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GALLERIES > BIRDS > GALLIFORMES > PHASIANIDAE > SCLATER'S MONAL [Lophophorus sclateri]


Sclater's Monal Picture
 
 

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SPECIES INFO

Sclater's Monal, Lophophorus sclateri also known as the Crestless Monal, is a large, approximately 68cm long, monal of east Himalayas region. The male is a colorful bird. It has a highly iridescent purplish-green upperparts plumage, short and curly metallic green crown feathers, copper neck, purplish-black throat, white back, blue orbital skin, yellowish-orange bill and brown iris. The tail is white, with a broad chestnut band. The crestless female is mostly a dark brown bird with white throat, pale yellow bill and barred below.

Sclater's Monal is distributed to mountain forests of southeast China, northern Burma and northeast India, at altitudes of 2,500 to 4,200 metres. The males of recently discovered population of Arunachal Pradesh of India has an all white tail. The diet of the Crestless Monal is like that of other members of the genus Lophophorus, probably consists mainly of tubers, roots, bulbs, arthropods, rodents, seeds and flowers. The female usually lays between three to five eggs. The male Himalayan Monal guards the nest and helps rear the chicks. It is not known if the Crestless Monal male participates in nest defense but it is likely.

The name commemorates the British zoologist Philip Lutley Sclater.

Due to ongoing habitat loss, small population size, limited range and overhunting in some areas for food and its feathers, Sclater's Monal is evaluated as Vulnerable on IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix I of CITES.





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