Monal
Genus of birds
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A monal is a bird of genus Lophophorus of the pheasant family, Phasianidae.
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| Monal | |
|---|---|
| |
| Himalayan monal (Lophophorus impejanus) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Galliformes |
| Family: | Phasianidae |
| Tribe: | Lophophorini |
| Genus: | Lophophorus Temminck, 1813 |
| Type species | |
| Lophophorus refulgens[1] = Phasianus impejanus Temminck, 1813 | |
| Species | |
Description
The males all have colorful, iridescent plumage. Their physique is rather plump, and their diet consists of plants such as roots and bulbs and insects. During mating, the males are polygamous and mate with several females. The females in turn only mate with the selected male and enter into a monogamous relationship. Due to habitat destruction and hunting, they have become rare and their population is endangered.[2]
Species
There are three species and several subspecies:
| Common name | Scientific name and subspecies | Range | Size and ecology | IUCN status and estimated population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Himalayan monal
Male
|
Lophophorus impejanus (Latham, 1790) |
Afghanistan and Pakistan through the Himalayas in India, Nepal, southern Tibet, and Bhutan. |
Size: Habitat: Diet: |
LC
|
| Sclater's monal
|
Lophophorus sclateri Jerdon, 1870 Three subspecies
|
northeast India, southeast Tibet and northern Burma | Size: Habitat: Diet: |
VU
|
| Chinese monal
Male |
Lophophorus lhuysii Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, A, 1866 |
central China | Size: Habitat: Diet: |
VU
|
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