With the alias of fritillaria pheasant, it belongs to the Phasianidae family of Galliformes order. Its scientific name is Lophophorus Ihuysii (Latin), or Chinese Monal Pheasant (English).
It is slightly larger than the brown-tailed pheasant, with a full-length of about 76 centimeters. The upper body of the male is mostly metalescent aeruginous. The crista covers the neck. It is pure white from back to waist, and the tail is bluish green. The lower body is black. The vertex has a tuft of gunmetal to cupreous cristae. The tectices of alae has similar color with the back feathers, and the remiges are dark brown with green brims. Body feathers of the female are dun, with approximately white fine grains. The back is white, and the tail has more than 10 brown transverse bands.
Usually it is fond of forming into subgroups, and moving about in alpine meadows, bushes or bare rock areas at an elevation of 4,000 to 5,000 meters. In winter it moves to lower mountains at an elevation of about 2,000 meters. It mainly feeds on botanic radicels and corms. Because it likes to eat culms of fritillaria, it is also named "fritillariapheasant". In artificial breeding conditions, it lays eggs in April and May, with 3 to 5 eggs per brood. The eggs are dark brown yellow, with puce spots of various sizes.
Chinese Monalis a resident bird and endemic to China, dispersing over southeast Qinghai Province, Dingxing, Kangding, Ruchuan, Pingwu of western Sichuan Province as well as Jiaoxian, Diebu, Zouqu of Gansu Province. It has been listed in Appendix I ofInternational Trade Convention on Endangered Wild Animal and Plant Species.
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