| Himalayan monal | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Male | |
 | |
| Female | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Galliformes |
| Family: | Phasianidae |
| Genus: | Lophophorus |
| Species: | L. impejanus |
| Binomial name | |
| Lophophorus impejanus (Latham, 1790) | |
TheHimalayan monal (Lophophorus impejanus), also calledImpeyan monal, is alandfowl native toHimalayan forests and shrublands at elevations of 2,100–4,500 m (6,900–14,800 ft). It is part of the familyPhasianidae and is listed asLeast Concern on theIUCN Red List.[1]It is thenational bird ofNepal, where it is known as thedanphe ordanfe,[2] andstate bird ofUttarakhand, India, where it is known as amonal.[3]The scientific name commemorates LadyMary Impey, the wife of the British chief justice ofBengal, SirElijah Impey.
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It is a relatively large-sized landfowl. 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 multicolouredplumage throughout, while the female, as in other landfowl, 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 male's tail feathers are uniformly rufous, darkening towards the tips, whereas the female's lower tail coverts are white, barred with black and red. The female has a prominent white patch on the throat and a white stripe 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.
The Himalayan monal's native range extends fromAfghanistan andPakistan through theHimalayas inNepal,India, southernTibet andBhutan.[1]In Pakistan, it is most common in theKhyber Pakhtunkhwa province and has also been recorded inKaghan,Palas Valley andAzad Kashmir.[4] In India, it has been recorded throughout theIndian Himalayan Region fromJammu and Kashmir toArunachal Pradesh.[5]It lives in upper temperateoak-conifer forests interspersed with open grassy slopes, cliffs and alpine meadows between 2,400 and 4,500 m (7,900 and 14,800 ft), where it is most common between 2,700 and 3,700 m (8,900 and 12,100 ft). 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]
The diet of the Himalayan monal consists primarily of tubers, nuts, tender leaves, shoots, insects and other invertebrates. It digs in snow for shoots and invertebrates. Plant matter made up a large part of the diet, although invertebrate matter was also present in low percentages.[6]
In some areas, the Himalayan monal is threatened due topoaching and other anthropogenic factors. In the western Himalayas, the population responded negatively to human disturbance involvinghydroelectric power development.[7] It 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.[4]
