Print — himalayan-monal-in-bhutan — BhutanWiki

The Himalayan monal (Lophophorus impejanus) is a large pheasant of the family Phasianidae and one of the most visually distinctive birds of the Bhutanese high country. Males carry an iridescent metallic-green crown crest, copper hindneck, purplish-blue mantle, white rump and chestnut tail, while the much plainer brown-streaked females share the species' characteristic stocky build and pale wing panel. The bird is widely known across the Himalaya by the Nepali name danphe and is the national bird of Nepal.^[1][2]

In Bhutan the species occupies upper temperate to alpine habitats from about 2,400 metres to the upper edge of the treeline, with peak densities reported between roughly 2,700 and 3,700 metres. Its core Bhutanese range lies in the northern parks — most prominently Jigme Dorji National Park and Wangchuck Centennial National Park — and its presence is considered a useful indicator of high-altitude habitat condition. The closely related Sclater's monal (Lophophorus sclateri) is sometimes mentioned in connection with Bhutan's eastern frontier, but the bird's confirmed range lies further east in Arunachal Pradesh, southeastern Tibet and northern Myanmar; published distributional sources do not establish its occurrence in Bhutan.^[1][3]

This article covers the species' identification, its Bhutanese distribution and habitat, breeding biology, conservation status and the cultural perception of the bird in highland Bhutanese communities.

Identification and plumage

Adult males are about 70 centimetres long. The plumage shifts colour with the angle of light: the head and crest are metallic emerald green, the upper back coppery, the mantle and wings shifting between blue-purple and bronze, and the underparts black. A bare patch of bright blue skin surrounds the eye. Females are noticeably smaller, dark-brown overall, finely streaked, with a white throat patch and a short tail-coverts band that is visible in flight. Both sexes show a distinctive crest, although the male's is far more elaborate.^[2][4]

Distribution and habitat in Bhutan

The species occurs along the high northern axis of Bhutan, from the western dzongkhags of Gasa and Thimphu through Bumthang to Lhuentse. Reliable populations are recorded in Jigme Dorji National Park in the west, Wangchuck Centennial National Park in central Bhutan and the alpine zone of Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary in the east. The bird favours steep, rocky slopes broken up by patches of oak, rhododendron, fir and birch forest, with open grassy meadows nearby for foraging.^[2][5]

Across the wider Himalayan range the monal occupies elevations from about 2,100 to 4,500 metres, descending in winter as snow accumulates and ascending again in spring. The same seasonal vertical movement is reported in Bhutan. The bird forages by digging with its strong bill for tubers, bulbs, insects and seeds, often leaving conspicuous scrape marks across alpine pastures.^[1][2]

Breeding biology

Breeding occurs from April through July across most of the species' range. Males display from prominent perches, calling with a loud whistled kur-lieu that carries across mountain valleys at dawn. The female alone incubates a clutch of typically three to five buff eggs in a shallow ground scrape sheltered by a rock or shrub. Chicks are precocial and follow the female within a day of hatching. Outside the breeding season birds gather in small parties of several individuals.^[2][4]

Conservation status

The Himalayan monal is currently assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, on the basis of a wide Himalayan range and a stable to moderately declining global population. The species is not considered globally threatened, although localised pressure from poaching for the male's crest feathers and from habitat disturbance through grazing and infrastructure development has been documented in parts of its range. In Bhutan the bird is protected under national wildlife legislation, and core populations sit within the national protected area network.^[1][6]

Sclater's monal and the eastern question

Sclater's monal (Lophophorus sclateri) is a related and considerably rarer eastern Himalayan species, currently assessed as Vulnerable by the IUCN. Its accepted range covers northern Myanmar, southeastern Tibet and the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh and northeastern Assam. Some general regional accounts mention Bhutan as the western edge of the species' range, but published distributional sources — including the BirdLife International species factsheet and the IUCN Red List assessment — do not record confirmed occurrence in Bhutan. No specimen or vetted photographic record from Bhutan has been published in the available sources.^[3][7]

Cultural perception

The monal occupies a recognised place in Himalayan highland culture. In Nepal it is the national bird, locally called danphe, and the same name is in common use across the Bhutanese high country. The male's crest feathers were historically worn on the caps of certain ethnic groups in the wider Himalaya, a practice that contributed to selective pressure on males. In Bhutan the bird is more often regarded as a familiar feature of the alpine landscape than as a hunting target; killing of wildlife within national parks is prohibited under the Forest and Nature Conservation Act.^[2][8]

Himalayan Monal in Bhutan