Bird Photography….Kalij Pheasant

The kalij pheasant (Lophura leucomelanos) basically the name of a village in Iran is a pheaant found in forests mostly on Hills , especially in the Himalayan foothills, ranging from Pakistan to western Thailand mostly feed on insects & small worms.

Males are rather variable depending on their subspecies,but all have an at least partially glossy bluish-black plumage , while Females are overall brownish.

But both the sexes have a bare red face and greyish legs.

It is generally common and widespread, though three of its eastern subspecies (oatesi, lineata and crawfurdi) are considered as threatened.

The name is also spelt kaleege in old texts, such as Game Birds of India and Asia, though no longer now an Indian Sporting Bird . The species was introduced to Hawai in 1962 as a game bird.

HABITAT

The Kalij Pheasant can be found in a variety of habitat types such as evergreen and deciduous forests with dense undergrowth in valleys, or thickets, secondary vegetation and abandoned cultivated areas.

This species can be found from 25 MSL in NE Bangladesh, up to 3700 MSL in Nepal.

Clicked this immensely beautifully bird in deep forests of Jim Corbett in Uttarakhand, India and complied the informative narration from various sources for general interest of my Bird lover & photographer friends globally.

#PhotoBySiba