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Kalij pheasant
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| Kalij pheasant | |
|---|---|
| Male L. leucomelanos hamiltoni, Uttarakhand, India | |
| Female L. leucomelanos hamiltoni, Uttarakhand, India | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Galliformes |
| Family: | Phasianidae |
| Genus: | Lophura |
| Species: | L. leucomelanos
|
| Binomial name | |
| Lophura leucomelanos (Latham, 1790)
| |
The kalij pheasant (Lophura leucomelanos), or simply kalij, is a pheasant found in forests and thickets, especially in the Himalayan foothills, from Nepal, Pakistan to western Thailand. Males are rather variable depending on the subspecies involved, but all have at least partially glossy bluish-black plumage, while females are overall brownish. Both sexes have a bare red face and greyish legs (the latter separating it from the red-legged silver pheasant).[2] It is generally widespread, though three of its eastern subspecies (L. l. oatesi, L. l. lineata, and L. l. crawfurdi) are considered threatened and L. l. moffitti is virtually unknown in the wild.[2]
The name is also spelled kaleege in old texts, such as Game Birds of India and Asia by Frank Finn,[3] though no longer in his Indian Sporting Birds.[4] The species was introduced to Hawaii[1] in 1962 as a gamebird.[5] On 21 October 2021, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir declared the kalij pheasant as bird of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.[6]
Taxonomy
[edit]The kalij pheasant is closely related to the silver pheasant, and the two are known to hybridize.[7] The placement of the taxa L. l. lineata and L. l. crawfurdi has been a matter of dispute, with some treating them as subspecies of the kalij pheasant[2] and others as subspecies of the silver pheasant.[8] They have greyish legs as in the kalij pheasant, but their plumage is closer to that of some subspecies of the silver pheasant. Additionally, as the silver pheasant, L. l. lineata and L. l. crawfurdi are found east of the Irrawaddy River, a major zoogeographic barrier, while all other subspecies of the kalij pheasant are found west of the river (L. l. oatesi, a subspecies of the kalij pheasant, has sometimes been reported as occurring east of that river,[2] but this is incorrect[9]). Based on mtDNA, it was recently confirmed that L. l. lineata and L. l. crawfurdi should be regarded as subspecies of the kalij pheasant.[10]
Subspecies
[edit]The nine recognized subspecies of the kalij pheasant are, in taxonomic order:
- L. l. hamiltoni J.E. Gray, 1829) – white-crested kalij pheasant – western Himalayas
- L. l. leucomelanos (Latham, 1790) – nominate – forests of Nepal
- L. l. melanota (Hutton, 1848) – black-backed kalij pheasant – Sikkim and western Bhutan
- L. l. moffitti (Hachisuka, 1938) – black kalij pheasant – central Myanmar
- L. l. lathami (J.E. Gray, 1829) – Horsfield's pheasant – eastern Bhutan and northern India to Myanmar
- L. l. williamsi (Oates, 1898) – Williams' kalij pheasant – western Myanmar
- L. l. oatesi (Ogilvie-Grant, 1893) – Oates' kalij pheasant – southern Myanmar
- L. l. crawfurdi (J.E. Gray, 1829) – Crawfurd's pheasant – southeastern Myanmar to peninsular Thailand
- L. l. lineata (Vigors, 1831) – lineated pheasant – southern Myanmar to northwestern Thailand
Description
[edit]Males have a total length of 63 to 74 cm (25 to 29 in) and females 50 to 60 cm (20 to 24 in).[2] Very roughly, the subspecies can be divided into two main groups, with the first (subspecies L. l. hamiltoni, L. l. leucomelanos, L. l. melanota, L. l. moffitti, and L. l. lathami) being found in the western and central part of the species' range, while the second (L. l. williamsi, L. l. oatesi, L. l. lineata, and L. l. crawfurdi) is found in the eastern part. In the males of the first group, most of the plumage is glossy blue-black, though with white to the rump or underparts in most subspecies, and in L. l. hamiltoni, the westernmost subspecies, the crest is white (all others have a blue-black crest). In the second group, the underparts and crest are glossy blue-black, but the tail and upperparts are white (or very pale grey) with most feathers densely vermiculated with black.[2]
Females are brownish. In some subspecies, the underparts are distinctly marked in whitish and black, while in others, most feathers are pale-edged, resulting in a scaly appearance.[2]
UT Bird of Jammu and Kashmir
[edit]On 21 October 2021, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir declared Kalij Pheasant as a bird of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Kalij Pheasant is known as Wan Kokur, Wan Kokud or Ban Kokur in the Kashmiri language, which can be translated as wild cock.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ a b BirdLife International (2016). "Lophura leucomelanos". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016 e.T22679217A92807873. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22679217A92807873.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g McGowan, P. J. K. (1994). Kalij Pheasant (Lophura leucomelanos). pp. 533 in: del Hoyo, J, A. Elliott, & J. Sargatal (1994). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 2. New World Vultures to Guineafowl. Lynx Edicions. ISBN 84-87334-15-6
- ^ Finn, F. (1911?). Game Birds of India and Asia.
- ^ Finn, F. (1915). Indian Sporting Birds.
- ^ "Lophura leucomelanos | Kalij pheasant". hawaiibirdingtrails.hawaii.gov. State of Hawaii. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
- ^ a b "Kalij Pheasant declared as bird of Jammu & Kashmir UT". The Chenab Times. 21 October 2021. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
- ^ MacKinnon, J., & K. Phillipps (2000). A Field Guide to the Birds of China. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-854940-7
- ^ McGowan, P. J. K., A. L. Panchen (1994). Plumage variation and geographical distribution in the Kalij and Silver Pheasants. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club. 114: 113-123.
- ^ Robson, C. (2000). A Field Guide to the Birds of South-East Asia. New Holland Publishers. ISBN 1-85368-313-2
- ^ Moulin, S., E. Randi, C. Tabarroni, & A. Hennache (2003). Mitochondrial DNA diversification among the subspecies of the Silver and Kalij Pheasants, Lophura nycthemera and L. leucomelanos, Phasianidae. Ibis 145: E1-E11
External links
[edit]
Media related to Lophura leucomelanos at Wikimedia Commons
Kalij pheasant
View on GrokipediaThe Kalij pheasant (Lophura leucomelanos) is a medium-sized pheasant species in the family Phasianidae, distinguished by marked sexual dimorphism in plumage: males exhibit iridescent blue-black feathers, a bare red facial skin, a backward-pointing crest, and often white rumps or underparts varying by subspecies, while females possess dull brown, barred plumage for camouflage.[1][2]
Native to dense forest understories and thickets in the Himalayan foothills and associated montane regions, it ranges from northern Pakistan eastward through India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and southern China to western Thailand, with introduced populations established in Hawaii.[3][4] The species comprises nine subspecies, each showing regional variations in crest color and body markings, such as the white-crested L. l. hamiltonii in the western Himalayas.[4] Classified as Least Concern by the IUCN despite an overall decreasing population trend driven by habitat degradation and hunting, Kalij pheasants are omnivorous ground-foragers primarily consuming seeds, fruits like figs, invertebrates including termites, and occasionally small vertebrates.[3][4]
Taxonomy
Etymology and Classification
The common name "kalij" originates from the Hindi term kalij or kaleej (कलीज), a local designation for the species in its native Himalayan range.[5][6] The binomial name Lophura leucomelanos was established by John Latham in his 1790 work Index Ornithologicus. The genus Lophura derives from the Greek lophos (crest), alluding to the bird's elongated frontal crest. The specific epithet leucomelanos combines Greek roots leukos (white) and melas (black), reflecting the species' plumage contrast between white rumps or underparts and dark body feathers in many subspecies.[7][8][9] In taxonomic classification, the Kalij pheasant belongs to the order Galliformes, characterized by ground-dwelling gallinaceous birds with strong legs adapted for scratching and running. It is placed in the family Phasianidae, which encompasses pheasants, partridges, and allies, distinguished by features such as rounded wings, short tails (except in some pheasants), and often vibrant sexual dimorphism. Within Phasianidae, it resides in the genus Lophura, comprising five to six species of crested pheasants native to Asia, supported by morphological and genetic evidence linking them via shared crests, bare facial skin, and similar vocalizations.[7][4][10]| Rank | Taxon |
|---|---|
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae |
| Genus | Lophura |
| Species | L. leucomelanos |
Subspecies
The Kalij pheasant (Lophura leucomelanos) is classified into nine subspecies, which display marked intraspecific variation, especially in male plumage, including differences in breast color (blue-black to purplish), extent of white on the lower back, rump, and uppertail-coverts, and overall glossiness.[11][12] These variations correlate with geographic distribution across the Himalayan foothills and Southeast Asian forests, from Pakistan to Thailand. Females across subspecies are generally similar, with brown plumage, pale throats, and shorter crests.[11] Subspecies are often grouped into western/central forms (L. l. hamiltonii, L. l. leucomelanos, L. l. melanota, L. l. lathami), characterized by glossy blue-black underparts and variable white rumps, and eastern forms (L. l. williamsi, L. l. oatesi, L. l. lineata, L. l. crawfurdii), which typically have white or pale grey upperparts with black barring and blue-black underparts.[12] L. l. moffitti occupies an intermediate position with predominantly black plumage.[11]| Subspecies | Common Name (if applicable) | Primary Range | Key Plumage Notes (Males) |
|---|---|---|---|
| L. l. hamiltonii | White-crested Kalij | Northern Pakistan to western Nepal | White crest; blue-black body with white rump barring.[12][11] |
| L. l. leucomelanos | Nominate | Central Nepal | Blue-black with extensive white on lower back and tail-coverts.[11][12] |
| L. l. melanota | Black-backed Kalij | Eastern Nepal to western Bhutan | Uniform blue-black with minimal white.[11][12] |
| L. l. moffitti | (Black Kalij) | Central Bhutan to central Myanmar | Predominantly black with little white patterning.[11][12] |
| L. l. lathami | Horsfield's Kalij | Eastern Bhutan, southern Tibet to northern Myanmar | Blue underparts; white-barred rump.[11][12] |
| L. l. williamsi | Williams' Kalij | Western Myanmar | Pale grey upperparts with black vermiculations; blue-black below.[11] |
| L. l. oatesi | Oates' Kalij | West-central to southern Myanmar | Similar to williamsi but with more extensive white.[11][12] |
| L. l. lineata | Lineated Kalij | East-central Myanmar to western Thailand | Lineated patterns on upperparts; blue-black underparts.[11][12] |
| L. l. crawfurdii | Crawfurd's Kalij | Southeastern Myanmar to southwest Thailand | White upperparts with black barring; glossy blue tail.[11][12] |