The Himalayan monal or Impeyan monal ( Lophophorus impejanus ) is a galliform bird species of the family Phasianidae. It is the national bird of Nepal , and in India it is regarded as the state bird of Uttarakhand.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae |
| Genus | Lophophorus |
| Species | Lophophorus impejanus |
The Himalayan monal or Impeyan monal (Lophophorus impejanus) is a galliform bird species of the family Phasianidae. It is the national bird of Nepal, and in India it is regarded as the state bird of Uttarakhand. Males stand out for their metallic, iridescent plumage combining green, copper, violet and blue, while females have a much more discreet brown colouring that serves as camouflage.
It lives in the rhododendron and coniferous forests of the high Himalayas, spread across Nepal, India, Bhutan, southern Tibet and northern Pakistan.
It feeds on roots, tubers, shoots, seeds, insects and small invertebrates. Its way of foraging is characteristic: it digs into the ground with its beak, almost as if ploughing the soil, to reach food hidden under snow or leaf litter.
It is a polygynous species. After mating, the female lays 3 to 7 cream-coloured eggs speckled with pink (about 66 x 45 mm), which she incubates alone for 27-28 days. During the breeding season, males can be very aggressive towards each other in defence of their territory and their females.
The male's dazzling iridescent plumage, which changes shade with the light, is precisely what made this species a national symbol of Nepal and an emblematic bird of the Himalayan region.
