Sunday, July 16, 2000		Article

TRAGOPANS are beautiful birds belonging to the family Phasianidae, which also includes peafowl and redjungle fowl etc. Tragopans are the most striking among Indian pheasants and present a breathtaking sight with a multitude of bright colours spangled all over their bodies. The males, in particular, have spectacular plumage while females are drab coloured. Their habitat requirements are very specialised. They are very shy birds and their sightings are rare. One of the best ways to locate them is by listening to the characteristic calls given by the males during the breeding season. Three species of the genus tragopan extend across the Indian Himalayas and little is known about their ecology.

Western tragopan (Tragopan melanocephala) is found at an altitude of 2000-3600 metres in temperate forests in western Himalayas. It lives in oak and deodar dominated woodlands with dense shrub undergrowth and grass-filled nullahs. In the olden times this species was found in the region extending from Swat in Pakistan, through Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh to the hills of Uttar Pradesh. At present, it is found at some places in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Pakistan. This species is only found in nine locations in India. Captive rearing of the western tragopan has not been successful; the only instance being of Sarahan Pheasantry in Himachal Pradesh.

In the past, satyr tragopan (tragopan satyra) was found in the region extending from Garhwal, Kumaon, Nepal and Sikkim to Bhutan. At present, it is found in small pockets in Kumaon, Nepal, Sikkim, Darjeeling hills and Bhutan. It inhabits steep forest slopes with Ringal bamboo undergrowth between an altitude of 2500 to 3600 metres. This vulnerable species is relatively easier to maintain and breed in captivity and there are over 590 satyr tragopans in captivity around the world.

Blyth’s tragopan (tragopan blythii) occurs in two subspecies. The rare subspecies molesworthii was found in the past in Bhutan and the subspecies blythii in east Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Manipur. At present, it is found in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland. The blyth’s tragopan inhabits thick and damp forests between an altitude of 1800-2000 metres. It is regarded as an endangered species and at present about 40 birds are kept in captivity.

The survival of tragopans has been threatened mainly by habitat degradation, fragmentation of land and hunting. Felling of trees, selective logging and extensive grazing of the forest by livestock is a widespread phenomenon. Fragmantation of the habitat is caused when small blocks of suitable habitat, became separated from each other by large expenses of uninhabitable ground. As a result of this the population of birds and animals, becomes both small and isolated and particularly prone to extinction through genetic drift, inbreeding and local ecological catastrophes.

The field study of tragopans has always been difficult due to their extremely shy nature, thin populations and difficult terrain in which they live. However, over the last ten years some studies have been conducted on the ecology of these enigmatic birds. The World Pheasant Association — a premier organisation dedicated to worldwide research and conservation of birds — has contributed a great deal to the research on tragopans in India.