Conservation of Pheasants in Jammu and Kashmir

Abstract

Pheasants are the most colourful ground-dwelling bird. They belong to the family Phasinaedae. They have existed since time immemorial, and they were hunted for sport as well as kept as pets. They are distributed throughout the Himalayas and seems to have originated in and around the Himalayas, and have gradually spread to Tibet, China, and other part of South East Asia. Out of the total 50 species of pheasants found in Asia, 17 species occur in India. Seven species of pheasants are found in Jammu and Kashmir. These include three threatened species: the western tragopan, the rarest of the Himalayan pheasants, the Himalayan monal (Lophophorus impejanus), and the cheer pheasant. Other pheasant species found in Jammu and Kashmir include the koklass pheasant (Pucrasia macrolopha), kalij pheasant (Lophura leucomelanos), red junglefowl (Gallus gallus), and Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus). This is a review-based study which shows there is a very urgent need to undertake status surveys aimed at updating the information and enhancing our scientific knowledge on several aspects of the ecology and behaviour of Galliformes in general and pheasants in particular, which is a prerequisite of their effective management and long term conservation planning in Jammu and Kashmir.