Scientific classification
Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Chordata
Class : Aves
Order : Galliformes
Family : Phasianidae
Genus : Lophophorus
Species : L.impejanus
Binomial name: Lophophorus impejanus
Scientific Name: Lophophorusimpeyanus
Other Names: Impeyan Pheasant, Impeyan Monal
Geographical Range: The Himalayan Mountains, from eastern Afghanistan through the Himalayas including Kashmir region of Northern Pakistan. India (states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand,Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh), Nepal.
Habitat: They live in mountainous regions. In the summer they live in grass and rock covered meadows and the winter in coniferous and mixed forests.
Food: variety of seeds, buds, shoots, roots, and some small mammals in the wild.
Status: Unprotected, considered to be stable
The Himalayan Monal, Lophophorus impugns also known as the Impeyan Monal or Impeyan Pheasant or Danphe is a bird of genus Lophophorus of the Pheasant family, Phasianidae. Monal found in the Snowy hills of Nepal and Kashmir, north-east hills of Assam and high snowy mountains in the Uttarakhand. Monal, “maniyal” and “Munal” called in the local language.
Description
Monal is the Nepal country's national bird. The males of this species look quite different from the females of the species. The male Himalayan Monals colour is blue, brown, and have a crest on top of their heads much like a peacock. The breast and under parts are black and the tail is copper. Both the male and female of the species have blue circles of skin around their eyes. The female monal colour is brown. The females have a white throa and she has a short crest. First year males and immature resemble females, but first year males are larger and have black feathers on the neck and breast.