![]() ![]() Mikado pheasants build their nests mainly with dead branches, fallen leaves, dry grass and feathers in tree holes or depressions under rocks. The breeding season of Mikado pheasants lasts from March to June. The pheasants will often walk and forage for food (a diet of various fruit, leaves, vegetation, seeds and invertebrates) at the same time, in a manner similar to chickens, on the forest floor and mountain trails, especially on rainy and foggy days. Both sexes may perform a wing-whirring display, and during the breeding season the male performs a lateral running display with his body expanded and tail fanned. Both sexes make soft clucking sounds when feeding, and the males make ke, ke, ke calls when fighting for their mate or territory. The males are territorial, with a range of 200–400 metres in radius. If desperate, they will fly short distances, gliding down the mountainside. When disturbed, they will slowly and cautiously seek out shelter within surrounding vegetation, rather than fluttering away in panic. They can usually tolerate the presence of humans and it is possible to observe them up close, especially in areas where they have become habituated to humans feeding them. They tend to be solitary or found in pairs, often quiet, yet alert. ![]() The pheasants will often come out into the open either in light rain or after heavy rain, where the mist conceals them. Its Chinese name, 帝雉 ( dìzhì) also translates to "Emperor's Pheasant." Behaviour It was named in honour of the Emperor of Japan, of which Taiwan was occupied by. The type specimen of the pheasant comprises two such tail feathers obtained in 1906 by collector Walter Goodfellow from the head-dress of one of his porters. The long and striped tail feathers of the male were used by the Taiwanese aborigines as a head-dress decoration. The female is brown and speckled with brown and white quills. The male is dark with plumage that refracts with blue or violet iridescence, with white stripes on its wings and tail. In a recent study, their population responded negatively to human disturbance The male monal has been under heavy hunting pressure for its crest feather, which was used for ornamental hats of Himachal men, until 1982 when legal hunting was banned in the state.With the tail included, males of this species get to be up to 70 cm in body length, while the smaller females measure up to 47 cm. The population of this species in most of its range is threatened due to poaching and other anthropogenic factors. Seen in pairs during the breeding season, they form large coveys and involve in communal roosting during the winter. They, however, show tolerance to snow and have been observed to dig through snow for roots, tubers and other plant parts, and invertebrates. They seem to exhibit clear and fluctuating altitudinal migration reaching as low as 2000m in winter. It occupies upper temperate oak-conifer forests interspersed with open grassy slopes, cliffs and alpine meadows between 2400 – 4500m, mostly concentrating in a narrow belt of 2700 – 3700m. There is also a report of its occurrence in Burma. Its natural range spreads from eastern Afghanistan through the Himalayas including Kashmir region of Northern Pakistan, India, Nepal, southern Tibet and Bhutan. The Himalayan Monal secures a distinct position among pheasants due to its prominent build, brilliant plumage and strong association with local folklore. ![]()
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