CRIMSON HORNED PHEASANT  OR MONAL (Tragopan satyra):

Status: CITES  Appendix-III                      NPWC Act: Schedule I
Distribution: 
National: High population density in western himayan region.
Global: Distributed from Garhwal Himalaya, Nepal to Bhutan.

Distinctive Characters: It is a short tailed pheasant, bill remarkably small and blackish brown in

color, legs are rather long. Male has black above head with a crimson underparts with horn on either side of crest; brilliant crimson underparts with with white spots; dark-spotted back; blue neck and facial skin. Female is dull brown with proportionately long tail. Length of male 70 cms and that of female is 60 cms.

Habitat: Themonal is found in temperate and subalpine zones (2,500 to 3,050 metres), inhabiting moist decidious broadleaved forest, rhododendron forest, and dense oak forest, with glades of ringal bamboo, and shrubby undergrowth.

Habit: Monals are found solitary or in small groups. normally very shy, they are rarely seen. Breeding males are easily detected through their territorial vocalizations. Monals feed on ground, their diets cinsisting largely of the leaves of oak, bamboo (especially ringal species),  ferns and leafy vegetable, roots, bulbs, seeds, acrons, berries and insects. They roost on trees, and require forests that have dense undergrowth.

Reproductive Features: Breeding in May, laying eggs  about 2.5 inch long.