Himalayan Monal (Lophophorus impejanus)
In the Artistic Birds – Galliformes Order I, you were introduced to some of the birds the Bare-faced Curassow, Crested Guineafowl, Gambel’s Quail, and the beautifully designed Golden Pheasant.
The Himalayan Monal definitely can be described by this verse, relating to the design of the tabernacle.
“He has filled them with skill to do all manner of work of the engraver and the designer and the tapestry maker, in blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine linen, and of the weaver—those who do every work and those who design artistic works.” (Exodus 35:35 NKJV) [emphasis added]
If you missed the introduction, we are referring to the Master Designer, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Himalayan Monal (Lophophorus impejanus) by Nikhil
“The Himalayan monal (Lophophorus impejanus), also known as the Impeyan monal and Impeyan pheasant, is a bird in the pheasant family, Phasianidae. It is the national bird of Nepal, where it is known as the danphe, and state bird of Uttarakhand, India, where it is known as the monal. It was also the state bird of Himachal Pradesh until 2007. The scientific name commemorates Lady Mary Impey, the wife of the British chief justice of Bengal Sir Elijah Impey.
Himalayan Monal (Lophophorus impejanus) ©WikiC
It is a relatively large-sized pheasant. The bird is about 70 centimetres long. The male weighs up to 2380 grams and the female 2150. The adult male has multi coloured plumage throughout, while the female, as in other pheasants, is more subdued in colour. Notable features in the male include a long, metallic green crest, coppery feathers on the back and neck, and a prominent white rump that is most visible when the bird is in flight. The tail feathers of the male are uniformly rufous, becoming darker towards the tips, whereas the lower tail coverts of females are white, barred with black and red.
Himalayan Monal (Lophophorus impejanus) Female ©WikiC
The female has a prominent white patch on the throat and a white strip on the tail. The first-year male and the juvenile resemble the female, but the first-year male is larger and the juvenile is less distinctly marked.
Himalayan Monal (Lophophorus impejanus) ©Arthur Grosset
The Himalayan monal’s native range extends from Afghanistan and Pakistan through the Himalayas in India, Nepal, southern Tibet, and Bhutan. In Pakistan, it is most common in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and has also been recorded in Kaghan, Palas Valley, and Azad Kashmir. It lives in upper temperate oak-conifer forests interspersed with open grassy slopes, cliffs and alpine meadows between 2400 and 4500 meters, where it is most common between 2700 and 3700 meters. It descends to 2,000 m (6,600 ft) in the winter. It tolerates snow and digs through it to obtain plant roots and invertebrate prey.
GALLIFORMES – Fowl, Quail, Guans, Currasows, Megapodes
Phasianidae – Pheasants & Allies
Artistic Work In Birds – Introduction