Himalayan monal

Himalayan monal
Male
Female
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Galliformes
Family:	Phasianidae
Genus:	Lophophorus
Species:	L. impejanus
Binomial name
Lophophorus impejanus (Latham, 1790)

The Himalayan monal (Lophophorus impejanus), also known as the Impeyan monal and Impeyan pheasant, is a pheasant native to Himalayan forests and shrublands at elevations of 2,100–4,500 m (6,900–14,800 ft). It is part of the family Phasianidae and is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.^[1] It is the national bird of Nepal, where it is known as the danphe or danfe,^[2] and state bird of Uttarakhand, India, where it is known as the monal.^[3][4] It was also the state bird of Himachal Pradesh until 2007.^[5]

The scientific name commemorates Lady Mary Impey, the wife of the British chief justice of Bengal, Sir Elijah Impey.

Description[]

A female in Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary, India

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It is a relatively large-sized pheasant. The bird is about 70 cm (28 in) long. The male weighs up to 2,380 g (84 oz) and the female 2,150 g (76 oz). The adult male has multicoloured plumage throughout, while the female, as in other pheasants, is more subdued in colour. 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 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. The female has a prominent white patch on the throat and a white strip on the tail. The first-year male and the juvenile resemble the female, but the first-year male is larger and the juvenile is less distinctly marked.

Distribution and habitat[]

Eggs, collection Museum Wiesbaden

The Himalayan monal's native range extends from Afghanistan and Pakistan through the Himalayas in India, Nepal, southern Tibet, and Bhutan.^[1] In Pakistan, it is most common in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and has also been recorded in Kaghan, Palas Valley, and Kashmir.^[6] It lives in upper temperate oak-conifer forests interspersed with open grassy slopes, cliffs and alpine meadows between 2400 and 4500 meters, where it is most common between 2700 and 3700 meters. It descends to 2,000 m (6,600 ft) in the winter. It tolerates snow and digs through it to obtain plant roots and invertebrate prey.^{[citation needed]}

Behaviour and ecology[]

The breeding season is April through August, and they generally form pairs at this time. In winter they congregate in large coveys and roost communally.^{[citation needed]}

Conservation[]

In some areas, the species is threatened due to poaching and other anthropogenic factors. In the western Himalayas, the local monal population responded negatively to human disturbance involving hydroelectric power development.^[7] 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.^{[citation needed]}

The pheasant is not considered endangered in Pakistan and can be easily located. In some areas, the population density of the species is as high as five pairs per square mile. The main threat to the species is poaching, as the crest is valuable. It is thought to bring status to its wearer and is a symbol of authority.^[6]

Gallery[]

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lophophorus impejanus.

• BirdLife Species Factsheet
• Galliforms and Pheasants