- Lophophorus impejanus
Identification
Male 70–72 cm (27½-28¼ in) weight 1980-2380g; female 63–64 cm (24¾-25¼ in) 1800-2150g
Males
- Multicoloured
- Long crest
Females
- Dull brownish-black
- White patch in the foreneck
- White stripe on the tail
Distribution
Asia: found in Afghanistan, south-western China, southern Tibet, Nepal, Pakistan, India, Eastern and Western Himalayas and Bhutan
Southeast Asia: Indochina and north-eastern Myanmar
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Alpine oak-conifer forests and grassy slopes. Observed at heights around 4,000 meters.
Behaviour
Diet
Their diet consists of seeds, tubers, shoots, berries and insects; varying according to where they live.
Gallery
Click on photo for larger image
Displaying Male and females
Photo © by Dave B Smith
Cheele La, Bhutan, 26 January 2020
Display flight
Photo © by Dave B Smith
Cheele La, Bhutan, 26 January 2020
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
- Avibase
- BF Member observations
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved January 2017)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Himalayan Monal. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 2 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Himalayan_Monal
