වද/සපත්තු මල්[Wada/Sapaththu Mal]/Shoe-Flower/Chinese Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)

Large shrub with flowers with varies colors such as red, white, orange, pink, purple, yellow and sometimes brownish-yellow with a red center etc. It is native plant of China and introduced to Sri lsnka and cultivated in home gardens. Escapees also occurs in waste lands. Flowering throughout the year. 

Chestnut Bob (Iambrix salsala luteipalpus)

Common insect found in jungles and scrublands in all elevations of the island throughout the year (Gamage R., 2007).  More common in wet zone and probably scarce or absent in higher hills and northern part of the country according to the Ormiston (Ormiston W., 1924). The larva feeds on Axonopus compressus, Ochlandra stridula, Oryza sativa, Ischaemum timorense and Eragrostis viscosa

කුරුළුගොයා[Kurulugoya]/Shikra (Accipiter badius badius)

Common breeding resident throughout the island. It avoids dense forests and can be found in open areas, plantations, village gardens and even in towns with some trees. Shikra preys mainly on small birds and lizards. It usually perches high in a tree watching for a prey and flies down to catch it with talons. It breeds from March to May and probably again in August to September and build a nest with twigs and grasses place among foliage high in a big tree.

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එඬරු/තෙල් එඬරු/බෙහෙත් එඬරු[Endaru[Erandu]/Tel-Erandu/Beheth-Erandu]/Castor Bean (Ricinus communis)

Annual or perennial herb probably of East African origin, now widely cultivated and also naturalized in village gardens, secondary forests, scrub lands etc.  Seeds use for production of castor oil and whole plant is medicinal.

Common hourglass tree frog (Polypedates cruciger)

An arboreal frog of about 60mm snout to vent length of male and 90 of female. Endemic to Sri Lanka and distributed in both wet and dry zone up to about 1525m a.s.l though not much common in dry zone. It is much common around anthropogenic habitats and usually it is encountered inside bathrooms, overhead water tanks, banana groves and other such vegetation.

Milky Cerulean (Jamides lacteata)

Rare and endemic butterfly found in mid country. Ormiston recorded it from Haldummulla, Wellawaya, Monaragala, Ratnapura, Kandy and Deniyaya (Ormiston W., 1924).  Larva feeds on Lepisanthes erecta and Lepisanthes tetraphylla var. trichocarpa (දාඹු)

කොහිල/ඇඟිලි කොහිල/මහ කොහිල[Kohila/Engili-Kohila/Maha-Kohila] (Lasia spinosa)

A native herb grows in marshy places in moist low lands. It is also cultivated since inside of stems and tender leaves are used in curries.

Flower – Greenish brown to dark purple twisted spathe of 20-55 cm long. It is half open at the base.

බට්ටිච්චා[Battichcha]/Common Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius)

Very common breeding resident found in wooded areas and home gardens both in villages and towns in al climatic zones of the island. It keeps in pairs and actively feeds on small insects, spiders etc. among foliage of trees and bushes, usually uttering its loud and rather monotonous call to keep in touch with its partner. It breeds probably throughout the year but the main season appears to be February to March. Common Tailorbird builds its nest in a cavity formed by sewing together either the sides of a large single leave or of two or more smaller leaves, where it lays 2-3 eggs. 

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Sweet broom weed/Licorice weed (Scoparia dulcis)

Common introduced perennial herb grows in roadsides and waste lands in both wet and dry lowlands. Native plant of tropical America.Flowering throughout the year.

Common Treebrown (Lethe rohria)

Common butterfly found in hills (Between 500 and 5000ft) throughout the year. Scarce in lower elevations. It only flies very short distance at a time. No records available on its larval host plant or on early stages in Sri Lanka.

ඇට්ටේරියා[Etteria]/Orange jasmine (Murraya paniculata)

An indigenous shrub or small tree of monsoon forest understory, rocky outcrops and also limestone substrates of both wet and dry zone lowlands up to about 1000m a.s.l. 

ගේ කුරුල්ලා[Ge-Kurulla]/House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Common breeding resident inhabiting close to the human habitations throughout the country. It feeds in flocks on seeds, insects and food wastes around human dwellings. House Sparrow breeds throughout the year and nest is a mass of grass, straws, etc., line with feathers and place in a cavity in a building. But usually people use to put up earthenware chatties on the walls of houses for these birds so that they can utilize them for nests.

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එරමුඳු/එරබඳු[Eramudu/Erabadu]/December tree/Malayan Dadap (Erythrina subumbrans)

Native tree of tropical Asia. Introduced (Native? >>) into Sri Lanka in 1852 from Java for shade and green manure in tea and cocoa estates. Flowering from June to January. Bright red flowers attract varies hill country birds such as  whiteeyes, bulbuls, sunbirds etc.

Indian Fritillary (Argynnis hyperbius taprobana)

An uncommon butterfly found in hills above 1500m throughout the year. It usually encounters in Patana lands close to forests. Its larval host plants are Viola betonicifolia (Violet) of family Violaceae, a very common weed of tea plantations. It also feeds on Viola pilosa of the same family. Indian Fritillary sometimes basks on pathways and streams, wings outstretched flat and usually coming to the same spot or flies short distance if disturbed. 

හීන් ඇඹුල් ඇඹිලිය/රට ඇඹල[Heen-embul-embiliya/Rata-embala]/Common Sorrel, Indian Sorrel (Oxalis corniculata)

Very common introduced herb found all over the island in cultivated grounds, wastelands, roadsides etc.. Native plant of European Mediterranean region. Flowering throughout the year and flowers open around 9.00AM and close early afternoon.

Black Bulbul (Hypsipetes leucocephalus)

Black Bulbul is a common breeding resident of forests and nearby well wooded home gardens and plantations of wet zone lowlands to hills, while local and rare in dry lowlands (Mostly found in dry zone riparian forests) and higher hills. It feeds mainly on fruits, berries, figs and insects in canopy as small flocks keeping up a continual noisy conversation. Its main breeding season is from March to May and possible second brood occurs again from July to September. The nest is a small cup place on a tree fork where it lays two eggs.

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කටු අන්නාසි/වැට අන්නාසි[Katu Annasi/Weta Annasi] (Bromelia pinguin)

Native plant of West Indies and South America, introduced to Sri Lanka probably before 1864 (Flora of Ceylon Vol 14). Katu Annasi is grown in coconut estates and home gardens as a fence plant since its spiny margin leaves stop intrusion of cattle and human. Fruit edible and flowering occurs mainly during March to June.  It is common in Gampaha and Nittabuwa areas where above pictures were also taken. 

Dark Cerulean (Jamides bochus bochus)

Common butterfly of all the year round in all over the island, especially in South. It is a migratory butterfly and Ormiston has recorded that “It often flights in great numbers and these flights are usually composed of dwarf specimens” (Ormiston W. 1924). Males sometimes settle on wet patches on roads to absorb minerals. Its larva feeds on Centrosema plumieri,  Senna occidentalis (පැණි තෝර/Coffee Senna/Coffee Weed), Acacia auriculiformis (Earpod wattle), Cajanus cajan (රට තෝර/Dhal/Pigeon Pea/Chick Pea/Red Gram), Canavalia cathartica (මූදු අවර/වල් අවර), Clitoria ternatea (නිල් කටරොළු/Blue butterfly pea/Butterfly bean),  Crotalaria micans (Caracas rattle box), Derris scandens (කල වැල්), වල් උඳු (Flemingia macrophylla), Gliricidia sepium (කෝන/Mexican Lilac), Lablab purpureus, Macrotyloma uniflorum, Derris elliptica, Phaseolus vulgaris,  Pongamia pinnata (මඟුල් කරඳ/ගල් කරඳ/කරඳ/Indian Beech/Mullikulam Tree), Pterocarpus indicus, Neustanthus phaseoloides, Sesbania grandiflora (කතුරු මුරුංගා/Agati/Vegetable hummongbird), Tephrosia candida, Tephrosia vogelii (Vogel's tephrosia), Vigna radiata (මුං/මුං ඇට/බූ මෑ/Green gram/Jerusalem pea/Mung bean),  Vigna unguiculata (මෑ කරල්/ ලී මෑ/වඳුරු මෑ/Black-eye Bean/Cowpea) and Centrosema pubescens (Butterfly-pea).

ගොන් කඳුරු[Gon-Kaduru]/Suicide Tree (Cerbera odollam)

An indigenous tree common in coastal areas, along rivers and behind mangrove forests, both in wet and dry zone. Also planted between paddy fields and along roads. Fruit poisonous. 

සර්ප රාජාලියා [Sarpa Rajaliya]/Crested Serpent Eagle (Spilornis cheela spilogaster)

Crested Serpent Eagle is a common breeding resident of forests and wooded areas throughout the island. It is a common sight in such areas of soaring and circling up birds usually in pairs to great heights on sunny days, frequently uttering its loud ringing call. As its name implies, Crested serpent eagle feeds mainly on snakes. But frogs, lizards, rodents and probably injured or sick bird are also included in its prey. The breeding seasons is from February to May and nest a mass of sticks and twigs place on a tree in jungle where it lays single egg or occasionally two.

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දිවි කඳුරු[Divi-Kaduru]/Eve’s apple, forbidden fruit (Tabernaemontana dichotoma [Syn: Pagiantha dichotoma])

A common endemic tree of the secondary forests of the moist areas in lowlands to hills about 1200m a.s.l. The wood is used to carve traditional dancing masks. The white latex of the plant poisonous and can cause inflammation of the eye.

Dark-brand Bushbrown (Mycalesis mineus)

Dark-brand Bushbrown flies all over the island up to about 2500ft elevations. But it is much common in the low country grasslands. Larva feeds on Carpet grass/පොටු තණකොළ (Axonopus compressus) and Panicum maximum(ගිනි තණ/Guinea grass) of the family Poaceae. Dark-brand Bushbrown can be easily distinguished from the similar Common Bushbrown by four lower ocelli of hind wing. Four lower ocelli lie in a straight line of this species.

නිල් පුරුක්[Nil Puruk]/Wayside tuberose/Minnieroot (Ruellia tuberosa)

A native of tropical America, introduced and grows among grasses on roadside drains, grasslands etc. in coastal areas and dry lowlands up to mid hills. Flowering throughout the year. 

නයා/නාගයා[Naya/Nagaya]/Spectacled Cobra/Indian Cobra(Naja naja)

Cobra is a highly venomous snake that is accountable for large number of human mortalities annually. It is diurnal and terrestrial in habits though some nocturnal activities are also known. However it may climb trees in search of prey and also can swim well.  It inhabits forests, plantations, paddy fields etc. most of the time close to human habitations. It feeds basically on rodents and varies other small animals (Rats, lizards, other snakes, frogs, birds and their eggs, etc). It is also cannibalistic. In Sri Lanka Cobra is common in all over the island except in higher hills. It has neurotoxic venom.

Goat-scented passion-flower/Common passion flower (Passiflora foetida)

Common climbing herb native to the tropical America. Introduced and naturalized in waste places, forest edges etc. of the island. This plant has a very unpleasant smell. 

Eurasian Collared Dove/Indian Ring Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)

 Eurasian Collared Dove  is a breeding resident with limited distribution in coastal areas of north-west to north and north-east of the island.  It feeds on grains, grass seeds, etc on ground of open areas and scrublands, as pairs or sometime as scattered flocks. The breeding season is from April to May and it builds typical dove type nest with small sticks and grass-stalks on a thorny tree or among dense mangrove bushes.

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Vietnamese Pepper/wild Betel (Piper Sarmentosum)

An introduced prostrate herb native to Northeastern India, South China and Malaysia. Cultivated in home gardens. 

Red Pierrot (Talicada nyseus nyseus)

Common insect found in lowlands up to mid hills, throughout the year.  It roosts on flower heads or flower stalks during the evening hours in groups of several, sometime up to a dozen. The larva feeds inside the thick leaves of Kalanchoe pinnata (අක්කපාන/රට ගෝවා Air plant/Coirama) and coming out only to pupate. Its larva also feeds on other species of Kalanchoe such as Kalanchoe blossfeldiana and Kalanchoe laciniata. Egg laying was also observed on toxic Kalanchoe daigremontiana though larva refused to feed on it and died. Sometime yellow aberrations occurs where orange patch of upper wings replaced by yellow. 

Tropical girdlepod (Mitracarpus hirtus)

Native plant of tropical America. Introduced and now common weed along roadsides, cultivation and waste lands of the island.

Brown-capped Babbler/රෙදි දියන්/හිස දුඹුරු දෙමළිච්චා/ශ්‍රි ලංකා බොරග පිරී දෙමළිච්චා (Pellorneum fuscocapillus)

An uncommon and endemic bird distributed locally from lowlands to mid hill forests. It is a bird of undergrowth and spends its time mostly on seeking insects among leaf litter usually as pairs or as small flocks.  Brown-capped Babbler breeds during November to March and again in September. The nest is an untidy dome of dead leaves, set at base of a tree or shrub in deep forest.  Two races can be identified in Sri Lanka in three climatic zones wet, dry and hills. Wet zone specimens are much darker than paler dry zone birds. 

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Banded Redeye (Gangara lebadea subfasciata)

Very rare skipper found in lowlands of the island while females are much rarer than males. It is the second largest Hesperiidae of Sri Lanka. It flies dawn of the day and again late in the evening. W. Ormiston noted that “I have never seen a specimen alive….and the Kandy collectors brought me plenty in August, 1918 and 1919” (Ormiston W. 1924). No information available on its early stages in Sri Lanka.

Bellyache bush (Jatropha dissecta [Syn: Jatropha gossipifolia])

Introduced as an ornamental plant probably during British period* and now escaped and naturalized mainly in dry lowlands. It is a native plant of Central and South America to Caribbean islands.

*A specimen available at Peradeniya herbarium collected from the gardens there in May 1887 by some unknown collector. [Flora of Sri Lanka Vol XI]

Velvet-fronted Nuthatch (Sitta frontalis)

Rather uncommon breeding resident of forests and adjoining well wooded home gardens throughout the island, primarily in wet zone and riverine habitats of dry zone while much common in the hill country. It is very active bird and can be seen usually running up and down about tree trunks and branches of trees in searching insects that hide beneath barks. It keeps in pairs and breeds during January to May. The nest builds inside a natural cavity or abandoned nest-hole of a barbet in a tree where it lays 3-4 eggs.

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පැණි තෝර[Peni-tora]/Coffee-senna/Coffee-weed (Senna occidentalis [Cassia occidentalis])

Common introduced weed in scrublands, road sides and waste places in the low country. Seeds are used as a substitute for coffee and leaves and other parts of the shrub are used in medicinally.

Indian Palm Bob (Suastus gremius subgrisea)

Common insect of all zones up to about 1500m a.s.l. while more common in lower elevations especially in coconut plantations. Specimens from the hills are much darker than those from the lowlands. Its larva feeds on Rhapis excelsa, Borassus flabellifer, Caryota urens, Corypha umbraculifera, Cocos nucifera, Cyrtostachys renda, Phoenix pusilla and Saribus rotundifolius.

Marsh daisy/කීකිරිඳී/සින්ධු කිරිඳි[Kikirindi/Sindu-kirindi] (Eclipta prostrata)

An introduced herb found in paddy fields, tank edges, waste places etc. Flowering throughout the year. Stem reddish and white hairs on leaves.

ගව කොකා[Gawa Koka]/Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)

Very common breeding resident found in paddy fields, marshes, grasslands and garbage dumps in lowlands and lower hills, usually associated with cattles and buffaloes. Its association with cattles mainly to catch grasshoppers and other insects, frogs and lizards etc. that are disturbed by the cattles as they move about. It also feeds on ticks, leeches and flies inhabiting the hide of the beast.  Cattle egrets roosts as flocks in trees. The breeding season is from December to May and it breeds in colonies placing its nest on a trees growing in water. According to the Deepal Warakagoda large number of winter migrants also arrive to the island during migarate season (Warakagoda D. et.al., 2012)

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Brazilian button flower/Brazilian daisy/Pineapple flower/Porcupine flower(Centratherum punctatum)

Brazilian button flower is probably a recently naturalized plant common in waste places and roadsides in lowlands and higher hills. (de Vlas J. & J., 2008) A native of tropical America.

කලු වඳුරා/කොළ වඳුරා[Kalu Wandura/Kola Wandura]/Purple-faced Leaf Monkey (Trachypithecus vetulus)

Purple-faced Leaf Monkey is widely distributed in forests, villages and sometime even in urban areas where there are tall trees with abundant food sources (Such as jak fruit,Mango, etc.) throughout the island excluding northern peninsula. Four different subspecies have been identified and Walas wadura or Bear Monkey (T.v. monticola) inhabiting central mountain region of the country is larger than two of other lowland supspecies (Southern Purple-faced Leaf Monkey [T.v.vetulus] found south of the Kalu river to about Ranna of Hambanthota district  while Balangoda being the north-eastern limits and Western Purple-faced Leaf Monkey [T.v. nestor] of the south western wet zone, Kalu ganga being the southern boundary and inland lower hills towards the Kandyan hills). Northern purple-faced Leaf Monkey (T.v.philbricki) inhabiting in northern areas of the island while Mahaweli valley being its southern and eastern boundary is the largest of the four subspecies . It generally found in small groups under dominant alpha male with several females and young, sometime up to about 30-40 individuals. In most areas it is very shy and never approach people and disappears to the jungles once the presence of man is detected. It feeds mainly upon the leaves, flowers and fruits and seeds of the trees. Possibly they may eat insects and tree frogs (Phillips W.W.A., 1980). Other than man who hunts it for flesh and skins, its only enemy is the leopard. The albino or semi-albino individuals are(were) not uncommon among all subspecies.

හීන් ඇපල[Heen-epala]/Bur mallow(Urena lobata [Syn: Urena sinuata])

An indigenous perennial herb found in low country roadsides, wastelands, scrublands, seashores, grasslands, secondary forest edges, etc. 

Lime Blue (Chilades lajus lajus)

Common butterfly found in all elevations of the island throughout the year, while abundant during the north-east monsoons. Lime Blue is a migratory species. It is subject to some seasonal variation and in both sexes the dry season and wet season forms vary in size and in the shade of blue on the upper side of both wings. Larva attended by Red Ants and feeds on tender leaves of  Atalantia ceylanica (වල් දෙහි/යකිනාරන්/‍යක් දෙහි), Atalantia monophylla, Limonia acidissima (දිවුල්/Wood Apple/Elephant Apple), Citrus aurantiifolia (දෙහි/True Lime/Lime) and Citrus sinensis of the family Rutaceae. 

Barrelier’s woodsorrel (Oxalis barrelieri)

Introduced plant from its native tropical and subtropical America to Sri Lanka and now naturalized in moist shady places, usually along roadsides in wet zone lowlands and hill country. Flowering throughout the year.

Common Skink (Eutropis carinata lankae)

Common Skink  is a common lizard found in home gardens, plantations and open areas from lowlands to about 1000m a.s.l. It is the largest Eutropis species of the Sri Lanka. It is diurnal and terrestrial in habits and feeds on grasshoppers, beetles, earth worms and sometime even on small frogs and reptiles. It can be usually seen basking on rocks and walls sometime as pairs. 

Common spider flower (Cleome rutidosperma var. burmanni)

Common native weed of wastelands, roadsides and gardens. Sometimes pink or white flowers can be occurred.

Common Grass Dart ( Tractrocera maevius)

Common butterfly found in all elevations up to about 1500m a.s.l. It is so small so that which can be easily overlooked as a house fly. Its larva feeds on Axonopus compressus and Cynodon dactylon of the family Poaceae.