Common
butterfly found all over the island from lowlands to mid hills up to about
2500ft. Larvae of Red spot has symbiotic relationship with large red ants. Red ants feed
on liquid exuded by the larvae and in turn are attended by them. The
larva feeds on Terminalia bellirica, Bridelia retusa (කැටකෑල), Canthium coromandelicum, Terminalia catappa (කොට්ටම්බා/කොට්ටන්/Indian almond/Country almons), Terminalia arjuna (කුඹුක්), Falcataria moluccana (මාර), Symplocos acuminata, Cassia fistula (ඇහැළ/Indian Laburnum/Shower of Gold), Psidium guajava (පේර/Guava), Dendrophthoe falcata (පිලිල), Cassia roxburghii (රතු වා/Ceylon cassia/Red cassia), Senna auriculata (රණවරා/Matara Tea/Tanner's Cassia), Grewia damine (දමිණිය), Acacia longifolia, and Sesbania grandiflora (කතුරු මුරුංගා/Agati/Vegetable hummongbird).
Pages
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- Flora of Sri Lanka
- Dragonflies & Damselflies of Sri Lanka
- Butterflies of Sri Lanka
- Freshwater Fishes of of Sri Lanka
- Amphibians of Sri Lanka
- Snakes of Sri Lanka
- Tetrapod Reptiles of Sri Lanka
- Mammals of Sri Lanka
- Resident Birds of Sri Lanka
- Migrant Birds of Sri Lanka
- Vagrant Birds of Sri Lanka
- Status Uncertain or Doubtful Birds of Sri Lanka
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Saturday, August 10, 2013
කබර රදනකයා(Kabara Radanakaya)/ඉරි කරවලා(Iri karawala)/Shaw’s Wolf Snake/ (Lycodon striatus)
Shaw’s Wolf
Snake is a small (100-400mm) terrestrial and nocturnal snake distributed mostly
in wet zone though occurs rarely also in intermediate and dry zone areas. It is
a non venomous and inoffensive snake, which balls itself and hides its head
underneath these coils (See right bottom picture) when disturbed. It preys mainly on geckos and skinks during
the night and stay under decaying logs, loose soil, earth cracks and leaf
litter during the day time. Parental care of eggs is observed among these
snakes and it lays 2-3 eggs.
Friday, August 9, 2013
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
නිල් කටරොළු/Nil Katarolu/Blue butterfly pea/Butterfly bean (Clitoria ternatea)
An
indigenous (Introduced ? >>) slender vine found along roadsides and scrub lands in the dry low lands
while cultivated in home gardens of the moist regions. Flowering throughout the
year and sometime white forms and much longer flowers occurs in cultivation.
Monday, August 5, 2013
Apefly (Spalgis epeus epeus)
Rare butterfly distributed in the low
country to mid hills of about 500m a.s.l. As per Woodhouse Larva of Apefly unlike with other butterflies feeds on scale insects (Coccidae) especially “Mealy bug” and is never
known to eat vegetable food (Woodhouse L.G.O. 1950) But de’Abrera stated that
it is just a keeping company with Mealybugs (de’Abrera B., 1998).
Pupa is remarkably like the head and face of an ape. Hence its vernacular name
Apefly.
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Tree Nymph (Idea iasonia)
An endemic
and rare butterfly found in wet forests from lowlands to higher hills. Occurs
rarely also in some Northern and Eastern dry zone forests. It is usually found
near water streams and easily notice by its floating and sailing like slow flight,
often high among tree tops. Its only known larval food plant is Parsonsia alboflavescens (කිරි අඟුණ/වල් අඟුණ)
Friday, July 26, 2013
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Forget-me-not (Catochrysops strabo)
Common
butterfly occurs all over the dry lowlands up to about 3500ft, especially in abandoned
paddy fields and chena lands. Its larva
feeds on Cajanus cajan (රට තෝර/Dhal/Pigeon Pea/Chick Pea/Red Gram), Flemingia lineata, Phyllodium pulchellum, Rhynchosia cana, Tephrosia purpurea (ගම්-පිල/කටු-පිල/Wild Indigo/Fishpoison), Tephrosia villosa (බූ පිල/Hoarypea) and Indigofera linnaei (බිං අවරි)
Monday, June 17, 2013
Asian Palm Swift (Cypsiurus balasiensis)
Common
breeding resident in low country and lower hills especially where palm trees
such as Palmyras or Talipots are available.
It keeps in flocks and spends its time flitting about in open areas in
search for small flying insects. It breeds probably year round and the nest is a
small cup of feathers and cotton, glued with its saliva under fan-palm leaf or
occasionally the fronds of the Areca or Betetnut palm (Only if no fan-palm is
available).
සිංහලෙන් කියවන්න >>
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Cingalese Bushbrown (Mycalesis rama)
An endemic and rare butterfly occurs in
forested areas with bamboo in the low country wet zone. The larva is believed to be feed on Ochlandra stridula (Bamboo/බට).
Monday, June 10, 2013
Black-winged Kite (Elanus caeruleus)
An uncommon breeding raptor in open areas, grasslands
paddy fields and Patana lands in dry lowlands and hills. Occasional visitor to the wet lowlands. It
encounters mostly as solitary birds or in pairs. It has a habit of hovering frequently
when hunting on grasshoppers, lizards, rats and young birds in open country. The breeding season is from December to March
and sometime again from July to October. The nest – untidy mass of sticks – is
placed at top of a tree in fairly open area.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
කොහා[Koha]/Asian Koel (Eudynamys scolopaceus)
Common breeding resident in home gardens, cultivation and other wooded areas avoiding dense forests from lowlands to mid
hills. It feeds almost entirely on
fruits including berries of some ornamental garden plants. Mating call of male bird can be heard
frequently during Sinhala new year season which happen to be start of its
breeding season which last from April to August. It is a parasitic bird and female bird lays eggs mainly on two species of crows (Jungle Crow and House Crow) and sometime
of babblers nests.
සිංහලෙන් කියවන්න >>
Monday, June 3, 2013
Oriental Skylark/කොණ්ඩ ගොමරිට්ටා/පෙරදිගු අහස්රිට්ටා[Konda Gomaritta/Peradigu Ahasritta] (Alauda gulgula)
Locally
common breeding resident, inhabiting grasslands, dry paddy fields and open
country mainly in dry zone lowlands. Visits wet zone and breeds rarely in the
hills. It lives on ground in pairs or as small flocks and never perching on trees but on low stumps, stone walls etc. It
feeds on insects like grasshoppers and also seeds of grasses and weeds. The small crest on fore crown, which normally down and erects
when excited can be used to distinguished Oriental skylark from bit similar
but stockier and browner Jerdon’s Bushlark. The breeding season is from March to July and
it lays 1-3 eggs in a nest made out of grass and fibers in a small hollow on
ground usually under a small tuft of grass or shrub.
සිංහලෙන් කියවන්න >>
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Brown Hawk Owl (Ninox scutulata)
Common breeding resident distributed throughout the country in forests, cultivation and wooded areas
of cities and villages while becoming uncommon in higher
hills. Sights of Brown Hawk Owls sitting on lamp or telephone posts, TV antennas during
nights are not uncommon in most urban and suburban areas with some trees even
in and around Colombo . Brown Hawk Owl can be easily
identified by its distinctive loud call which sounds like koo-ook, koo-ook heard
especially on moonlit nights. It is a nocturnal bird and feeds on insects takes on the
wing. The breeding season is from March
to April and again in November. It lays 2-3 eggs in a tree cavity.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus)
Common
migrant and summer loiterer to lagoons, brackish lakes and salt-pans of Northern,
Eastern and Southeastern coastal areas. Mainly occurring in Jaffna , Mannar and Bundala salterns usually
as large flocks of several hundreds or sometimes in thousands. Greater Flamingo mainly feeds on vegetable
substances and small aquatic animals. Even though breeding of it has not been recorded from Sri Lanka nest mounds build up of mud were observed in Bundala national park several times. The
nearest breeding site from where Sri Lankan migrants probably come situated in the Rann of Kutch on the west coast between India and Pakistan .
Monday, May 27, 2013
Common Lanka Skink (Lankascincus fallax)
Rather
common skink widely distributed throughout the country from sea level to about
1050 m altitude in all climatic zones. It can be found among leaf litters or under logs and
stones during the night and become active in the morning and evening. It is
said that Common Lanka Skink forages in morning around 7.30 and in the evening
around 5- 6 Pm on insects (Das, I. & De Silva, A., 2005).
Throat color of male varies from blackish to reddish during the breeding season
and always has some white spots on the throat. This skink can be easily distinguished
from other member of the genus Lankascincus by having fused frontoparietals instead of distinct divided frontoparietals of others.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
මොණරා [Monara]/Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus)
Indian Peafowl
is a common breeding resident of dry lowlands and some areas in the intermediate
zone. It inhabits mainly open country, chena lands and scrub lands avoiding
dense forests. Its food consists of
grains, leaves, grasshoppers, termites, and also small reptiles. Its usual
feeding times are in the early morning and hour or so before sunset. It roosts on trees during the night. Indian peafowl usually lives as small groups and spends their time mostly on ground
walking great distances in search of food. It flies mostly to cross an obstacle like
rivers or to escape from sudden danger.
The breeding season is from December to May and male attains its long
train during the mating season. The
peahen lays 3 to 5 eggs in a slight hollow on ground well hidden in dense
shrubbery.
සිංහලෙන් කියවන්න >>
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Little Egret(Egretta garzetta)
Very common
breeding resident found in swamps, paddy fields, lagoons, canals, tanks and mangroves
from lowlands to lower hills while uncommon in higher hills. It feeds mainly on
fish and other aquatic animals often associating with other egrets and herons. The
breeding season is from December to May and it builds a nest –A platforms of
sticks - in trees usually near water, colonially with other water birds.
සිංහලෙන් කියවන්න >>
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Lesser Crested Tern (Thalasseus bengalensis)
Locally common
winter visitor and occasional summer loiterer to lagoons, salt-pans, sand spits
and estuaries of most coastal areas. It keeps in small to large flocks usually
with other terns and gulls. Lesser Crested Tern feeds on fish, plunging from some height at
espied fish while flying above the water surface, and the fish is swallowed on the wing.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Garganey (Anas querquedula)
Garganey is probably
the most abundant of our migratory ducks. It is very common winter visitor as large
flocks to the coastal lagoons, large tanks and marshes of dry lowlands. Small
flocks can be found rarely in inland tanks and wet lowlands. It is highly gregarious bird and often
associating with other migratory ducks such as Northern Pintail, Common Teal
and Northern Shoveler. It feeds on grain such as rice and also insects, crustaceans and mollusks, mostly during the night. During the
day time it spends far from the shore floating in a close flock (Henry G.M.
1998). However diurnal feeding sometime
up-ending in lagoons and large water bodies can be observed nowadays probably
due to lack of ‘Duck shooting’ as it prevailed during Henry’s time.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Brook Hooktail (Paragomphus henryi)
Locally
common dragonfly inhabiting fast flowing streams and rivers in submontane areas
according to the de Fonseka (de Fonseka T., 2000) and hills and mountain
regions as per bedjanic, M.,
et.al., 2007. However F.C. Fraser in
1933 noted that it is the commonest Gomphine in the island found in everywhere
at all elevations (Fraser F.C. 1933). Probably what he meant is in suitable habitats as
he elaborated further that it is a jungle insect usually found sunning itself
on rocks in mid streams. With the recent distribution data of Brook Hooktail in the island M. Bedjanic concluded that P. henryi is not so common anymore, being known from around 70 localities concentrated in central and southwestern part of Sri Lanka (Bedjanic M., 2013) Above picture was taken at lowland rain forest
stream of southwestern Sri Lanka (Indikada Mookalana – A heavily degraded
secondary forest) with about 40m height above sea level (6°54.072'N, 80°09.724'E). Males Brook
Hooktail can be easily distinguished from all others of the family by having
long hook like down-curved anal appendages (insert). Female lack that
expansion.
Fraser F.C. 1933 The Gomphines of Ceylon (Order Odnata), F.C.
Fraser, Ceylon Journal
of Science (B) Vol. XVIII, Pt 1 December
22, 1933 page 33
bedjanic, M., K. Conniff & G. |de Silva Wijeyeratne, 2007, Gehan's photo guide: Dragonflies of Sri Lanka. Jetwing Eco Holidays, Colombo 248p.
de Fonseka, T. (2000). The dragonflies of Sri Lanka. Wildlife Heritage Trust: Colombo. 304 p.
bedjanic, M. 2013 Paragomphus Campestris Spec.Nov., A New endemic dragonfly from Sri Lanka (Ansoptera:Gomphidae) Odonatologica 42(1): 45-53 March 1, 2013 (http://www.rufford.org/files/Odonatologica%2042(1)%2045-53%20March%201,%202013.pdf)
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Stork-billed Kingfisher/Manathudu Maha-pilihuduwa/Maha Pilihuduwa(Pelargopsis capensis capensis)
Stork-billed Kingfisher is the largest of the Kingfisher family in Sri
Lanka . It is an uncommon breeding resident in
rivers, streams tanks, marshes, paddy fields, and lagoons - usually adjoining wooded
areas- from lowlands to lower hills. It is more common in dry zone. Stork-billed
Kingfisher lives as pairs or solitary birds. It mainly feeds on fish, frogs, crabs and
other small animals. The breeding season is from January to May and probably
again from August to September. The nest is a well concealed hole on the banks
of rivers or tank-bunds.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Angled Pierrot (Caleta decidia)
Angled Pierrot is an uncommon butterfly more partial to the jungle
habitats of wet lowlands up to mid hills. De’ Abrera noted that Angled Pierrot
is neither a ‘mud-puddler- nor a creature of open countryside (de’Abrera B., 1998).
However mud-puddling individuals are not uncommon and also it inhabits open
areas but always close to the jungles such as jungle foot paths (Above picture
was also taken at such a habitat and it was mud puddling on a muddy foot path though it has flew away and settled on a near by shrub where picture was taken). It is frequent in jungle
clearings and in shady streams (Banks J&J, 1999). It is a swift flying insect which takes part in migrations. The
larva feeds on Maha-Eraminiya plants (Ziziphus rugosa) and Gouania microcarpa.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Crimson-fronted Barbet/ශ්රී ලංකා කොට්ටෝරුවා/හීන් කොට්ටෝරුවා [Sri Lanka Kottoruvwa/ Heen Kottoruwa] (Psilopogon rubricapillus)
Common endemic bird found in forests, open wooded areas, gardens and cultivation from wet lowlands to mid hills, and locale in the dry zone. As all other barbets it is a fruit eater and out of the breeding season forms scattered flocks especially in the neighborhood of fruiting trees such as Bo, Nuga, etc. Otherwise it is mostly encounters as solitary birds or as pairs. The breeding season is from January to June and it lays 2-3 white eggs in a tree hole dug into the lower surface of a sloping branch rather than into an upright post.
සිංහලෙන් කියවන්න >>
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Mosaic plant (Ludwigia sedoides)
Mosaic plant is a very recent addition to the flora of Sri Lanka . It is a native plant of tropical central and South America . It was introduced as an ornamental plant and now naturalized in some Sri Lankan wetlands. It was originally recorded from Southwest Sri Lanka (De Vlas J. & J. 2008) and spreading. Above picture was taken at Pahuru Ela marsh of Kelani basin close to the Malvana town.
Friday, May 3, 2013
Ashy-crowned Sparrow Lark (Eremopterix griseus)
Locally common breeding resident in dry lowlands,
especially in coastal areas. Occasionally visit wet zone and hills. It inhabits arid open country, dry paddy
fields and grasslands where it can be seen as pairs or - if it is outside the
breeding season - as smaller to larger flocks. Ashy-crowned Sparrow Lark mainly
feeds on small seeds. It also takes insects and young are largely fed on them.
It is a strict ground dweller and never perches on trees. The breeding season
is from March to July. The nest a small hole dug on open ground lined with
grass sometime with decorated environs with small stones, lumps of clay etc.
Ashy-crowned Sparrow Lark female is very much like to Female House Sparrow but grayer.
සිංහලෙන් කියවන්න >>
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Flying Fox/Maa wawula (Pteropus giganteus)
Flying Fox or Maa Wawula in Sinhala is the largest bat in Sri Lanka
with about 1.2m wingspan. It is distributed throughout the island excluding higher
hills though it is a visitor to the higher hills during fruiting seasons. However W.W.A
Phillips noted that it appears to be absent, during the greater part of the
year, from the Hambantota district (Phillips, 1980). Flying fox is a nocturnal
mammal and has excellent night vision though it doesn't have echolocation like some other bats. During the day time it roosts communally in tall trees.
Such a colony - usually located close to human habitations- may comprises hundreds
or may be thousands of individuals. Flying fox exclusively feeds on soft pulp
and juice of flowers and fruits (Excluding all citrus fruits) after solids are
discarded having chewed the flesh. It covers immense distance in a night in foraging, ranging
from 2 to 20kms. Often before feeding, it is said that they visit a river or
lake to quench thirst, lapping up water as they glide over the surface
(Phillips, 1980). Even though it is treated as a pest it also an invaluable
pollinator of most fruit plants.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Friday, April 26, 2013
Darter/Snake-Bird (Anhinga melanogaster)
සිංහලෙන් කියවන්න >>
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Black Kite (Milvus migrans)
An uncommon breeding resident in the northernmost part
of the country supplemented with winter visitors to the same area during
migrate season. Occasionally found in other areas of the island. It is mostly
restricted to the coastal areas, especially to the coastal cities where it
inhabits as small groups or solitary individuals. Black Kite is a scavenger and
living mainly on scraps of food-refuse cast out from human habitations. It
breeds from December to April and build a nest - an untidy mass of sticks – in
the canopy of a tree or at the base of coconut frond.
සිංහලෙන් කියවන්න >>
Monday, April 22, 2013
Little Tern (Sternula albifrons)
A common breeding resident of coastal wet lands and
inland tanks mainly of dry zone and visitor to the wet zone. It is the smallest
of the terns inhabiting Sri Lanka . Little Tern mainly lives on fish and prawns. It is probably some aquatic
insects are also taken. It usually encounters as solitary birds though sometime
widely scattered flocks are fishing in the same area. Little tern breeds in small
colonies on beaches, dry mud-flats and
tank edges etc. from May to August. The 2-3 eggs are laid in a shallow scrape on
open ground.
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Little Stint/පුංචි සිලිවටුවා/පුංචි හින්නා[Punchi Siliwatuwa/Punchi Hinna] (Calidris minuta)
Little stint is a very common winter visitor to the
coastal areas, lagoons, mud-flats, tank edges and salt pans mainly of the dry zone.
Rare in wet zone. It lives in smaller to large flocks. When feeding at the
water edges it runs actively on the mud, bill pointing downward and picking
small aquatic animals time to time.
සිංහලෙන් කියවන්න >>
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Pallied Harrier (Circus macrourus)
An uncommon winter visitor to the marshes, paddy
fields, Patana lands and open areas throughout the island. However It is more frequent
in dry lowlands. It is also an occasional loiter of the island and according to the Henry probably the commonest harrier that visit Sri Lanka which arrives August to November and spread all over the island, hills and low country alike (Henry G.M., 1988). Its food consists of lizards grasshoppers frogs and small
birds etc. Above picture is of a juvenile bird and adult males have pale grey
upper parts and females are brownish.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Black-winged Tern (Chlidonias leucopterus)
Common winter migrant to marshes, lagoons, paddy fields,
tanks and salt-pans of dry lowlands. Rare in wet lowlands. It keeps singly or
in small to large flocks often in association with Whiskered Terns to which it closely
resemble and difficult to distinguished in non-breeding plumage though former
is slightly smaller that latter. In breeding plumage Black-winged Tern become
black head, body and under wing-coverts (Picture – spring moult).
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Great Egret/සුදු මහ කොකා/මහ සුදු කොකා[Sudu Maha Koka/Maha Sudu Koka] (Casmerodius alba)
Great Egret is a common breeding resident of dry lowlands
and uncommon bird in wet zone while occasional visitor to the hills. It inhabits
paddy fields, tanks, rivers, lagoons and mangroves mostly as solitary birds or
few individuals sometime associates with other egrets. It feeds on fish,
prawns, and other such aquatic animals as well as ground insects like
grasshoppers. The breeding season is from December to May and it builds a nest –
a shallow platform of sticks- placed in a tree by water, usually in company with
other herons, egrets, cormorants etc. Breeding birds have black bills and bright bluish green lore and in non-breeding plumage bill yellow and lore dull pale green.
සිංහලෙන් කියවන්න >>
Friday, April 12, 2013
Amber-winged Glider (Hydrobasileus croceus)
A very
rare dragonfly recorded only once in Sri
Lanka from the Kandy according to the Terrence de
Fonseka (de Fonseka T., 2000). However 2012 National red list listed it under Near Threatened category probably due to records of more occurrences of it in the island than previously thought. Both sexes are similar and it can be easily
identified by the amber color patch on the hind-wing. It is said that it breeds on weedy tanks and where males can be found waiting for females( de Fonseka T., 2000 quoting Fraser ). I have encountered two
specimens on 16th February 2013 close to the Kalu River at Dombagaskandha forest reserve in Ingiriya. First one was flying about 2-3 m above the ground (Time - Around 1PM) close to a
tributary of Kalu River .
Second one was resting on a road side shrub during the evening (Time - Around 4 PM).
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)
An uncommon
breeding resident of lagoons, tanks and marshes in low country dry zone. It usually lives as small flocks and feeds communally
in shallow water on small aquatic animals such as tadpoles, dragonfly larva,
etc and also some vegetable matters. It is more active at dusk and during the
day time it spends resting either on an islet in a marsh or perch on a branch
of a tree. The breeding season is from December to March and it nests in
colonies in association with other large herons and egrets, on top of bushes or
on a low branch of a tree near water in a lagoon or swamp. The nest is a pile
of sticks where it lays 2-5 eggs.
සිංහලෙන් කියවන්න >>
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Indian Silverbill/White-throated Munia (Lonchura malabarica)
An uncommon breeding resident found in grasslands, paddy fields and cultivation mainly in arid coastal areas of low country dry zone in Mannar,
Friday, April 5, 2013
Western Reef Egret (Egretta gularis)
Rare but regular
winter migrant to the coastal lagoons, mangroves, estuaries and shores, mainly
in the north. There is a 19th century record of breeding of Western
Reef Egret near Chilaw in May and June by Layard. But since then no such
records and now it is considered as exclusively a winter visitor to the country.
Western Reef Egret occurs as two color morphs: dark morph with dark ashy grey plumage
and pale morph with pure white plumage [Closely resemble to the Little Egret
but can be distinguished by shape and color of the bill] or white plumage with
grey patches. It is usually a solitary bird or lives in pairs, but sometimes associates
with flocks of Little Egrets.
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