| Koklass Pheasant | |
|---|---|
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| Male at Pangot, Uttarakhand, India. | |
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| Female at Yichang, Hubei, China. | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Galliformes |
| Family: | Phasianidae |
| Subfamily: | Phasianinae |
| Genus: | Pucrasia G.R. Gray, 1841 |
| Species: | P. macrolopha |
| Binomial name | |
| Pucrasia macrolopha (Lesson, 1829) | |
Thekoklass pheasant (Pucrasia macrolopha) is a species ofgamebird, being closely related toprogenitivegrouse that lived during theMiocene. They are distantly related topheasants and are most closely related togrouse andturkeys. Koklass are the only species in the monotypic genusPucrasia. Both the wordskoklass andpucrasia have been onomatopœically derived from the bird's territorial call.[2]
Koklass are boreal adapted species which separate into three distinct species groups. They are one of the few gamebirds that regularly fly uphill and are capable of sustained flights of many miles. They are monogamous with a slight tendency toward socialpolyandry. Both parents rear the chicks. Koklass are largely vegetarian for much of the year consuming pine nuts, pine shoots, bamboo shoots and seeds. They are highly insectivorous during the warmer months that coincide with nesting and chick-rearing. During this phase of their life cycle they live almost exclusively on ants but also are documented consumingcatkins,pollen and fruit.
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The koklass pheasant is a polytypic species, with nine recognizedsubspecies:[3]
This entry deals with the subspeciesP. m. biddulphi, which ranges fromKashmir toKullu inIndia. With exception of the subspeciesP. m. nipalensis,P. m. castanea andP. m. macrolopha, which areendemic to the southern side of northwest and westernHimalaya, the other five are confined toChina andMongolia.
The koklass pheasant is a medium-sized elusive bird confined to high altitudeforests fromAfghanistan to centralNepal, and in northeasternTibet to northern and easternChina. Upper parts of male koklass pheasant are covered with silver-greyplumage streaked velvety-black down the centre of each feather, and it has the unique feature of a black head, chestnut breast and prominent white patches on the sides of neck. The females differ from males in above characters and instead their upper parts are covered with pale brown plumage. Both sexes, however, have distinct elongated tails tipped with pale feathers. The males are known to weigh about 1135–1415 g and the females, about 1025–1135 g, with the body length varying from 58 to 64 cm and 18–22 cm respectively. Immature and juveniles resemble adult females in plumage pattern.
Like thewestern tragopan, it does not extend its range above the tree line. One of the less colourful pheasants, the koklass exhibits moderatesexual dimorphism. Though theyskulk under bushes, which makes direct sighting difficult, they give loud chorus/predawn calls during the breeding season and during autumn, revealing their presence and allowing the populations to be estimated.[4] They remain in pairs or small family groups throughout the year. They nest on the ground and spend the nights roosting on trees, or under rock overhangs.
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