Satyr Tragopan

     The Satyr Tragopan or the Crimson Horned Pheasant, is a bird from a Pheasant family known as the Tragopans or the Horny Pheasants. It is endemic to the central and eastern Himalayas.

     The male Satyr Tragopan has the darkest, deepest red underparts of all Tragopans. He has the brighter crimson-red coloration typical of Tragopans being restricted mainly to the neck and upper breast. Elsewhere the plumage is primarily dark reddish-brown to black, spotted with small, black-edged white dots, except for a crimson streak on each side of the crest and red under tail coverts. The male Satyr Tragopan resembles his cousin the Temminck’s Tragopan. But the latter species has all red upperparts and orange collar. On the other hand, the female Satyr Tragopan is a drab rufous to dull-brown, vermiculated and blotched with black and buff markings.

     Like other Tragopans, male Satyr Tragopans are strikingly adorned with vibrant blue skin on their face and throat. They possess bib-like lappets, which are decorated with a series of triangular scarlet patches down each side. Male Satyr Tragopans have also two fleshy blue horns that project above the eye during male courtship displays. 

     The breeding season of the Satyr Tragopan extends from April to June, and starts in July in higher elevations. Three to five eggs are laid per clutch, and then incubated for approximately 28 days by the female. Young Satyr Tragopan may stay with their mother till the next breeding season and reach sexual maturity by the age of two years.

 

Place of originIndia, Nepal, Bhutan and China
UseOrnamental and preservation
Weight

Male: 1600 – 2100 g

female: 1000 – 1200 g

Egg colorBuff dotted with reddish-brown

 

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The male Satyr Tragopan by Tambako The Jaguar
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The male Satyr Tragopan by Estulif
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The female Satyr Tragopan by Cloudtail the Snow Leopard