Monal

A monal is a bird of the genus Lophophorus of the pheasant family, Phasianidae. Available on line in Biodiversity Heritage Library The type species of this genus is the Himalayan monal (Lophophorus impejanus).

All the adult males have very atractive and shiny feathers of different metallic colors (colors appearing to be made of a metal). The females and the young males do not have feathers with many colors; they are reddish brown with some white parts.

Their diet consists of insects and plant parts such as roots, tubers, bulbs and seed.

They live in the rhododendron forests in the high altitudes of the Himalayas and of Sichuan (China).

Due to habitat destruction and hunting, they have already become quite rare and threatened in their existence.

There are three species and three subspecies within the genus Lophophorus: Available on line in Biodiversity Heritage Library

 Himalayan monal Lophophorus impejanus
 Chinese monal Lophophorus lhuysii
 Sclater's monal Lophophorus sclateri
 L. sclateri arunachelensis
 L. sclateri orientalis
 L. sclateri sclateri

Gallery

References

Other websites

 ARKive - Species in the genus Lophophorus 
 Animal Diversity Web - Lophophorus: CLASSIFICATION
 Catalogue of Life - Taxonomic tree
 ITIS
 Tree of Life - Lophophorus

Category:Birds of Pakistan
Category:Birds of China
Category:Phasianidae