#MALE HIMALAYAN MONAL PHEASANT PATCH#

There are another two species in the Lophophorus genus, namely the Chinese Monal and the even rarer Sclaters Monal. The Himalayan or Impeyan Monal is the only Monal pheasant regularly seen in captivity. It is thought to bring status to its wearer, and is a symbol of authority.Himalayan Monal Pheasant (Lophophorus impeyanus) The main threat to the species is poaching, as the crest is valuable here, as well. In some areas, the population density of the species is as high as five pairs per square mile. In Pakistan the bird is most common in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province but it can also be found in Kaghan, Palas Valley, and Azad Kashmir. The pheasant is not considered endangered in the region and can be easily located. The male Monal was under hunting pressure in Himachal Pradesh, where the crest feather was used to decorate men’s hats, until 1982, when hunting was banned in the state. In a recent study, the local population responded negatively to human disturbance involving hydroelectric power development. In some areas, the species is threatened due to poaching and other anthropogenic factors. In winter they congregate in large coveys and roost communally. The breeding season is April through August, and they generally form pairs at this time. It tolerates snow and will dig through it to obtain plant roots and invertebrate prey. It may descend to 2000 meters in the winter. It occupies upper temperate oak-conifer forests interspersed with open grassy slopes, cliffs and alpine meadows between 24 meters, where it is most common between 27 meters.

There is also a report of its occurrence in Burma. The bird’s natural range extends from eastern Afghanistan through the Himalayas in Pakistan, Kashmir region and the Republic of India (states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh), Nepal, southernTibet, and Bhutan. The first-year male and the juvenile resemble the female, but the first-year male is larger and the juvenile is less distinctly marked.

#MALE HIMALAYAN MONAL PHEASANT PATCH#

The female has a prominent white patch on the throat and a white strip on the tail.

The tail feathers of the male are uniformly rufous, becoming darker towards the tips, whereas the lower tail coverts of females are white, barred with black and red. Notable features in the male include a long, metallic green crest, coppery feathers on the back and neck, and a prominent white rump that is most visible when the bird is in flight. The adult male has multicoloured plumage throughout, while the female, as in other pheasants, is dull in colour.

The male weighs up to 2380 grams and the female 2150. However, studies have shown that the male Himalayan Monal of northwestern India lacks the white rump of other Himalayan Monals, and it has more green on the breast, indicating the possibility of a second subspecies. The scientific name commemorates Lady Mary Impey, the wife of the British chief justice of Bengal, Sir Elijah Impey.

Traditionally, the Himalayan Monal has been classified as monophyletic. It is the national bird of Nepal, where it is known as Danphe andstate bird of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, INDIA, where it is known as Monal. The Himalayan Monal ( Lophophorus impejanus) also known as the Impeyan Monal, Impeyan Pheasant, and Danphe, is a bird in the pheasant family, Phasianidae.

Male himalayan monal pheasant