Himalayan Monal

The Himalayan Monal (Lophophorus impejanus), also known as the Impeyan monal and Impeyan pheasant, is a pheasant native from Afghanistan and Pakistan through the Himalayas in India, Nepal, southern Tibet, and Bhutan. It is part of the family Phasianidae and is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

It is a relatively large-sized pheasant. Its length is approximately 70 cm. Males can weigh up to 2,380 g, while females can weigh 2,150 g. The adult female is more muted in color than the male, who has multicolored plumage throughout. The male has a conspicuous white rump that is most noticeable when the bird is in flight, a long, metallic green crest, and coppery feathers on the back and neck. The lower tail coverts of females are white with black and red bars, while the tail feathers of males are uniformly rufous and get darker toward the tips. The female has a noticeable white stripe along the tail, as well as a white patch on the throat. The first-year male and the juvenile resemble the female, but the first-year male is larger and the juvenile is less distinctly marked.