වලිකුකුලා[Wali-Kukula]/Sri Lanka Junglefowl (Gallus lafayetii)

Fairly common endemic bird found in forests and dense scrubs from low lands to higher hills. Junglefowl keeps in pairs or small groups mainly inhabiting on ground and flying up to a tree when threatened. It roosts high in trees during night solitarily or in small groups. It’s food mainly consist of grain,  berries, leaves and buds as well as small insects such as grasshoppers, termites etc. Junglefowl 's  main breeding season is from December to April and probably again from August to September. The nest is a scrape in ground beneath a tree, beside a dead log or on a pile of vegetation.

දුම්මැල්ල/කුනුමැල්ල/පතෝල[Dum-mella/Kunu-mella/Pathola]/Snake Gourd (Trichosanthes cucumerina)

Common indigenous climbing herb grows in low country, mainly in dry zone. Trichosanthes anguina (Snake Gourd/Pathola) - cited as synonymy of T. cucumerina -  is a common cultivated vegetable with much larger fruits. 

Pale-billed Flowerpecker/පිළිලිච්චා/ලාතුඩු පිළිලිච්චා [Pililichcha/Latudu Pililichcha] (Dicaeum erythrorhynchos)

Very common breeding resident found all over the Sri Lanka. Pale-billed Flowerpecker is the smallest bird of the island which frequents the canopy of tall trees and gardens, feeding on juicy fruits of many kinds while parasitic Loranthus species (Pilila) being its favorites  This bird helps to spread sticky seeds of Loranthus  by adhering them to the branches of trees. Beside fruits it also eats many small insects and spiders. The breeding season lasts from January to August and it build a nest – a small bag of cotton and fibers slung from a twig high up in a tree- placed among large leaves where it lays two white eggs. 

සිංහලෙන් කියවන්න >>

Mussaenda erythrophylla

Mussaenda erythrophylla is an erect shrub introduced as an ornamental plant and widely cultivated in home gardens. It is said to have originated in the Congo. Its pinkish sepals are more prominent than small yellow flowers (insert)

Barred Buttonquail (Turnix suscitator)

Common breeding resident in grasslands, scrublands and paddy fields in low country dry zone. Usually seen as pairs or solitary birds. Also not uncommon in suitable habitats in wet zone and hills like in tea plantation. It feeds on seeds, termites etc. picking up from the ground usually in the morning and evening. In this bird, the normal role of the sexes is reversed and female courts males uttering long purring call and she also practices polyandry. Having laid 2 to 4 eggs in a nest compose of dry grass, rootlets etc. in a hollow at the base of a small shrub, she leaves while her mate incubate them and bring up the chicks. The breeding season last for most of the year but most likely months are January to March and again July to August of the year. 

Brazil pusley/Mexican clover (Richardia brasiliensis)

Perennial prostrate herb native to Brazil, introduced and now very common weed along roadsides and in plantations and gardens from lowlands to the hills. It can be easily distinguished from all other similar small white flower plants by its 6 lobes corolla, since all other small white flowers in Sri Lanka have 4 or 5 corolla lobes. 

Commander (Moduza procris)

Common butterfly flies from lowlands to about 1500m. However it is much common in the hills from 500m to 1200m especially near rivers and streams in wooded areas and on jungle paths. Commander takes part in migrations and it is extremely swift in plight. It occasionally settles on wet patches on the road to absorb minerals. Its larva feeds on Mussaenda samana, Mitragyna tubulosa, Mitragyna parvifolia (හැළඹ), Mussaenda frondosa (මුස්සැන්ද/වෙල්-බුත්සරණ), Timonius flavescens, Uncaria elliptica, and Wendlandia bicuspidata (රාවන් ඉදල/වන ඉදල/රත් වැනිදල). Apart from that egg laying only was also observed on Gaertnera vaginans (පේර තඹල).

Firecracker flower (Crossandra infundibuliformis)

An indigenous common herb found in the shade of shrubs close to watercourses from lowlands to mid hills. Also planted in home gardens as an ornamental plant. Flowering throughout the year.

Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)

A common breeding resident of dry lowland marshes, lagoons, tanks, mangroves and estuaries. Rare in wet lowlands and hills. It feeds on fish usually as solitary birds but at times as large flocks when fish density is high in an area. Grey Heron is more active during dawn and dusk. Its breeding season lasts from December to April and builds a nest – a large mass of sticks – placed among the branches of a tree growing in shallow water usually with other water birds known as heronries.

සිංහලෙන් කියවන්න >>

Dopatrium nudicaule

 An indigenous herb grows among short grasses in wet places in the lowlands and wet hills up to about 500 m. Common on wet rocky surfaces and sometime also found in paddy fields. Flowering from November to July.

Peacock Royal (Tajuria cippus)

Common butterfly found from lowlands to about 1000 m above sea level throughout the year, but more visible in the center and north of the island. Its larva feeds on Dendrophthoe falcata, Dendrophthoe ligulata, Taxillus cuneatus and Scurrula cordifolia of the family Loranthaceae.

Pink Skimmer (Orthetrum pruinosum neglectum)

Very common dragonfly found in weedy tanks, marsh lands, paddy fields and streams from lowlands to the hills. 

රතු දෙමලිච්චා[Rathu Demalichcha]/Orange-billed babbler ( Turdoides rufescens)

Orange-billed babbler is a locally common endemic bird found in wet lowland and adjoining hill country forest areas. It lives as flocks of 7-10 individuals or more and also a regular species in ‘mixed feeding flocks’. It feeds on insects and also jungle berries, fluttering from tree to tree in lower foliage of trees and understorey of the forest. Little information available on its nesting habitats and breeding season is said to be from January to May and grass cup nest well hidden among creepers or bush and deep greenish eggs resembles Orange-billed babbler’s nest and eggs and difficult to distinguished.

සිංහලෙන් කියවන්න >>

Common Evening Brown (Melanitis leda)

Very common butterfly found all over the island. It has a crepuscular habit and can be seen on the wing at dawn and dusk, though sometime active even day time in shady places. Under side of wings vary with season and wet season form is much darker than dry season form as shown in above figures. Common Evening Brown larva feeds by night on varies type of grasses [Arundo donax,  Eleusine indica (බැල තණ/වල්මල් කුරක්කන්/Goose Grass), Cenchrus ciliaris, Imperata cylindrica (ඉලුක්/Blady Grass/Spear Grass/Cogon Grass), Ischaemum timorense  Leersia hexandra (ලෙව්/Bareet Grass), Panicum maximum(ගිනි තණ/Guinea grass) Setaria barbata ] and paddy (Oryza sativa) of the family Poaceae. Its larva also fed on Carpet grass/පොටු තණකොළ (Axonopus compressus) only when offered in the lab.

කොන්ඩ කුරුල්ලා[Konda kurulla]/Red-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer)

Very common breeding resident occurs in home gardens, cultivation  forest edges and scrub lands throughout the country but avoids deep forests. Red-vented Bulbul lives as pairs but some time gathered as small flocks. Its main food consist of varies berries and insects. It is a prolific bird which breeds several times of the year while main breeding seasons are from March to May and again August to September. The nest is a cup made up of small twigs, fibers, rootlets bound together by cobwebs where it lays 2-3 eggs.

සිංහලෙන් කියවන්න >>

Marsh Dancer (Onychargia atrocyana)

An uncommon damselfly found in surrounding vegetation of paddy fields, tank edges etc. in wet zone lowlands and lower hills.

ඇපල/කපු කිනිස්ස[Epala/Kapu-Kinissa] (Triumfetta pentandra)

An indigenous herb common in grasslands and roadsides of dry and arid zones. 

කවුඩා[Kawuda]/White-bellied Drongo(Dicrurus caerulescens)

Common breeding resident from lowlands to mid hills. It occurs as two races D.c. insularis (White-bellied Drongo) is the dry zone form which is common in dry lowlands and drier hills and D.c.leucopygialis (White-vented Drongo) common in wet zone and near by hills. It inhabits well wooded country, tea and rubber plantations, and home gardens but avoids deep forests. White-bellied Drongo lives as solitary birds or as pairs. It feeds on flying insects catching on wing from sallying out a fence post or telegraph wire probably to come back to same perch with its catch. It has a habit of imitating other birds such as Shikra, Magpie- robin etc. and mewing of the cat. It breeds from February to March.

සිංහලෙන් කියවන්න >>

Three-spot Grass Yellow (Eurema blanda silhetana)

Three-spot Grass Yellow is a very common insect found in the low country wet zone and hills while becoming rare towards the North of the country. The larva feeds on Archidendron clypearia subsp. subcoriaceum (මිමිණි මාර), Entada zeylanica, Albizia chinensis, Albizia lebbeck, Albizia odoratissima, Archidendron bigeminum (කලටිය), Caesalpinia bonduc (කුඹුරු/කුඹුරු වැල්/කළු වවුලැටිය/Grey Nicker), Caesalpinia hymenocarpa, Cassia fistula (ඇහැළ/Indian Laburnum/Shower of Gold), Entada rheedei (පුස් වැල්), Falcataria moluccana, Senna alata (රට තෝර/Candle bush/Candle stick/Rinworm shrub), Senna surattensis (Scrambled-egg-tree), Calliandra surinamensis and Acacia decurrens of family Fabaceae. 

ගන්වෙද/වල් තිප්පිලි[Gan-veda/Val-tippili] (Croton hirtus)

An introduced herb native to tropical South America. Common in wastelands, road sides and as a weed in cultivation.