Western Tragopan
Tragopan melanocephalus
黑头角雉
Introduction
Tragopan melanocephalus is a medium-sized brightly plumed pheasant endemic to the Western Himalayas. Its range extends from north-eastern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northern Pakistan westward to Uttarakhand in India eastward. The species inhabits the dense understorey of temperate, subalpine and broad-leaved forests at elevations of 1,750 to 3,600 meters, shifting to higher altitudes in summer. Two distinctive behavioral traits are its elaborate courtship display featuring blue horns and inflated purple throat lappets, and its extreme sensitivity to human disturbance causing avoidance of modified habitats. The western tragopan is globally threatened with fewer than 5,000 individuals remaining in the wild.
Description
Males are very dark, grey and black overall with numerous white spots, each bordered with black, and deep crimson patches on the sides and back of the neck. The throat is bare with blue skin while the bare facial skin is red. A small black occipital crest is present. Females have pale brownish-grey upper parts finely vermiculated and spotted with black, with black patches and central white streaks on most feathers. Immature males resemble females but are larger with longer legs and show variable amounts of black on the head and red on the neck. Males weigh 1.8–2.2 kg and measure 55–60 cm in length. Females weigh 1.25–1.4 kg and measure 48–50 cm in length.
Identification
Males are distinctive with their very dark plumage covered in white spots with black borders, crimson patches on the neck, blue throat skin, red facial skin, and small black occipital crest. Females are pale brownish-grey with fine vermiculations and black spotting throughout. Immature males resemble females but are notably larger with longer legs and developing adult coloration on the head and neck. The display featuring inflated purple throat lappets with pink margins and blue horns is diagnostic but only visible during breeding season.
Distribution & Habitat
Five populations are known from Kohistan and Kaghan valley in Pakistan and from Kishtwar, Chamba and Kullu districts of India, plus an area east of the Satluj river in India. In summer, the species inhabits upper temperate forests between 2,400 and 3,600 meters elevation. In winter, it descends to dense coniferous and broad-leaved forests between 2,000 and 2,800 meters. The species is highly range-restricted and considered endemic to the Western Himalayan Endemic Bird Area.
Behavior & Ecology
This pheasant is mostly arboreal but feeds on the ground, consuming leaves, shoots, seeds, insects and other invertebrates. Roosting occurs in trees singly or in pairs except during nesting. During courtship displays, males inflate throat lappets that appear purple with pink margins and raise blue horns. The song is a loud two-note ringing 'wou-weee' repeated every second for extended periods during display. The breeding season is May and June, with nests built in low tree hollows. The species is sensitive to anthropogenic disturbance including hydro-electric project development.
Conservation
The western tragopan is considered one of the rarest living pheasants and is classified as globally threatened. The world population is estimated at fewer than 5,000 individuals, including fewer than ten captive breeding pairs in Himachal Pradesh as of 2012. Major threats include habitat degradation and fragmentation throughout its restricted range. CITES Appendix I listing prohibits commercial trade in feathers. It is a range-restricted species representing Endemic Bird Area D02 of the Western Himalaya.
Culture
In the Kashmir valley, the species is known as daangeer; in Chamba as phulgar; and in the Kullu valley as peneliti or juridiction meaning 'king of birds'. It was designated state bird of Himachal Pradesh in 2007. The species was depicted in artwork by Ustad Mansur in 1625 and by D.G. Elliot in 1872. The common name 'tragopan' derives from Greek mythology, referencing the blue horns displayed during courtship that resemble those of the god Pan.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Galliformes
- Family
- Phasianidae
- Genus
- Tragopan
- eBird Code
- westra1
Distribution
Himalayas of northern Pakistan to northwestern India and adjacent southwestern Tibet
Data Sources
Species description from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Taxonomy data from AviList 2025.