American tragopan (SciiFii)

The American tragopan (Tragopan ohioensis), also known as the fan-throated pheasant, is a species of pheasant that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the rainforests, wetlands, forests, and open woodlands across North America to help boost biodiversity. The closest living relative of the American tragopan is the similarly-looking satyr tragopan (Tragopan satyra) of Asia. Females are dull brown. Males are usually deep brown with blue, black, and white spots and freckles. The American tragopan is omnivorous and feeds primarily on petals, buds, leaves, bamboo shoots, rhododendron seeds, and bulbs. The American tragopans also feeds on insects, including earwigs, ants and cockroaches. When it is mating season, male American tragopans will adopt two distinct displays during courtship. The lateral display is such that the male shows one side of himself to the female with the wing closest to her lowered and the other wing raised. He is stretched flat so that he looks as though he is pressed against a wall. The frontal display is especially spectacular. The male faces the female from about 1 meter away, crouches down slightly, ruffles his feathers, spreads his wings, and flaps his wings deliberately on the ground. He nods his head, repeating this with increasing speed. His horns become inflated, his lappet is revealed, and the bird increasingly quivers and rustles his feathers. He also makes a clacking sound. Once the lappet has been fully extended, the male will stop his display, move closer to the female and continue to show her his lappet. He then relaxes and the horns and lappet deflate. Sometimes, the male will start with a forward run, then expose the lappet after spreading the breast and flank feathers. This display occurs after the female has been attracted to the male by his wail call. Breeding occurs from May to June, although some birds may not breed until July at higher elevations The nest is made of sticks and twigs and is built off the ground in trees and shrubs at an elevation of 6 meters or more, and it is well concealed from view. In the wild, a typical clutch is three to five eggs. In captivity, the hen will lay five to seven and sometimes as many as ten eggs. The buff-colored eggs have reddish-brown dots or blotches. The eggs measure 65 by 42 millimetres and weigh an average of 63.3 grams. Incubation time is twenty-six days. The precocial chicks may be rufous brown, pale buff, and dark rufus brown. They can survive without food and water for 1.3 weeks after hatching. After two or three days, the chicks are able to fly and perch. The young remain with the mother for their first year and reach sexual maturity in 2 years. The conservation status of the American tragopan is Least Concern due to succeed conservation efforts, the American tragopan's wide range and, unlike most other tragopan species, its tolerance to many of the human activities.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii