A monal is a bird of genus Lophophorus of the pheasant family, Phasianidae.

Monal
Himalayan monal (Lophophorus impejanus)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Galliformes
Family: Phasianidae
Tribe: Lophophorini
Genus: Lophophorus
Temminck, 1813
Type species
Lophophorus refulgens[1] = Phasianus impejanus
Temminck, 1813
Species

Description

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The males all have colorful, iridescent plumage. Their physique is rather plump. Their diet consists of plants such as roots and bulbs and insects. During mating the males are polygamous where they mates with several females. The females in turn only mate with the selected male and enter into a monogamous relationship. Due to habitat destruction and hunting, they have become rare and their population is endangered.[2]


Species

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There are three species and several subspecies:

Genus Lophophorus Temminck, 1813 – three species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Himalayan monal

 
Male
 
Female

Lophophorus impejanus
(Latham, 1790)
Afghanistan and Pakistan through the Himalayas in India, Nepal, southern Tibet, and Bhutan.
 
Size:

Habitat:

Diet:
 LC 


Sclater's monal

 
Female

Lophophorus sclateri
Jerdon, 1870

Three subspecies
  • L. s. arunachalensis (Kumar & Singh, 2004)
  • L. s. orientalis (Davison G.W.H., 1974)
  • L. s. sclateri (Jerdon, 1870)
northeast India, southeast Tibet and northern Burma Size:

Habitat:

Diet:
 VU 


Chinese monal

 
Male

Lophophorus lhuysii
Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, A, 1866
central China Size:

Habitat:

Diet:
 VU 




References

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  1. ^ "Phasianidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-08-05.
  2. ^ Hoyo, Josep (1992). Handbook of the birds of the world. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 84-87334-15-6. OCLC 861071869.
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