After six months, young Himalayan monals are completely independent and start their own journey. He also waits until chicks’ fledging to protect the chicks from predators. While the female Himalayan monal does the incubation alone, the male stands guard throughout the incubation period. The female lays between three and five eggs and incubates them for 27 days. The breeding season of the Himalayan monal begins in April when these birds are at higher altitudes. Both sexes have pale-yellow legs and bright blue circles around the eyes. The female Himalayan monal also has a shorter crest which is brown with ordinary feathers.

They are overall dark brown, except for a white throat and rump patches. Female Himalayan monals don’t share the same splendour of their mates. The tail feathers are rufous, and the rump is white which is most visible when the bird is in flight. The male Himalayan monal is also notable with his long, metallic green crest, and the coppery feathers on his back and neck. He possesses a multi-colored plumage throughout his body which consists of interspersing mix green, purple, red and blue.

The iridescent rainbow-like plumage of the male Himalayan monal is surpassed only by the slightly larger Chinese Monal.

It’s a resident of the Himalayas, from eastern Afghanistan to western China. The Himalayan Monal, also regionally known as the Impeyan Monal or the Impeyan Pheasant, is a stunningly colorful member of the Pheasant family.

Himalayan monal bird