Satyr Tragopan
Encyclopedia
The Satyr Tragopan Tragopan satyra, also known as the Crimson Horned Pheasant, is a pheasant
found in the Himalayan reaches of India
, Tibet
, Nepal
and Bhutan
. They reside in moist oak and rhododendron forests with dense undergrowth and bamboo clumps. Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
, shrubland
and densely vegetated ravines. They range from 8,000 to 14,000 feet in summer and 6,000 feet in winter.
When it is mating season, male satyr tragopans grow blue horns and a gular wattle. When ready to display, they will inflate their horns and hide behind a rock, waiting for females to pass by. When one does, they will perform an elaborate and attractive display
in front of the females. At the end of the display, the male will stretch to his full height and show off all of his ornaments.
Females are brown. Males are usually red with blue, black, and white spots and freckles.
Although the least threatened of the tragopans, Satyr Tragopans still face many threats. The species is thought to have a moderately small population that is subject to hunting and habitat loss throughout most of its range.
Pheasant
Pheasants refer to some members of the Phasianinae subfamily of Phasianidae in the order Galliformes.Pheasants are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments such as wattles and long tails. Males are usually larger than females and have...
found in the Himalayan reaches of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
, Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
and Bhutan
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
. They reside in moist oak and rhododendron forests with dense undergrowth and bamboo clumps. Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
Mixed forests are a temperate and humid biome. The typical structure of these forests includes four layers. The uppermost layer is the canopy composed of tall mature trees ranging from 33 to 66 m high. Below the canopy is the three-layered, shade-tolerant understory that is roughly 9 to...
, shrubland
Shrubland
Shrubland, scrubland, scrub or brush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity...
and densely vegetated ravines. They range from 8,000 to 14,000 feet in summer and 6,000 feet in winter.
When it is mating season, male satyr tragopans grow blue horns and a gular wattle. When ready to display, they will inflate their horns and hide behind a rock, waiting for females to pass by. When one does, they will perform an elaborate and attractive display
Display
Display may refer to:* Display , an American thoroughbred racehorse* Display , a form of animal behaviour* Display advertising, type that typically contains text, i.e., copy, logos, images, location maps, etc....
in front of the females. At the end of the display, the male will stretch to his full height and show off all of his ornaments.
Females are brown. Males are usually red with blue, black, and white spots and freckles.
Although the least threatened of the tragopans, Satyr Tragopans still face many threats. The species is thought to have a moderately small population that is subject to hunting and habitat loss throughout most of its range.