The Himalayas have always been mysterious, unexplored, unsolved, ancient, silent, and breathtaking in a way that one is compelled to stop mid-thought.And somewhere up in those cold, cloud-wrapped forests and valleys of greens and whites, lives a dazzling bird that looks almost unreal and AI-generated.The avian is so memerising, that it looks straight out of a folklore or fantasy world, but it is a real, fully living, wild, mountain-dwelling pheasant that wears like an entire rainbow on its body.
Himalayan Monal
No two feathers seem to be the same colour. No photograph quite does it justice. And yet, for many people, this bird remains largely unknown beyond the regions it calls home.
The Himalayan Monal : the nine-coloured jewel of the mountains that looks straight out of a fantasy world
The Himalayan Monal is one of the iconic pheasants of the Himalayas, which is the national bird of Nepal and the state bird of Uttarakhand. It is well known for its spectacular iridescent feather coverage and stunning metallic colours that are seen in the males.The male Monal’s body has a green-crested head, red neck, green shoulders, blue back, orange tail, and black underparts, and when light reflects on its plumage, it flashes a brilliant white patch on the back. No wonder it has earned the nickname the “nine-coloured bird.” No other pheasant in the subcontinent comes close.
So, where does this ‘9 coloured jewel’ live
The Himalayan Monal is a landfowl native to Himalayan forests and shrublands at elevations of 2,100–4,500 metres. It lives in upper temperate oak-conifer forests scattered with open grassy slopes, cliffs, and alpine meadows, and descends to around 2,000 metres in winter.Its native range extends from Afghanistan and Pakistan through the Himalayas in Nepal, India, southern Tibet, and Bhutan. In India, it has been spotted throughout the Himalayan region from Jammu and Kashmir all the way to Arunachal Pradesh.
What do these birds eat?
The Himalayan Monal survives quite well in snow. It digs through it to obtain plant roots and invertebrate prey. Its diet mainly includes tubers, nuts, tender leaves, shoots, insects, and other invertebrates. When looking for food, Himalayan Monals dig up to 25 cm under the ground with their curved bill, creating many dug-over patches across their territory.They also have a large crop in which they collect food for later consumption. According to Nature inFocus, rare plants such as Nordostachis jatamansi and Potentilla fulgens form key parts of their diet.
The bird’s population is declining
The Himalayan Monal is designated as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List, but its population trend is decreasing. Hunting and habitat loss are significant threats, and a lack of adequate studies hampers understanding of the various pressures the species faces.Climate change is shrinking its specific habitat range as the alpine snow line shifts upward, while increased livestock grazing in high-altitude meadows disturbs nesting sites and depletes food sources.
