CURRENT STATUS OF PHEASANT IN PAKISTAN AND THEIR CONSERVATION

Abstract

Pheasants are most beautiful and colorful birds in the world. They refer to any member of the subfamily phadianidae in the order Galliformes. Out of 50 species 5 are found in Pakistan i.e. Monal, (Lophoporus impejanus) koklass (Pucrasia macrolopha), Kalij (Lophura leucomelana) Cheer pheasant (Catreus wallichi) and Western Tragopan (Tragopan melanocephalus). Yellow pheasant and red pheasants are introduced in outer countries for the sake of money. One pair of red pheasant specie in (25,000) rupees They are found mainly in the KPK, extending eastwards into Kaghan and Azad Kashmir, few in Pallas Valley and Ayubia National Park, coniferous forests of Chitral, Dir, Swat, Hazara, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit, swat, Kohistan etc. Altitude range varies from species to species i.e. Monal (2000-2400m), Koklass (2200-2500m), Kalij (1200-1100 ft), and Western Tragopan (1750-3600 ft).The Western Tragopan is considered as the rarest of all living pheasants. Dhodial Pheasant in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Asia’s largest Pheasantry, established four decades ago next to the Karakoram Highway that connects Pakistan with China. Named after the small town in the province’s Mansehra district, it sprawls across 12.5 acres and is home to around 4,000 birds, representing 38 of the 50 pheasant species in the world. Six are indigenous species, found largely in the Himalayas. Dhodial Pheasantry is a Pheasantry and breeding center for several species of pheasants situated in Mansehra District, Pakistan. Dhodial Pheasantry holds captive 38 of the 52 species of pheasants found in the world.