Blyth's Tragopan
Encyclopedia
Blyth’s Tragopan or the Grey-bellied Tragopan is a pheasant that is a vulnerable species.
through north-east India
, north Myanmar
to south-east Tibet
, and also China
. The total population is estimated to be about 2,500 to 9,999 birds (Bird life International 2008). This estimate is a very small number compared to some of its relative birds. Tragopan blythii normally flocks to wooded areas as it prefers the undergrowth of evergreen oak
and rhododendron
forests, and other dark, quiet places. This bird has a higher elevation than most birds
:
. Like most pheasants, the male is brightly colored. It is recognized by its rusty red head, yellow facial skin, and that it is spotted with small white dots on its back called ocelli. A black band extends from the base of the bill to the crown couple with another black band extends behind the eyes. Like the rest of the tragopans, males have two pale blue horns that become erect during matting (Niles 2007). Its lappet, a decorated flap, hangs from the throat and is brightly colored. This lappet can be expanded and exposed during mating season as well (Johnsongard 1986).
Females are not as brightly colored as the male tragopan, for they do not need the extravagant appearance to attract a male counterpart. Overall, they are dark brown with a mixture of black, buff and white mottling (Arkive 2003-2008). Their simple and dull look is a protection mechanism from other animals, known as camouflage
. It also allows the females to protect their young that are in the early stages of life.
s. In the wild, they consume seed
s, berries, fruit
s, and bud
s. Captive birds usually consume insect
s, worm
s, and even small frog
s. While they are primarily vegetarians, most birds have a predilection for berries and fruit.
, which are tolerable for longer periods of time. For the majority of the species, travel is only necessary in attempting to avoid the drying out of their vegetation. In this case, they may move down mountain sides for more comfortable living conditions and a readier food supply. There is little information or support on how the Blyth’s Tragopan moves, but it is suggested that they travel together in groups of four to five individuals, much like other species of tragopans (Johnsongard 1986).
Blyth’s Tragopan starts mating in April and continues well into May. The males advertise themselves with flamboyant displays to attract females.
Overexploitation
is one of the biggest threats to all birds including Blyth’s Tragopan (Choudhury 2001). Twelve percent of bird species are threatened to extinction and overexploitation. Blyth’s Tragopan are considered to be the main threat to thirty seven percent of that number. Overexploitation reduces the population of species and causes the listing of eleven percent of the threatened birds on the IUCN Red List. The biggest concern is the eleven critically endangered species for which overexploitation is believed to be the factor that the population numbers are declining (Rosser 2002).
In Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh, the pheasant is being hunted for food with large scale snaring and are also regularly shot with guns and slingshots (McGowan 1995).
High levels of grazing and slash and burn agriculture in Bhutan are also significant threats. The effects of slash and burn techniques has a significant effect on the species because it takes away the entire habitat that the bird has. The population of the tragopan is believed to be declining because of these threats which are also dividing up the populations into smaller subpopulations due to fragmentation.
Fragmentation is an issue because it divides larger populations into smaller ones over a large area. The tragopans are not able to go from one area to the other because there are normally great distances between these populations. Fragmentation also does not let the pheasants get the genetic variation that they need. In order for them not to have problems with the hatchlings need to have a diversity of different species.
This species is legally protected in all countries that it is found in. Conservation awareness plans need to be implemented in all areas and more people to enforce the laws that are already set in place. With these small sub communities, which are scattered over the habitat areas of the pheasant, it is becoming more and more difficult for the birds to reproduce with the genetic differences they need to survive (Arkive 2003-2008).
India need to set up corridors between the small communities so that T. blythii can move from each site and are capable to reproduce with the whole population of species. If these corridors are successful it will enable the species to have more genetic variability. All of the countries that the T. blythii inhabits need to join together and set up a system that enforces the laws and set up penalties of the people that violate them.
The country of India, Nagaland, and all of the reserves need to come together and set up an organization that could receive grants. With these grants the organization would be able to have more research done in the areas that the tragopan lives. They would also be able to help educate the people of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. It is important for these natives to realize that if they do not stop hunting, then the species would become extinct. It is also important to let the rest of the nation to understand the severity of the treatment of these birds.
Blyth’s tragopan should be protected in established wildlife sanctuaries to help them from the pressures of hunting and habitat loss. Conservation measures in areas such as Mehao and Dibang Valley sanctuaries and all the reserves of Nagaland are needed to establish new sanctuaries where the species still thrive.
Research surveys should be established so the distribution of the species can be found and documented. The Blue Mountain National park in Mizoram, India is currently taking surveys of how many different Blyth’s Tragopan can be heard and seen in the area. The population was considered to be about 500 and 5000 (Ghose 2003). The continuing monetization for the Blyth’s Tragopan is essential for the conservation management aspect of the pheasant. Together with Blue Mountain and the organization proposal there will be a way to help the Blyth’s Tragopan.
Distribution and Population
The animal’s population is small and is believed to be decreasing at a rapid rate. Blyth’s Tragopan is located in many different areas, including BhutanBhutan
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...
through north-east 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...
, north Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
to south-east 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...
, and also China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. The total population is estimated to be about 2,500 to 9,999 birds (Bird life International 2008). This estimate is a very small number compared to some of its relative birds. Tragopan blythii normally flocks to wooded areas as it prefers the undergrowth of evergreen oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
and rhododendron
Rhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
forests, and other dark, quiet places. This bird has a higher elevation than most birds
Subspecies
There are two recognized subspeciesSubspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
:
- T. b. blythii (Jerdon, 1870) - nominate - HimalayasHimalayasThe Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
of northeast India to southwest China and northern Myanmar - T. b. molesworthi (ECS BakerE. C. Stuart BakerEdward Charles Stuart Baker CIE OBE FZS FLS was a British ornithologist and police officer.-Life and career:Baker was educated at Trinity College, Stratford-upon-Avon and in 1883 followed his father into the Indian Police Service. He spent most of his career in India in the Assam Police, rising to...
, 1914) - Molesworth's Tragopan - eastern Bhutan
Description
Blyth’s Tragopan pheasant is the largest of the genus TragopanTragopan
Tragopan is a genus of bird in the family Phasianidae. These birds are commonly called "horny pheasants" because of two brightly-colored, fleshy horns on their heads that they can erect during courtship displays...
. Like most pheasants, the male is brightly colored. It is recognized by its rusty red head, yellow facial skin, and that it is spotted with small white dots on its back called ocelli. A black band extends from the base of the bill to the crown couple with another black band extends behind the eyes. Like the rest of the tragopans, males have two pale blue horns that become erect during matting (Niles 2007). Its lappet, a decorated flap, hangs from the throat and is brightly colored. This lappet can be expanded and exposed during mating season as well (Johnsongard 1986).
Females are not as brightly colored as the male tragopan, for they do not need the extravagant appearance to attract a male counterpart. Overall, they are dark brown with a mixture of black, buff and white mottling (Arkive 2003-2008). Their simple and dull look is a protection mechanism from other animals, known as camouflage
Camouflage
Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
. It also allows the females to protect their young that are in the early stages of life.
Diet
Blyth’s Tragopan are generalistGeneralist
Generalist may refer to:* a person with a wide array of knowledge, the opposite of which is a specialist.* a physician who is focused on primary care and is not a specialist in a certain medical field...
s. In the wild, they consume seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s, berries, fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
s, and bud
Bud
In botany, a bud is an undeveloped or embryonic shoot and normally occurs in the axil of a leaf or at the tip of the stem. Once formed, a bud may remain for some time in a dormant condition, or it may form a shoot immediately. Buds may be specialized to develop flowers or short shoots, or may have...
s. Captive birds usually consume insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s, worm
Worm
The term worm refers to an obsolete taxon used by Carolus Linnaeus and Jean-Baptiste Lamarck for all non-arthropod invertebrate animals, and stems from the Old English word wyrm. Currently it is used to describe many different distantly-related animals that typically have a long cylindrical...
s, and even small frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
s. While they are primarily vegetarians, most birds have a predilection for berries and fruit.
Migration
The bird primarily moves up and down the slopes in search for food. It is, however, uncommon for this species to travel far, due to the change in climate from area to area. This is a result of the mild winters in their habitatHabitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
, which are tolerable for longer periods of time. For the majority of the species, travel is only necessary in attempting to avoid the drying out of their vegetation. In this case, they may move down mountain sides for more comfortable living conditions and a readier food supply. There is little information or support on how the Blyth’s Tragopan moves, but it is suggested that they travel together in groups of four to five individuals, much like other species of tragopans (Johnsongard 1986).
Reproduction
Blyth’s Tragopan starts mating in April and continues well into May. The males advertise themselves with flamboyant displays to attract females.
Courtship Ritual
This display may involve bowing and scrapping the ground with their wings slightly raised and their flesh horns fully dilated while projected forward. The more flamboyant and extravagant the male acts, the more likely they are to attract a female. If the female does not respond, the male intensifies this wild behavior to drawl more attention to him. The male then proceeds to strut around the female, in an attempt to distract the female. He then continues the movements with his breast pushed forward and his wings extended into the air (Johnsongard 1986).Growth and Development
After a female becomes impregnated she can lay up to two to five eggs. The incubation period for eggs last for about twenty eight days. After hatching the offspring have a similar description to the female hen. The male tragopans acquire red on their neck during the first spring moult. During the second year of life full adult plumage is attained in the tragopan (Johnsongard 1986).Nesting
While no nests have been found in the wild, the natives of Nagaland have stated that the nests are never on the ground, but are found in the trees, stumps, and small bushes. This record is consistent with the birds desire to stay at high altitudes. The heights range from six to twenty feet above the ground. Nesting above the ground is advantageous because the seasonal rains are intensified to where flooding can sweep away all the vegetation that is found on the ground. The nests are made of sticks with a lining of smaller vegetation such as grass or weeds (Johnsongard 1986).Threats
In north east India deforestation is a major factor in the decreasing population of T. blythii, as the forests are the main source of food. By removing this source, the pheasants are left with little or no food to consume. In addition, its primary habitat is forest.Overexploitation
Overexploitation
Overexploitation, also called overharvesting, refers to harvesting a renewable resource to the point of diminishing returns. Sustained overexploitation can lead to the destruction of the resource...
is one of the biggest threats to all birds including Blyth’s Tragopan (Choudhury 2001). Twelve percent of bird species are threatened to extinction and overexploitation. Blyth’s Tragopan are considered to be the main threat to thirty seven percent of that number. Overexploitation reduces the population of species and causes the listing of eleven percent of the threatened birds on the IUCN Red List. The biggest concern is the eleven critically endangered species for which overexploitation is believed to be the factor that the population numbers are declining (Rosser 2002).
In Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh, the pheasant is being hunted for food with large scale snaring and are also regularly shot with guns and slingshots (McGowan 1995).
High levels of grazing and slash and burn agriculture in Bhutan are also significant threats. The effects of slash and burn techniques has a significant effect on the species because it takes away the entire habitat that the bird has. The population of the tragopan is believed to be declining because of these threats which are also dividing up the populations into smaller subpopulations due to fragmentation.
Fragmentation is an issue because it divides larger populations into smaller ones over a large area. The tragopans are not able to go from one area to the other because there are normally great distances between these populations. Fragmentation also does not let the pheasants get the genetic variation that they need. In order for them not to have problems with the hatchlings need to have a diversity of different species.
Conservation
There is already some habitat set aside for T. blythii to survive. These areas include two wildlife sanctuaries and a small reserve in Nagaland, along with some other small areas for the bird to survive.This species is legally protected in all countries that it is found in. Conservation awareness plans need to be implemented in all areas and more people to enforce the laws that are already set in place. With these small sub communities, which are scattered over the habitat areas of the pheasant, it is becoming more and more difficult for the birds to reproduce with the genetic differences they need to survive (Arkive 2003-2008).
India need to set up corridors between the small communities so that T. blythii can move from each site and are capable to reproduce with the whole population of species. If these corridors are successful it will enable the species to have more genetic variability. All of the countries that the T. blythii inhabits need to join together and set up a system that enforces the laws and set up penalties of the people that violate them.
The country of India, Nagaland, and all of the reserves need to come together and set up an organization that could receive grants. With these grants the organization would be able to have more research done in the areas that the tragopan lives. They would also be able to help educate the people of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. It is important for these natives to realize that if they do not stop hunting, then the species would become extinct. It is also important to let the rest of the nation to understand the severity of the treatment of these birds.
Blyth’s tragopan should be protected in established wildlife sanctuaries to help them from the pressures of hunting and habitat loss. Conservation measures in areas such as Mehao and Dibang Valley sanctuaries and all the reserves of Nagaland are needed to establish new sanctuaries where the species still thrive.
Research surveys should be established so the distribution of the species can be found and documented. The Blue Mountain National park in Mizoram, India is currently taking surveys of how many different Blyth’s Tragopan can be heard and seen in the area. The population was considered to be about 500 and 5000 (Ghose 2003). The continuing monetization for the Blyth’s Tragopan is essential for the conservation management aspect of the pheasant. Together with Blue Mountain and the organization proposal there will be a way to help the Blyth’s Tragopan.