Meet Himalayan Monal – The Nine Coloured Mountain Pheasant

Monal (also known as the Impeyan Pheasant or Impeyan Monal) is one of the most stunningly beautiful birds in the world. This large size pheasant is also known as “nine-coloured bird”. The bird has an iridescent rainbow-like plumage. However the look of the bird is pleasing to eyes but you might get exhausted if you try to assess (count) the numbers of colors on the bird.

They are great diggers and use their heavy beak not only for foraging throughout the day for tubers, seeds and insects but also for satisfying their digging urge. Their inhabitant territory can be easily identified by the holes and dug up area created by Monal breeds only once in a year in the month of April to August. They are seen in pairs during this period. Males start calling throughout the day and use body displays to attract females, bobbing the head-crest and fanning their tail feathers. Males generally become aggressive in the mating season. After the acceptance by female they start mating. The bird attains sexual maturity between one to two years of age. Monal uses different types of call to communicate with other birds of group/ family. Later she builds a simple nest in the ground. Two to five numbers of eggs are usually laid by her, which are white (or dull/ muddy white), with brown spots and paler appearance. Eggs are incubated by female for around 26 to 29 days and the male stands guard throughout the incubation period. After six months the young starts searching for food on their own.