The Sclater's monal (Lophophorus sclateri) belongs to the family of pheasants, Phasianidae. The Sclater's monal are distributed in the east Himalayan region including India, China and Myanmar. There are three recognized subspecies of these monal. The subspecies L. s. orientalis is distributed in Myanmar and China. The subspecies L. s. sclateri occurs in Tibet, Myanmar and Arunachal Pradesh state of India. L. s. arunachalensis occurs in the Arunachal Pradesh state of India.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has categorized and evaluated these bird species and has listed them as of "Vulnerable".
The Sclater's monal is a medium sized bird, measuring 60-70 cm in length and weighing 2,000-2,500 grams. The male monal is colorful and is larger than the female bird. These birds have white feathers on the lower back and rump. The upper parts plumage is iridescent purplish-green, metallic green, blue, purple and black. The short curly crown is metallic green. The beak is creamish to yellowish orange. The female monal is dark brown, with a white throat and tail-tip.
These birds inhabit mountainous coniferous and bamboo forests of eastern Himalayas, occuring at altitudes of 2,500 to 4,200 metres. They feed on tubers, roots, bulbs, arthropods, rodents, seeds and flowers. Their nest may contain three to five eggs.
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| Indian bird - Sclater's monal (female) - Lophophorus sclateri |
| Biological classification of Lophophorus sclateri | |
|---|---|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Galliformes |
| Family: | Phasianidae |
| Subfamily: | Phasianinae |
| Genus: | Lophophorus |
| Species: | L. sclateri |
| Binomial name: | Lophophorus sclateri |
| Distribution: | northeast India, southeast Tibet and northern Burma; |
| Feeding habits: | tubers, roots, bulbs, arthropods, rodents, seeds and flowers; |
| IUCN status listing: | Vulnerable |
Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lophophorus_sclateri.jpg
Author: Prasad BR | License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Current topic in Birds of India: Sclater's monal - Lophophorus sclateri.