Cheer Pheasant
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| Cheer Pheasant | ||||||||||||||
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| Catreus wallichii (Hardwicke, 1827) |
The Cheer Pheasant, Catreus wallichii also known as Wallich's Pheasant is an endangered species of the pheasant family, Phasianidae. It is the only member in monotypic genus Catreus.
The Cheer Pheasant is distributed in the highlands and scrublands of the Himalayas region of India, Nepal and Pakistan. They are found mainly in the west of Nepal, Kumaon, Garhwal, Tehri Garhwal, Simla States, Bussahir, Chamba till about the Hazara District. They are found mainly above 6000 feet altitude and up to 10000 feet in summer.[2]
These birds lack the color and brilliance of most pheasants, with buffy gray plumage and long gray crests. Its long tail has 18 feathers and the central tail feathers are much longer and the colour is mainly gray and brown. The female is slightly smaller in overall size.
Males are monogamous. They breed on steep cliffs during summer with a clutch of 10 to 11 eggs.[2]
The scientific name commemorates the Danish botanist Nathaniel Wallich.
Due to ongoing habitat loss, small population size and hunting in some areas, the Cheer Pheasant is evaluated as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix I of CITES. While an endangered species, there are attempts to reintroduce captive bred Cheer Pheasant in Pakistan.
[edit] References
- ^ BirdLife International (2004). Catreus wallichi. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006.
- ^ a b Baker, EC Stuart (1918) The game birds of India, Burmay and Ceylon. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 26(1):1-5 scan
[edit] External links
- ARKive - images and movies of the Cheer Pheasant (Catreus wallichi)
- BirdLife Species Factsheet
- IUCN Red List
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