Grey-bellied horned pheasant Tibetan South Asian species (tragopan blythi molesworthi). Photo by Zhao Wanglin
Nyima County, Tibet, 28 Jul (Xinhua) -- The Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Institute of Tibetan Plateau, Chinese Academy of Sciences) released a news release on 28 July that with the support of the Forestry and Grassland Bureau of Metuo County, researchers from the institute photographed a wild pheasant bird during a field trip to Beiben Township, Metuo County, Tibet Autonomous Region. After the scientific appraisal of experts from the Tibet Autonomous Region Forestry Survey and Planning Research Institute and other units, it was confirmed as an adult male bird of the Gray-bellied Horned Pheasant of The South Asian species of Tibet. This is the first time that a living image of the wild grey-bellied pheasant Tibetan South Asian species has been taken in a natural habitat in China, and it is also a direct evidence that the gray-bellied horned pheasant is currently in the natural habitat of Tibet in China, which has important scientific research value.
According to reports, the gray-bellied horned pheasant is a national key protected wild animal and is very rare in the wild. In 1914, british ornithologist Baker named the South Asian species of the grey-bellied horned pheasant based on specimens collected in the Tawang region of Tibet, and for 107 years there was no definitive record of the species still living in the natural habitat of southeastern Tibet in China.
When the researchers found the bird, the surrounding wild environment was subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest, and the understory vegetation was dense. The bird has banded black patches on the forehead, crown of the head, ear feathers, and the side of the neck; the neck feathers are dark orange-red; the bare parts of the face are golden yellow; the flesh skirt under the throat is yellow; the body color feathers have coffee-colored ring spots with small white round spots, each feather has olive brown or black edges, and the tail end is obviously black; and the abdominal feathers are all smoky gray.
The grey-bellied pheasant habitat is found at altitudes of 600–2800 m above sea level, and is found in warm, humid subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests or primary coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests, often in pairs or in small groups, feeding on green leaves, berries, seeds and insects. The grey-bellied horned pheasant belongs to the genus phasianidae of the galliformes family. It is found in eastern Bhutan, Myanmar and Assam, India. It is found in northwestern Yunnan and southeastern Tibet. There are two subspecies of the grey-bellied horned pheasant, the nominate subspecies has a lighter body color and a broader upper thorax red, which is only distributed in the mountains of northwestern Yunnan in China; the Tibetan South Asian species has a darker body color and a narrower upper thorax red, which is mainly distributed in southeast Tibet in China. At present, the ecological and subspecies taxonomy of this species is very limited, and this field image provides direct evidence for the distribution of the gray-bellied horned pheasant in Tibet.
Metuo County is located in the Brahmaputra Grand Canyon water vapor channel, the Indian Ocean warm and humid air flow north along this channel, bringing abundant precipitation and heat, with Metuo as the core of the Brahmaputra Grand Canyon area formed a rich primary forest, providing a diverse wildlife habitat. The grey-bellied horned pheasant has high requirements for habitat authenticity, and the image photos show that the ecological environment of Metuo County is conducive to maintaining the survival and reproduction of wild gray-bellied horned pheasants.
The study of the gray-bellied horned pheasant in the Metuo region is of great value in conservation biology and ecology.
The researchers suggest that the population survey, habitat conservation and related ecological research of the gray-bellied horned pheasant in Andu County and its surrounding areas should be further strengthened to grasp the distribution range, habitat type, ecological habits and population number of the gray-bellied horned pheasant. (End)
Source: China News Network