An endemic
and locally common bird of forests and well wooded home gardens in wet lowlands
to mid hills. Also found in foothill areas of the dry lowlands. Hanging parrot
is a strictly arboreal bird and usually encounters as solitary birds or as
pairs (Warakagoda D et. al., 2012). However above bird was captured in a
feeding flock, travelling through the Acacia plantation of Meethirgala forest
reserve with at least 50 companions of the same species. It feeds on fruits, nectar of flowers, seeds and also juice of palms collected in toddy-drawers
pots. While feeding it has very restless characteristic behavior of hangs at
all sort of angles. It sleeps hanging head downward from a slender, leafy twig.
Hanging Parrot breeds in a tree hole from March to June and sometime again from
August to September. Female builds the nest with strips nibbled from the edge
of green leaves and lays 2-3 white color eggs.
Friday, August 30, 2013
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
ඉපිල් ඉපිල්/Ipil Ipil/ Wild Tamarind/Cofee bush (Leucaena leucocephala)
An
introduced shrub or small tree cultivated as green manure, fodder, for afforestation
and as cover plants of tea estates. It is native to the tropical America . Since it has the ability of rapidly
spreading to adjacent areas and invade all other native flora, Ipil Ipil is now considered as an invasive.
Monday, August 26, 2013
Chocolate Soldier (Junonia iphita pluviatalis)
Common
butterfly found in open jungle areas of all elevations of the island all the
year round. It takes part in migrations especially in November to December. Chocolate
Soldier often settles on damp earth. Its
larva feeds on Strobilanthes diandra (නෙළු), Eranthemum capense, Phaulopsis dorsiflora, Ruellia patula, Ruellia prostrata (නිල් පුරුක්), Dyschoriste nagchana and Barleria prionitis (කටු කරඬු/Yellow Hedge Barleria)
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Purple Leafblue (Amblypodia anita)
Rather rare
butterfly occurring from sea level up to about 300m, particularly in the dry zone. Males
settle on wet patches on the roads, or on carrion to absorb minerals. Larva
feeds on Olax scandens, Olax imbricata and probably on Olax zeylanica.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Large Cuckooshrike/මහ කොවුල්සැරටිත්තා/මහ කොවුල්ඇස්පටියා[Maha Kovulsaratiththa/Maha Kovulaspatiya] (Coracina macei)
An uncommon
breeding resident found in forest areas of lowlands up to mid hills. It is less
common in wet zone. Usually a solitary bird though some time occurs as pairs or
as small flocks. Large Cuckooshrike is a bird of the canopy and feeds mainly on insects. It's breeding season is from May to June and lays 2 eggs in a
shallow cup made out of fine twigs, leaf-stalks, lichens etc. and felted
together with cobwebs.
සිංහලෙන් කියවන්න >>
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Redspot (Zesius chrysomallus)
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).
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)
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