Lophophorus lhuysii
SUBFAMILY
Phasianinae (Tribe Phasianini)
TAXONOMY
Lophophorus lhuysii Geoffrey St. Hilaire and Verreaux, 1866, Moupin, China. Monotypic.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Chinese monal pheasant; French: Lophophore de Lhuys; German: Grünschwanzmonal; Spanish: Monal Coliverde.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Male 30–31 in (76–80 cm); female 28–29 in (72–75 cm); 6.2–7.0 lb (2.8–3.2 kg). Larger and more heavily built than other pheasants in this genus.
DISTRIBUTION
China: centered on western Sichuan, but extending into southeastern Quinghai, southern Gansu, northeastern Tibet, and northwestern Yunnan.
HABITAT
Alpine meadows and sub-alpine scrub adjacent to highest conifer forests, mostly at 9,200–16,100 ft (2,800–4,900 m).
BEHAVIOR
Groups of two to eight individuals common in winter, with single- and mixed-sex flocks being seen in spring; a vocal species at roost in spring and summer, and when alarmed.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Tubers and bulbs, but also takes moss, leaves, flowers, and some invertebrates.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Breeding starts during March in snow; nests at 12,500–13,100 ft (3,800–4,000 m); clutch size three to five; incubation 28 days.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Vulnerable and on CITES Appendix I, prohibiting trade in wild birds.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
None known.
