අන්නාසි[Annasi]/Pineapple (Ananas comosus)

Pineapple is a native plant of eastern South America which was introduced to Sri Lnaka and cultivates in commercial cultivations and home gardens for its edible fruit. Escapes of the cultivations sometimes grow in dry rocky places with hardy fruits with darker syncarp and they are known as ‘Galannasi’.

Danaid Eggfly (Hypolimnas misippus)

An uncommon butterfly found from sea level to about 3500ft a.s.l. It is particularly common in low country dry zone during the north east monsoon. It takes part in migrations. W. Ormiston noted that once he encountered thousands of them both male and female settling on the road from about the 36^th to the 28^th mile of  Wellawaya - Hambantota road while he was walking to Tanamalvila (Ormiston W. 1924). Female mimic the Plain tiger and most remarkable thing is, it mimics both forms of with and without subapical markings of the model (i.e. Plain tiger) . Its larval food plants are Asystasia gangetica (පුරුක්/Ganges primrose/Chinese violet), Blepharis integrifolia, Blepharis maderaspatensis (සමාදාන/Creeping blepharis), Dyschoriste madurensis, Ruellia tuberosa (නිල් පුරුක්/Wayside tuberose/Minnieroot), Portulaca oleracea (ගෙඳ කොළ/Moss rose/Sun plant/Common purselane), Dyschoriste nagchana and Portulaca quadrifida

දිය හබරල/ජබර[Diyahabarala/Jabara]/Pickerel weed/Lesser water hyacinth (Pontederia vaginalis [Syn: Monochoria vaginalis])

An indigenous herb common in marshy places like paddy fields, tank edges etc. in the lowland areas. Leaves edible and also use in medicine. 

Golden-fronted Leafbird/Gold-fronted Chloropsis (chloropsis aurifrons)

An uncommon breeding resident of forests and neighboring  well wooded gardens and plantations from lowlands to mid hills. It feeds on insects, berries and nectar of some flowers. Golden-fronted Leafbird  lives as pairs. It breeds early in the year and nest is a shallow cup well concealed among foliage, where it lays two  eggs. 

දියමෙනේරිය[Diya-meneriya]/Benghal dayflower/Whiskered[Garden] commelina(Commelina benghalensis)

An indigenous herb native to the Southeast Asia. It grows in waste lands and roadsides from sea level to about 1000m a.s.l of the island. 

Ceylon snow flat (Tagiades japetus obscurus)

An uncommon butterfly occurs in lowland to mid hills of wet zone forests.  It is a migratory species and Ormiston noted of ‘flights’ of Ceylon snow flats with Water snow flats together at Haldummulla toward west (Ormiston 1924). But usually it flies a short distance and settles with its wings expanded on the under side of a leaf. Its larva feeds on Dioscorea trimenii, Dioscorea alata, Dioscorea bulbifera, Dioscorea oppositifolia, Dioscorea pentaphylla, Dioscorea tomentosa and Dioscorea koyamae of the family Dioscoreacea. Female has more white on its hind wings than male(figured here).

වල් දෙල්/බැදි දෙල්/හිංගල දෙල්[Wal del/Bedi-del]/Hingala-del (Artocarpus nobilis)

An endemic tree common in wet zone forests and village gardens.  Seeds edible and wood use in construction industry. 

ලතුවැකියා[Lathuwakiya]/Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala)

Common breeding resident in tanks, marshes, and lagoons of dry lowlands. Small introduced (Escaped birds from the Dehiwela zoo) population also present in Colombo and nearby wetlands. It lives as small parties though sometime solitary individuals as well as large flocks can be seen. Its prey consists of fish, frogs, water snakes, crabs, lizards etc. G.M. Henry noted a strange behavior of this stork of ‘whitewashing’ its legs, while at rest, by squirting excreta over them (Henry G.M. 1998). Painted Stork breeds during early months of the year colonially with other water birds on rather small nest made out of sticks place on top of a tree usually growing in water. 

සිංහලෙන් කියවන්න >>

King’s mantle, Bush clock-vine (Thunbergia erecta)

Introduced from the West tropical Africa where it is a native plant. Now it is commonly cultivating in home gardens. It is a shrub grows about 150cm with flowering throughout the year. 

Common Lineblue (Prosotas nora ardates)

Common butterfly found in all elevations of the island throughout the year. It occurs in two color forms. Yellow form (as figured here) doesn't occurs without tail and typical or grey form sometime do occurs without tails (D’  Abrersa1998). Its larval food plants are Archidendron clypearia subsp. subcoriaceum (මිමිණි මාර), Dalbergia rostrata, Terminalia catappa (කොට්ටම්බා/කොට්ටන්/Indian almond/Country almons),  Senegalia caesia (හිඟුරු-වැල්), Acacia pennata (ගොඩ හිඟුරු), Bauhinia racemosa (මයිල), Derris scandens (කල වැල්), Pithecellobium dulce (මැනිලා සියඹලා/Madras thorn/Manila Tamarind), Croton aromaticus, Calliandra calothyrsus (Calliandra), Calliandra surinamensis,  Samanea saman (මාර/පිනි මාර/පාරෙ මාර/Rain tree), Murraya koenigii (කරපිංචා),  Allophylus cobbe (බූ-කොබ්බෑ\කොබ්බෑ), Pterocarpus indicus and  Pongamia pinnata(මගුල් කරඳ). Egg laying was also observed on Sambucus javanica (Himalayan Elder). 

 

කහ කුරුල්ලා[Kaha Kurulla]/Black-hooded Oriole/Black-headed Oriole (Oriolus xanthornus ceylonensis)

Black-hooded Oriole is a common breeding resident of the country inhabiting forests, gardens and such wooded places from lowlands to mid hills. It feeds on fruits and insects by flying from tree to tree usually as pairs or as small family parties. The breeding season lasts from October to May. 

සිංහලෙන් කියවන්න >>

Valentine/Starburst Clerodendrum (Clerodendrum quadriloculare)

Native shrub of Philippines, cultivated in home gardens and also possible escaping and naturalizing in some natural habitats.

Lesser Albatross (Appias galene)

Lesser Albatross was a butterfly plentiful all over the island in all the year round (Ormiston W. 1924). Even during 1990s D’ Abrera mentioned it as “One of the very commonest butterflies on the island.... And one of the principal species that comprise the huge migrations of pieridae that sometimes fly across the country for days at a time” (D'abrera 1998). However today the situation is not so though still it is  a common species which found in intermediate to dry zones forests and in other elevations during the migratory season.  Its larva feeds on leaves of Drypetes sepiaria ( Egg laying was also observed on Drypetes gardneri leaves)

White-naped Woodpecker/Black-rumped Woodpecker/Black-backed Yellow Woodpecker (Chrysocolaptes festivus)

Rather uncommon breeding resident found in dry low lands, mainly in coconut plantations. Scattered and local populations sometime occur in wet lowlands (e.g. Gampaha).  Its food consists of wood boring insects and seeds. The breeding season is from January to March and probably again from August to September and nest hole often hewn in the trunk of a coconut tree where it lays two eggs. 

මල් මාර/රතු මාර [Mal Mara/Rathu Mara]/Flame tree/Flamboyant/Golden Mohur (Delonix regia)

Native tree of Madagascar. Introduced into Sri Lanka before 1841 according to the H.F. Macmillan (Tropical planting and gardening with special reference to Ceylon, 1910) Flowering from February to May. It is a popular avenue tree along many roads especially of Colombo. It is also cultivated in home gardens as an ornamental tree.