Monkey-puzzle (Rathinda amor)

An uncommon butterfly found in most parts of the island up to about 1000m asl. However it is much plentiful at low country forested areas. The larva feeds on buds of  Ixora coccinea (රතඹලා/රත් මල්) flowers of family Rubiaceae and Immature leaves of බෝ-කෑර/ගෝ-කෑර [Bo-Kera] (Gomphia serrata). Ixora macrothyrsa, Ixora pavetta (මහ රතඹලා/Torch Tree) , Lepisanthes tetraphylla (දාඹු)

Mischodon zeylanicus, Dimorphocalyx glabellus (වැලිවැන්න), Dimocarpus longan, Scutia myrtina, Mangifera indica (අඹ/Mango), Antidesma ghaesembilla and Drypetes sepiaria are also identified as its larval food plants.

Lesser Sand Plover/Mongolian Plover/Heen Wali Oliviya (Charadrius mongolus)

Common winter migrant to the lowlands while more common in dry zone and locale in the wet zone. It feeds on small insects and crustaceans in shores, salterns, mud-flats, wet grasslands etc. as small to large flocks. Lesser Sand Plover breeds in Central Asia. 

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බැබිල[Bebila] (Hibiscus micranthus)

An indigenous herb common along roads, forest edges, rocky hillsides and open scrublands of the dry zone.

Little Orange Tip (Coltis etrida limbata)

Rather rare butterfly inhabits coastal areas of north of Chilaw and Tangalla to Hambantota of extreme south. However sometimes it occurs further inland in north. Those from southern areas are larger, darker and very richly colored. Its only known larval food plant in Sri Lanka is Maerua arenaria of the family Capparaceae. W. Ormiston noted of a specimen taken at cart road at Haldummulla, at least 50 miles from its usual haunts and he believed that it had pupated on a Hambantota salt cart and hatched out on the way to Haputhale. Similarly he doubted of specimens of etrida race might brought over from India on the native boats because in Mannar district specimens that are very close to typical etrida  may be taken in company with typical limbata.

බමුණු පියාකුස්සා/බ්‍රාහ්මණ උකුස්සා/Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus)

Common breeding resident mainly in coastal areas and large marshes and man-made tanks/reservoirs of the lowlands. Also an occasional visitor to the hills. Its food consist of any animal which it can capture such as lizards, young or wounded birds, fish, crabs, large insects etc. Its breeding season is from October to April and the nest made of sticks and twigs in the tree top where it lays 2-3 eggs. 





                                          Juvenile-->

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Single Branded Crow/Common Crow (Euploea core)

Very common butterfly found all over the island in all the year round. It takes part in migrations. Larva feeds on Adenium obesum (Desert Rose) ,Aganosma cymosa, Allamanda cathartica (වෙල් රුක් අත්තන/Golden trumpet/Yellow allamanda), Anodendron paniculatum,  Asclepias curassavica (කන් කුඹල/Wild Ipecacuanha/Mexican milkweed/Blood flower), Carissa spinarum (හීන් කරඹ), Cryptolepis dubia, Gomphocarpus physocarpus (Balloon Cottonbush), Hemidesmus indicus (ඉරමුසු/හීන්-ඉරමුසු), Ichnocarpus frutescens (ගැරඬි වැල්/ගෝපි/ප්‍රියවර්ණ), Leptadenia reticulata (ජීවන්ති), Mandevilla boliviensis, Nerium oleander (කනේරු/Oleander), Ochrosia oppositifolia, Parsonsia alboflavescens (කිරි අඟුණ/වල් අඟුණ), Pentalinon luteum (Wild allamanda/Hammock viper's tail/Sundial), Pentatropis capensis,  Ficus arnottiana (පතන බෝ/කවුඩු බෝ/කපුටු බෝ),  Ficus benghalensis (මහ නුග/නුග/Banyan/Krishna bo/Krishna's cup), Ficus benjamina (වලු නුග/Weeping Fig/Benjamin Fig), Ficus exasperata (බූ තෙදිය/සෙවන් මැදිය/Furniture Leaf), Ficus microcarpa, Ficus nervosa, Ficus pumila,  Ficus racemosa (අට්ටික්කා),  Ficus religiosa(බෝ) , Ficus tinctoria, Secamone emetica and Streblus asper, Egg laying also observed on Plumeria rubra (අරලිය/Frangipani/Temple tree)

  

Sri Lanka Swallow (Hirundo hyperythra)

Common resident bird recently split from Red-rumped swallow (Hirundo daurica) adding another endemic bird to Sri lankan list. It is common all over the island in open areas of forests, plantations, paddy fields and scrublands. Often encounters as pairs and sometime as small flocks. It flies usually close to the ground and food consists mainly of small insects captured on the wing. Sri Lanka Swallow built bottle like nest with mud on roof of a cave, under a bridge or sometime even under a  roof of a building or a house. Main breeding season is from April to July. 

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Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus)

A very common butterfly found all over the island in all the year round while commonest in the dry areas of the country. Its female occurs in two forms; one similar to the male and other with nearly all orange wings with dark margin and few discal spots only on the hind wings. Both forms of female are mimicked by the Danaid Eggfly. Larva feeds on Calotropis gigantea (එළවරා), Ceropegia elegans, Cynanchum alatum, Vincetoxicum cordifolium, Vincetoxicum iphisia, Vincetoxicum bracteatum, Asclepias curassavica (කන් කුඹල/Wild Ipecacuanha/Mexican milkweed/Blood flower), Gomphocarpus physocarpus (Balloon Cottonbush), Pentatropis capensis and Pergularia daemia (විස්සනි/මහමැදහන්ගු/Langali )

Star of Bethlehem, Madamfate (Hippobroma longiflora [Syn: Laurentia longiflora])

Native plant of West Indies. Introduced and naturalized in moist places such as roadside ditches, paddy fields, dilapidated walls and bases of coconut trees from wet lowland to midland hills. Also cultivated in home gardens.  Flowering throughout the year. 

Plumbeous silverline (Spindasis schistacea)

Rare butterfly of the low country open areas while plentiful in the hills. Its early stages and food plants are not yet recorded.

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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