occurred as several races while Grey-headed wagtail (M.f. thunbergi) is the commonest of them which can be seen throughout the country in grasslands and marshes.  There are few other races (M.f. bema [Syke’sYellow wagtail], M.f lutea [Yellow-headed Wagtail], M.f. melanogrisea [Black-headed Yellow wagtail], M.f. simillima [Siberian Yellow Wagtail], M.f. feldegg) those are rare to very rare migrants and vagrants to the dry lowlands. During its stay in Sri Lanka Grey-headed wagtail  feeds as scattered flocks on grasslands, dry tank beds, paddy fields, etc often accompanying with cattle.  It roosts communally in reed-bed or swamp scrub during the night. Grey-headed wagtail  breeds from North-eastern Europe to North-western Siberia. 

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Indigo Flash (Rapala varuna lazulina)

Rare butterfly found in lowlands up to about 500m a.s.l . Its larva feeds on flowers, buds and shoot of  Ziziphus oenopolia (හීන් එරමිණියා). Larva also fed on  Ziziphus mauritiana (දෙබර/මහ දෙබර/මසන්/Indian jujube/Chinese apple) when offered in the lab.

Plain prinia (Prinia inornata insularis)

A resident bird locally common in paddy fields, scrub and marsh lands from lowland to lower hills while commoner in the dry zone. Its food mainly consists of insects and spends its time mostly on hopping actively among grass stems solitarily or as pairs in search of them. It breeds probably throughout the year and nest a deep cup of grasses place in grass-tussock or low bush often few feets above the ground (or water since usually it is situated in a swamp). 

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Common Bushbrown (Mycalesis perseus)

Common butterfly distributed throughout the island while abundant in the hills and scarce in the north. Larva feeds on Carpet grass/පොටු තණකොළ (Axonopus compressus) , Eleusine indica (බැල තණ/වල්මල් කුරක්කන්/Goose Grass),  Leersia hexandra (ලෙව්/Bareet Grass) and Oryza sativa (වී/Paddy) of the family Poaceae. Common Bush brown can be easily distinguished from the similar Dark-brand Bushbrown by four lower ocelli of hind wing. Four ocelli lie in a curved line of this species while those are in straight line of the Dark-brand Bushbrown.

දෙමට/ගැට දෙමට[Demata/Gatta demata]/Asiatic bushbeech (Gmelina asiatica)

An indigenous shrub common in low country dry zone. Its fruits edible and roots and leaves are used as remedies for varies illnesses.  Flowers appears from March to September. 

Plum Judy (Abisara echerius prunosa)

Locally common butterfly of low country jungles up to about 1200m a.s.l. It usually settles on a leaf few feets above from the ground during the day time and become active during the evening. It has a quick jercky flight which resembles the butterflies of family Hesperiidae. Its larval food plants are Ardisia gardneri, Ardisia elliptica (බලු දං), Embelia ribes and Embelia tsjeriam-cottam of the family Myrsinaceae.

ඇටිකුකුලා[Ati Kukula]/Greater Coucal/Southern Coucal /Common Coucal (Centropus sinensis)

Common breeding resident of home gardens, cultivations, scrublands, forest edges of wet zone and dry forests throughout the island. It is a ground feeder and food consist of almost any animal which is small enough to tackle such as snails, lizards, insects, frogs, small snakes, eggs and nestlings of birds etc. It hunts solitarily or as pairs. It appear to be pair for life time and when feeding keep contacts with each other with call which sound like hoop oop oop .... Breeding season is from February to September and again from October to December. It lays two or three eggs in a domed nest concealed in deep cover in thorny bushes or crown of a palm.

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Tiny Grass Blue (Zizula hylax hylax)

Rather rare butterfly found in lowlands to about 1000m elevations. Larva feeds on various plants of family Acanthaceae  such as Hygrophila heinei , Phaulopsis dorsiflora, Ruellia patula, Ruellia prostrata (නිල් පුරුක්), Ruellia tuberosa (නිල් පුරුක්/Wayside tuberose/Minnieroot), Strobilanthes cordifolia (බූ නෙළු) and Hygrophila auriculata (ක‍ටු ඉකිරි/නීරමුල්ලිය) Sometimes larvae are attended by ants.

කීර තන්ඩු පිල්ලු[Keera-thandu-pillu]/Thickhead (Crassocephalum crepidioides)

 Widespread introduced weed of roadsides, waste lands and scrub-lands throughout the island. It is a native plant of tropical Africa. 

Common Leopard (Phalanta phalantha)

Common butterfly occurs in open areas close to the jungles, and scrub lands from sea level to about 6000ft a.s.l. Common leopard is a migratory species and sometime it swarms on wet patches on the roads in the low country dry zone. Larva feeds on Dovyalis hebecarpa (Ceylon gooseberry/කැට ඇඹිල්ල), Flacourtia indica (උගුරැස්ස),  Hydnocarpus venenata, Flacourtia jangomas (රට උගුරැස්ස), Scolopia acuminata, Flacourtia inermis (Livi-lovi) and Scolopia pusilla (කටු කෑර/කටු කුරුඳු/කටු කෙන්ද)

Zitting Cisticola/Fantail warbler/Streaked Fantail warbler/Hambu kurulla[S] (Cisticola juncidis)

Common resident bird in tall grasslands, marsh lands, tank edges and paddy fields throughout the island from sea coast to higher hills like Horton plains national park. It feeds manly on insects like grasshoppers. Breeding season last from March to April and July to September. It build  a nest a cylindrical pocket with a small circular opening at the top well hidden among middle of a tussock of grass and lays three or four pinkish white eggs.

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Metallic Cerulean (Jamides alecto meilichius)

Common in all elevations of the island in all the year round. But rare in the North. It is considered as a pest of Cardamom plantations since its larva feeds on fruits and flowers of Cardamom or එනසාල් (Elettaria cardamomum) of the family Zingiberaceae. Meistera benthamiana, Zingiber officinale (ඉඟුරු/Ginger), Alpinia calcarata (කලා කීරිය/කටු කීරිය/Indian Ginger/Snap-Ginger), Alpinia galanga, Alpinia purpurata (Red ginger), Alpinia zerumbet, Meistera fulviceps, Meistera trichostachya, Hedychium flavescens (Yellow Ginger Lily), Zingiber cylindricum, Zingiber wightianum and Zingiber zerumbet (වල් - ඉඟුරු/Wild Ginger) of the same Zingiberaceae.family are also identified so far as its larval host plants in Sri Lanka.

Hibiscus lobatus

An indigenous herb common along roadsides and waste lands of the low country. 

Glassy Tiger(Parantica aglea)

Common at all elevations of the southern part of the country in all the year round while much plentiful during Northeast monsoon period. Scarce in the northern parts of the island. According to the D’Abrera it  is a slow and low flying insect not rising more than 5 or 6 feet above the ground usually, and then only when the temperature is not too hot (The Butterflies of Ceylon - D'abrera 1998) Larva feeds on Ceropegia candelabrum, Heterostemma tanjorensis, Vincetoxicum indicum, Vincetoxicum flexuosum, Vincetoxicum iphisia and Vincetoxicum bracteatum.

 

Kalukichcha/Indian Robin/Black-backed Robin (Saxicoloides fulicatus)

Common breeding resident of drier open areas of the dry zone while rare and local in the wet zone up to mid hills. It prefers gardens, cultivation and scrub lands and avoids heavy forest areas. Indian Robin lives as pairs and feeds actively on ground in searching insects.  The breeding season is from March to September and it builds its nest in a hole of a bank, tree-trunk or sometime in a cavity in a building where it lays 2-3 eggs. 

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Common Gull (Cepora nerissa evagete)

Common in low country drier parts throughout the year but can be seen all over the island including higher hills during the migration period. Sometimes it may be seen settled in hundreds on mud or wet sand to absorb minerals.  Its larva feeds on varies Capparis species such as Capparis zeylanica, Capparis sepiaria, Capparis tenera, Capparis brevispina, Capparis grandis, Capparis moonii, Capparis roxburghii, and Crateva adansonii (ලුණුවරණ ) of the family Capparaceae 

Shower-of-gold vine (Tristellateia australasiae)

Native woody climber of South- East Asia and Australia. Introduced and cultivated in Sri Lankan home gardens as an ornamental plant.