Pong Wetland

Recently I visited Pong Wetland . It is a heaven for bird lovers . About 350 bird species are found here and every year around 1,50,000 migratory birds visit this wetland during winters. Pong Wetland has been declared as an International Ramsar site in the year 2002.

Beautiful Birds of Himalayas - III

Indian Eagle Owl - Bubo

This is Indian Eagel Owl - Bubo. It was rescued by wildlife officials and now is kept in Manali Rescue Centre (Nature Park). The facial disc is fulvous - brown to buffy with a prominent blackish rim. Eyes are orange yellow to orange red. Lower parts are fulvous becoming whitish near the centre. Size of adult is more than 50 cms and weight is around 1 kg.

Beautiful Birds of Himalayas -II

Western Tragopan

With less than 5000 individuals in the world , the Western tragopan is considered the rarest pheasant in the world . It is found in the western portions of himayayas ( Jammu & Kashmir , Himachal Pradesh and wesrern portion of Uttrakhand in India and northern porion of Pakistan . Recently this species has been announced the State bird of Himachal Pradesh .

Male Western Tragopan is large bright coloured with golden breast . Body heavily spotted , black crown , bright red hind neck and cheeks with green throat . Female is greyish brown , spotted white .

Western Tragopan ( Jujurana)

Kalij Pheasant

Male is large blackish with white crest and brown scaling on upper parts , silvery on rump , heavily feathered whitish flanks , red face , long and thick black tail. Female is brown with buff scaling . it is commenly found in western himalayas between 300 m and 3000 m .

Beautiful Birds of Himalayas - I

Himalayan Monal

One of the most beautiful birds of Himalayas . Male is iridescent green , copper and purple with white patch on back and cinnamon – brown tail and a prominent crest . Female has white throat , short crest , boldly streaked underparts , white crescent on upper tail coverts, and narrow white tip to tail. Himalayan Monals are found in alpine and subalpine regions of Himalayas during summer ( 3200 m – 4500 m) and descends to lower altitudes in winter ( approximately 2500 m) .

Himalayan Monal ( Male )

Cheer Pheasant

Male Cheer Pheasant is black barred , grey above and on breast .Long back swept brown crest and red face. Female is also same but browner and short tailed . Cheer Pheasant is mainly found on steep south facing grassy slope with Chir pine trees or scrub vegetation .Altitudinal distribution range is 1600 m to 2500 m.

Cheer pheasant