In the western Himalayas, the local Monal population suffers from human disturbance involving hydroelectric power development. In some areas, Himalayan Monals are threatened due to poaching and other anthropogenic factors. Reproductive maturity is usually reached at 2 years of age. At 3 months of age, they are able to feed on their own and after 6 months the young are completely independent they are ready to search their own territories and mates. The chicks are hatch fully developed (precocial) with eyes open and are covered in down. During this time the male always remains near the nest for protection. After the mating the female scrapes a nest in the ground and lays 3 to 5 eggs which she incubates for 27 days. Himalayan Monals are monogamous and form strong pair bonds during the breeding season which takes place from April through August. They feed on various insects, seeds, tubers, roots, and berries. Himalayan Monals are carnivores (insectivores) and herbivores (granivores, frugivores). Himalayan Monals are very communicative and use a wide range of calls to express aggression, alarm, or when trying to attract the mate. They also tolerate snow and dig through it to obtain plant roots and invertebrate prey. Monals are very good diggers using their curved bills to dig under the ground. These birds are active during the day and spend most of their time foraging. In winter they usually congregate in large coveys and roost communally. Himalayan Monals are social birds that are often seen in pairs or small groups.
They live in upper temperate oak-conifer forests interspersed with open grassy slopes, cliffs, and alpine meadows. In Pakistan, these birds are most common in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and have also been recorded in Kaghan, Palas Valley, and Azad Kashmir. The native range of Himalayan Monals extends from Afghanistan and Pakistan through the Himalayas in India, Nepal, southern Tibet, and Bhutan. The first-year male and the juvenile resemble the female, but the first-year male is larger and the juvenile is less distinctly marked.
#Impeyan monal pheasant Patch#
The female has a prominent white patch on the throat and a white stripe on the tail. The tail feathers of the male are uniformly rufous, becoming darker towards the tips, whereas the lower tail coverts of females are white, barred with black and red. Notable features in the male include a long, metallic green crest, coppery feathers on the back and neck, and a prominent white rump that is most visible when the bird is in flight. The adult male has multicolored plumage throughout, while the female, as in other pheasants, is more subdued in color. The Himalayan Monal is a large colorful pheasant native to Himalayan forests.
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