Eriocaulon longicuspe

An indigenous rosulate perennial of marshy slopes and stream sides of the uplands.

Flower head width - 6 to 10 mm

කටු කෑර/කටු කුරුඳු/කටු කෙන්ද[Katu Kera/Katu Kurundu/Katu Kenda](Scolopia pusilla)

An endemic medium size tree or a shrub occurs in dry and wet lowlands and submontane forest understory and as hill side shrub from 150 to 1000 m elevations. 

Gynura hispida

An endemic herb grows in moist rocky crevices above 6000 ft. elevations. Rare. Flowering from March to May.

පෝරු කෑදැත්තා/පොරෝ කෑදැත්තා[Poru Keadetta/Poro Keadetta]Malabar Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros coronatus)

Common breeding resident of forests and such wooded areas from dry lowlands to lower hills.Usually seen as  pairs to large flocks on tall trees along river banks. Malabar Pied Hornbill feeds mainly on wild fruits like Banyan figs, Palu berries, etc. But also eats any small animals it can catch. Its breeding season lasts from April to August. The nest is a tree cavity where female bird is sealed with mud within it by the male bird. She lays eggs and stays in the nest till the chicks grows up. Once the space inside is not enough for the chicks and the mother bird, she breaks out it and resealed it until chicks would fully grown up and emerge out of it by breaking the seal again. Male bird feeds the female during her stay inside the cavity and later on pair feeds the chicks.

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අළු මුගටියා[Alu Mugatiya]/Indian Grey Mongoose (Herpestes edwardsii)

Grey Mongoose is a common mammal found throughout the island up to about 2100 m elevations. It is much common in the grasslands and lightly wooded places of the dry lowlands, northwards from the north central province. It ia also common in Sigiriya and several other forested areas of Mathale district though very rare in the southern part of the country. It is a more diurnal in its habits and active mostly early in the morning or late afternoon. Grey Mongoose usually encounters as solitary individuals or as pairs.  It preys on small mammals, birds, lizards, frogs, snails, small snakes, grubs, insects etc. But also feeds on fruits, berries and roots of certain plants to a lesser extent and sometimes even eats carrion. There is not defined breeding season for this animal in Sri Lanka and mating occurs whenever the female comes into season. Female Grey Mongoose give birth to two to four pups in a chamber dug into an anthill or an earthen bank and shelter them in it for few months. Pups may remain with the mother for about 6 months. 

Crimson Tip (Colotis danae danae)

A common butterfly restricted to the thorn scrub and waste places along the northwestern coastal arid zone from Eluwankulam to the Jaffna.  It flies year-round though much common from October to January just after the first rain of the northeast monsoon. Crimson Tip is a very active insect and it flies rapidly closer to the ground among thorny vegetation. Its only known larval host plant is Cadaba fruticosa of the family Capparaceae.

Long-tailed Shrike/Rufous-backed Shrike/Rufous-rumped Shrike/දික්පෙඳ සබරිත්තා/ගුරු ඇස්පටියා[Dikpendha Sabariththa/Guru Aespatiya] (Lanius schach)

Rather uncommon breeding resident distributed mainly in the North and North-western dry and arid zones. Rare in the North-central region. It inhabits open country, forests and scrub lands, often as pairs or as solitary birds. It usually perches on an exposed branch of a bush or a post and catches its prey on air. Long-tailed Shrike feeds mainly on insects such as grasshoppers and beetles . But also catch small lizards, frogs and sometimes nesting birds. The breeding season lasts from February to June. The nest is a cup made out of grasses, creeper-stems, rootlets, etc. placed often in  thorny Acacias where it lays 2-4 eggs

Striped Pierrort (Tarucus nara)

Common butterfly flies only in the northern part of the country from coastal thorn scrub of the western coast from Mannar to Pooneryn and throughout the Jaffna Peninsula. Its main flight season is from October to March. Striped Pierrort larva feeds on leaves of the Ziziphus mauritiana often attended by ants. Ovipositing on Ziziphus xylopyrus is also observed.

ඉල්ල[Illa] (Callicarpa tomentosa)

Common native shrub or small tree of scrublands, home gardens, forests edges and roadsides of wet lowlands and the hill country. Flowering from August to September and March.

Balloon Cottonbush (Gomphocarpus physocarpus)

An introduced herb or small shrub native to the South and tropical Africa. Cultivated, escaped and naturalized mainly in the hill country (Below Hakgala on the way to the former Fort Macdonald ). Flowering throughout the year.

යක් වනස්ස [Yak Wanassa] (Anisomeles indica)

An indigenous perennial herb. Common weed in waste places and roadsides in both dry and wet lowlands and lower hills from sea level to 700 m elevations.  Flowering from September to February and July. 

Yellow Orange Tip (Ixias pyrene cingalensis)

Rather common butterfly flies all the year round, mainly in the dry zone scrub jungles, forests and waste places. It also occurs in the intermediate zone. Its numbers increase with the northeast monsoons. Males sometimes settle on wet patches on the roads and river beds. It is a migratory species and larva feeds on Capparis sepiaria and Capparis grandis of the family Capparaceae .

Crested Treeswift/Indian Crested Swift/Grey-rumped Treeswift/සිළු රුක් තුරිතයා/රුක් තුරිතයා [Silu Rukturitaya/Rukturitaya] (Hemiprocne coronata)

Rather common breeding resident occurs from lowlands to mid hills (Up to 1000 m elevations) mainly in the dry zone, while scarce from wet lowlands to hills. It prefers open country with tress and often encounters as pairs or several pairs together. It makes a nest, a small cup made out of of barks. mosses and lichens glued to a branch and parents takes it in turns to incubate (See above male bird on the left) Breeding season lasts from March to May and sometimes from July to August. Crested Treeswift feeds mainly on small flying insects. 

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Ammannia baccifera

An indigenous annual herb occurs in damp places or in water, paddy fields, seasonal ponds, roadside ditches and damp sandy places of the lowlands.

Distimake cissoides[Syn: Merremia cissoides]

Native vine of tropical America. Introduced and naturalized in disturbed sites, cultivated grounds and roadsides. 

Plain Orange Tip (Colotis aurora)

Plain Orange Tip occurs only in coastal waste places and thorn scrub of the northern and north western part of the country. It is more numerous at the end of the north east monsoon though few may be seen all the year round. It flies usually closer to the ground. Its larva feeds on Cadaba fruticosa of the family Capparaceae.

මහ වල් කොල්ලු (Rhynchosia minima)

 An indigenous prostrating or trailing small vine occurs in the low country. Common in the dry zone and occasionally found also in the wet zone. Flowering all the year round. 

Khaki weed (Alternanthera pungens)

Native prostrate herb of tropical ans sub tropical America. Introduced and now a common weed in dry sandy places, disturbed grounds and roadsides. 

හීන් තොලබෝ[Heen Tolabo] (Crinum defixum)

Native tall herb rather common in wet places, river and stream banks, edges of ponds and tanks, etc of the lowlands and in the mid country. Flowering more or less all the year round. Fragrant flowers opening in the evening. Seeds float in the water and plants may be dispersed  by water in such places. 

බූ පිල[Bu Pila]/Hoarypea (Tephrosia villosa)

An indigenous herb very common along roadsides and waste places in the dry zone.

Abutilon pannosum

An indigenous woody herb or small shrub rather common in the low country

බින් සියඹලා[Bin Siyabala]/Feather-leaved cassia/Fish bone cassia (Chamaecrista mimosoides [Syn: Cassia mimosoides])

A native herb  common in open grassy patches from sea level to about 1200 m elevations. 

Indigofera oblongifolia

An indigenous shrub of the the dry zone. Mostly in the northern part of  the country.

Basilicum polystachyon

An indigenous herb grows on damp grounds of the dry lowlands, along secondary forest edges, roadside ditches and tanks of the intermediate zone. Flowering from March to July.

Ammannia octandra

Rather common native herb occurs in dry regions. 

මූදු අවර/වල් අවර [Mudu Awara/Wal Awara](Canavalia cathartica [Syn: Canavalia virosa])

An indigenous vine common in coastal lowland scrubs and forests edges, mostly in the dry zone and lower hill country. 

Biophytum nervifolium

Rather common native herb occurs on sandy and clayey moist soil in the dry zone. Flowering from October to April.

බඳු වද [Bandu Wada] (Pentapetes phoenicea)

An indigenous (Or may be introduced from India) herb  occurs in marshy places, paddy fields, tank edges, etc. at sea level or lower elevations in the dry zone. 

Silverleaf Desmodium (Desmodium uncinatum [Syn: Desmodium intortum])

An introduced herb native to the tropical America. Common and naturalized along southeastern hill country roadsides. Probably introduced as a ground cover.

White-bellied Sea Eagle/White-bellied Fish Eagle/කුසඇලි මුහුදුකුස්සා/මුහුදු රාජාලියා (Haliaeetus leucogaster)

Rather uncommon breeding resident of lowlands to lower hills, while more common in the dry lowlands. Also a regular visitor to the higher hills and occasionally seen in large lakes of the wet zone. It inhabits coastal areas, large tanks, along rivers, estuaries and lagoons as solitary birds or usually as pairs. As its name implies its principal food consists of fish and sea-snakes. White-bellied Sea Eagle breeds from December to March, making a huge nest of sticks in a tall tree, often on a small island or rocky promontory. The same nest is added to year by year. Normally two eggs forms the clutch.

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බින් සියඹලා[Bin Siyabala] (Chamaecrista kleinii [Syn: Cassia kleinii])

Very common indigenous erect or procumbent perennial herb grows in both dry and wet lowlands. 

Microstegium fasciculatum [Syn: Microstegium ciliatum]

An indigenous perennial of grassy banks and road sides from 300 to 600 elevations. 

Hampson's Hedge Blue (Acytolepis lilacea moorei)

An uncommon butterfly of hills and lowlands of Sabaragamuwa and Uva provinces. It flies with the start of the northeast monsoon rains and probably again from April to May. (Van der Poorten G.M. & Van der Poorten N.E., 2016). No data available of its early stages or of larval food plants. Males mud puddling on wet soil, bird droppings or  scats along forest roads and jungle trails.

කුකුල් කටු/ගිනි අන්දර[Kukul Katu/Gini Andara]/Cockspur Thorn (Vachellia eburnea [Syn: Acacia eburnea])

Large or small bush or small tree common in the dry areas, especially near the coast. Native plant of India, Arabian peninsula and Afghanistan and introduced to Sri Lanka. (As per Vlas J. & J. de, 2014 but probably a Native of Sri Lanka)  

Syke’s Yellow wagtail/කහ හැලපෙන්දා (Motacilla flava beema)

Western Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava) is a winter migrant to the island. Several races of it have been recorded in Sri Lanka. Out of them race thunbergi is the commonest and other races are rare to very rare migrants or vagrants to the dry lowlands. Race beema (Syke’s Yellow wagtail) is considered as a very rare migrant to the low country dry zone. 

Orthosiphon thymiflorus

An indigenous perennial herb grows under shade in secondary scrub of dry lowlands to drier lower uplands up to about 500 m a.s.l. Flowering from January to April.   

දිය කිරිල්ල[Diya Kirilla](Hydrolea zeylanica)

An indigenous herbaceous perennial wides pread in wet places around ponds and tanks, along irrigation canals and in wet depressions of the low country, especially in the dry zone. Flowering in  March and September. 

බූ අවරි [Bu Awari]/Hairy Indigo/Silky Indigo (Indigofera hirsuta)

Common native herb of dry and intermediate areas. 

පිනි බර තණ [Pini Bara Tana] (Themeda tremula)

An indigenous perennial common along roadsides, open places and in low patanas from 160 m to 1300 m a.s.l. 

Centotheca lappacea

An indigenous erect tufted perennial occurs mostly in the wet shady places from low to middle elevations in the wet zone.

Persicaria nepalensis

Native small herb occurs in moist montane areas. Common and often occurs as a weed of plantations. Flowering all the year round. 

බුලු වල් අඟුණ/බූ කිරි වැල්[Bulu Wal Anguna/Bu Kiri Wel (Chonemorpha fragrans)

Rather rare native huge woody twiner occurs in secondary forests in the wet zone up to about 800 elevations. Locally common. Flowering from March to May.

Pearl Flower (Heterocentron subtriplinervium)

An introduced small shrub native to Mexico. Cultivated as a ornamental plant but a potential invader.