The Impeyan Pheasant (or Impeyan Monal) is one of the world’s most beautiful birds. The large pheasant known as the “nine-colored bird” The bird’s plumage is iridescent. While the bird’s appearance is appealing to the eye, trying to figure out all of its colors may be a lot of work.
It is a gentle bird, despite its size. The Monal is Nepal’s national bird and Uttarakhand’s state bird. Himanchal Pradesh’s state bird, the Western Tragopan (also known as jujurana), has replaced the Monal as the state bird. call it Danphe, or Indian Monal. The Himalayan Monal’s scientific name is Lophophorus impejanus. It is a pheasant of the family Phasianidae.
Lady Mary Impey, the wife of the British chief judge of Bengal, was the first person to keep these pheasants in captivity. The next two paragraphs describe the appearance of this vibrant bird. You can jump to the Monal photos. As they say, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”
Male Himalayan Monal feathers are blue, green, purple, pale yellow, brown, black, and red. Their tails have a white feather patch at the base. Breast and underparts are black. When it flies, it has bluish black wings and a purplish black back with a bright yellow nape. flying, the tail, wings, and rump are visible. The males have a metallic-green crest on their heads. a turquoise blue area of skin around the eye. The tail feathers are rufous (reddish brown), with darker tips. The male’s tail feathers are rufous, becoming darker towards the tips. The female Himalayan Monal is unlike the male. The male monal is more spectacular in color and size. The females are duller. White stick lines and black dots decorate the females’ upperparts. The female’s underside is light grey with white stick lines. Their feathers are speckled with brownish-black. Males have a white neck. Females have white tail coverts with black and rufous markings. A crest on the female
They are similar to the female, but the first-year male is larger and has fewer pronounced markings. Females and chicks are brown. These birds’ feathers have white and black stripes. An adult Himalayan Monal is 60–72 cm long. Adults weigh 1.70–2.40 kg. Males weigh slightly more than females. In open forests with rhododendron and bamboo, they thrive. Himalayan Monal is suppressed in the cold at high altitudes ranging from 2000 to 4500 meters. They can withstand cold and snow well and can be seen digging for food in it.
Their large beaks are used for digging as well as foraging for tubers, seeds, and insects. Monal breeds only once a year, from April to August. A pair is sighted during this time. Males call throughout the day and flutter their tail feathers to attract females. During mating season, males become aggressive. They start mating after female acceptance. One to two years old is sexual maturity. Monal employs various calls to communicate with other members of its family. She then digs a small ground nest. Her eggs are white (or dull/muddy white) with brown dots and a paler look. The female incubates the eggs for 26–29 days while the male guards them. After six months, the young begin to hunt for food.
The Wild Life Protection Act of 1972 protects the beautiful Monal. This bird’s beauty had become a curse. The species was in decline due to its gorgeous feathers. These birds’ skins were used to decorate hay. People wore the male crest as a hat ornament. It is thought to be a symbol of power, authority, and rank. In 1982, the state outlawed hunting for this species. Hemispheres: India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, Burma. Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim in Arunachal Pradesh.
