Himalayan Monal – Male – by the valley, Bhutan

Himalayan Monal - Male - by the valley, Bhutan

Himalayan Monal – Male – by the valley, Bhutan

The Himalayan monal also known as the Impeyan monal, Impeyan pheasant, is a bird in the pheasant family. It is the national bird of Nepal, where it is known as the danphe, and state bird of Uttarakhand India, where it is known as the monal. It was also the state bird of Himachal Pradesh until 2007.  It is classified as least concern by IUCN.

The bird’s native range extends from Afghanistan through the Himalayas in Pakistan, Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh and also in Nepal, southern Tibet, and Bhutan. 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. 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.

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