Western Tragopan

     The Western Tragopan or the Western Horned Tragopan is a bird from a Pheasant family known as the Tragopans or the Horny Pheasants. It’s endemic to the western Himalayas from northern Pakistan in the west to Uttarakhand within India to the east. The Western Tragopan is the rarest of all pheasants, and was also recorded as the state bird of Himachal Pradesh in India in 2007.

     The Western Tragopan is the darkest of all Tragopans, as the males are mostly greyish-black with numerous white spots. And they have each spot bordered with black. The male Western Tragopan has deep crimson collar, upper breast, and facial skin. And like other Tragopans, he boasts a short crest along his crown, two brightly-colored fleshy horns that become erect during courtship, and a brilliantly colored bib-like lappet that hangs from the throat. Female Western Tragopans have pale brownish-grey upper parts finely vermiculated and spotted with black. And most of their feathers have black patches and central white streaks.

     The breeding season of the Western Tragopan generally lasts from April to June. Clutches of two to six eggs are incubated solely by the female for 26 – 30 days, although the male will help in tending the chicks once they hatch.

 

Place of originPakistan and India
UseOrnamental and preservation
Weight

Male: 1800 – 2150 g

female: 1250 – 1400 g

Egg colorDirty buff with darker buff dots

 

An illustration for the Western Tragopans 2 - Western Tragopan
An illustration for the Western Tragopans
WesternTragopan 1 - Western Tragopan
An illustration for the Western Tragopans
17456419075 f43cedd790 k 1 - Western Tragopan
The male Western Tragopan by Ashish Gupta