Jul 28
by Admin in Bhutan 0 comments tags: Alwan, art, Avian, Bangalore, Bhutan, Bird, birds, Digitalfrescos, Nikkor, Nikkor 500, Nikon, Nikon D500, Satyr Tragopan, Tragopan

Satyr Tragopan male – road crossing, Bhutan

The satyr tragopan (Tragopan satyra) also known as the crimson horned pheasant, is a pheasant found in the Himalayan reaches of India, Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan. They reside in moist oak and rhododendron forests with dense undergrowth and bamboo clumps. They range from 8,000 to 14,000 feet in summer and 6,000 feet in winter. When it is mating season, male satyr tragopans grow blue horns and a gular wattle. When ready to display, they will inflate their horns and hide behind a rock, waiting for females to pass by. When one does, they will perform an elaborate and attractive display in front of the females. At the end of the display, the male will stretch to his full height and show off all of his ornaments. The image here is of a an adult male crossing the road and which is how you typically find this species. It is classified as neat threatened by IUCN.
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Jul 28
by Admin in Bhutan 0 comments tags: Alwan, art, Avian, Bangalore, Bhutan, Bird, birds, Digitalfrescos, Himalayan Monal, Monal, Nikkor, Nikkor 500, Nikon, Nikon D500

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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Jul 28
by Admin in Bhutan 0 comments tags: Alwan, art, Avian, Bangalore, bar-throated minla, bar-throated siva, Bhutan, Bird, birds, Chestnut-tailed Minla, Digitalfrescos, minla, Nikkor, Nikkor 500, Nikon, Nikon D500, siva

Bar throated siva – calling, Bhutan

The bar-throated minla or chestnut-tailed minla (Minla strigula), or even bar-throated siva, is a species of bird in the laughingthrush and babbler family. The bar-throated minla occupies a range of montane forest habitats from 1,800–3,750 m (5,910–12,300 ft). The species is mainly resident but may move to lower altitudes during harsh winters, coming as low as 1,300 m (4,300 ft). Among the forest types in may occur in are evergreen broadleaf forest, mixed broadleaf and evergreen forest, pine forest, pine or oak and rhododendron forest, rhododendron or bamboo stands. The diet of the bar-throated minla varies by season; during the summer months it is almost exclusively insectivorous, taking beetles, caterpillars and other insects. In the winter months it will also take berries, seeds, and nectar. It will join flocks of other babblers and yuhinas in the non-breeding season, and feeds from the canopy down to near the forest floor. It is classified as least concern by IUCN.
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Jul 28
by Admin in Bhutan 0 comments tags: Alwan, art, Avian, Bangalore, bar-throated minla, bar-throated siva, Bhutan, Bird, birds, Chestnut-tailed Minla, Digitalfrescos, minla, Nikkor, Nikkor 500, Nikon, Nikon D500, siva

Chestnut-tailed Minla, Bhutan

The bar-throated minla or chestnut-tailed minla (Minla strigula), or even bar-throated siva, is a species of bird in the laughingthrush and babbler family. The bar-throated minla occupies a range of montane forest habitats from 1,800–3,750 m (5,910–12,300 ft). The species is mainly resident but may move to lower altitudes during harsh winters, coming as low as 1,300 m (4,300 ft). Among the forest types in may occur in are evergreen broadleaf forest, mixed broadleaf and evergreen forest, pine forest, pine or oak and rhododendron forest, rhododendron or bamboo stands. The diet of the bar-throated minla varies by season; during the summer months it is almost exclusively insectivorous, taking beetles, caterpillars and other insects. In the winter months it will also take berries, seeds, and nectar. It will join flocks of other babblers and yuhinas in the non-breeding season, and feeds from the canopy down to near the forest floor. It is classified as least concern by IUCN.
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Jul 28
by Admin in Bhutan 0 comments tags: Alwan, art, Avian, Bangalore, Bhutan, Bird, birds, Digitalfrescos, laughing thrush, Laughingthrush, Nikkor, Nikkor 500, Nikon, Nikon D500

Bhutan Laughingthrush, Bhutan

The Bhutan laughingthrush is commonly found in Bhutan and some adjoining areas in India. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the streaked laughingthrush, hence its alternate common name of Himalayan streaked laughingthrush. It is classified as least concern by IUCN.
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