One of the rarest / extremely difficult to spot, yet amazingly beautiful lizards found in the paradise isle of Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan Rhino-horned lizard can only be found in the tropical lowland and mountain cloud forests of Sri Lanka. After scouting about 10-20 mins we finally managed to spot our first Rhino-horned lizard in Horton Plains National Park. To our surprise then we noticed that there were around 4-5 lizards right in frond of us but we didn't spot them until we see the first one and our eyes were adjusted to the colour pattern of this amazing creature. I must say they are the masters of camouflage :)

"Life and death are illusions. We are in a constant state of transformation" - Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu

This Black-winged kite was perching on the dead tree bark (on to right of the screen) with it's catch (some reptile I think) when I spotted him. But within few seconds he lost the grip of its catch and it fell down to the tall grass bed underneath. Soon as it happens he flew away from the perch in search of the delicious snack that he dropped at the scene allowing me to capture this flying moment. 


Location :  Horton Plains National Park - Sri Lanka
Name : Black-winged kite
Scientific name: Elanus caeruleus
Date of Photograph : 16th June 2020

One of the most rarest sightings that you can have in Horton Plains National Park - Sri Lanka. In fact this is my first ever encounter of Hotron plain leopards and to photograph it. Mesmerizing greenery and the always gloomy surrounding added extra vibrant to this shot as I believe. 

Why its hard task to spot leopards in Horton Plains National Park ? It's mainly due to two reasons, 

1) Habitat - Lush tall green grass for any animal can easy hide
2) Access - Horton Plains consist of one main route that connect two ends of the park. Also no one is allowed wander off the road to any other areas of the park. (These strict rules are to protect the wildlife and it habitats) 


Location :  Horton Plains National Park - Sri Lanka
Name : Sri Lankan leopard
Scientific name: Panthera pardus kotiya
Conservation status: Endangered (Population decreasing)
Date of Photograph : 16th June 2020

The Legge's flowerpecker or white-throated flowerpecker is a small passerine bird. It is an endemic resident breeder in Sri Lanka. Males have dark blue-grey upperparts with white tips on outer tail feathers (less apparent in female), white throat and upper breast. Females are generally paler with grey-olive upperparts. Can be seen in pairs or in small family parties.

Can be misidentify with Purple-rumped Sunbird by its short, stout bil. One of the difficult bird to photograph as its continuously in the move and also move very quickly.

Location :  Sinharaja Forest Reserve - Sri Lanka
Name: Legge's flowerpecker | white-throated flowerpecker
Endemism : Endemic resident breeder in Sri Lanka
Scientific name : Dicaeum vincens
Conservation status: Near Threatened (Population decreasing)

Sri Lankan leopard crunching its thirst from the waterhole in Yala National Park. 

After having a successful day of few leopards sightings in the morning we were in search for more leopards in the afternoon. Then we got alerted by the fellow trackers that there has been a leopard sighting and we too rushed to the area that notified by the fellow tackers. For our luck this male leopard came out from the thicket to have his evening drink from the waterhole. 

Taken at Yala National Park - Sri Lanka
Scientific name: Panthera pardus kotiya
Conservation status: Endangered (Population decreasing)

Pheasant-tailed jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus) looking for its morning meal at Diyasaru Park, Colombo, Sri Lanka. I manged to capture this moment as it looking at its own reflection from the water. It's always refreshing to them active and always in search of food floating on the water or walking on top the the floating vegetation on shallow water beds.


Like all other jacanas they have elongated toes and nails that enable them to walk on floating vegetation in shallow lakes, their preferred habitat. They may also swim or wade in water reaching their body while foraging mainly for invertebrate prey. They are found in tropical Asia from Yemen in the west to the Philippines in the east and move seasonally in parts of their range.

Location : Diyasaru Park, Colombo, Sri Lanka 
English: Pheasant-tailed jacana
Binomial Name: Hydrophasianus chirurgus
Sinhala: සැවුල්-පෙඳ දියසෑනා/බළල් සේරා [Sawulpenda diyasena/Balal sera]

Sri Lankan sloth bear coming down from a Palu tree at Yala National Park, Sri Lanka. Slightly open mouth showing the tree trunk behind him appearing as the teeth of the bear making it looks like he is smiling for some reason :)