Chances are, you will have seen a few photographs of this gorgeous bird on the internet. To see it in real life will leave you speechless. The Himalayan Monal is a mid sized bird related to the pheasant family, and is also Nepal’s national bird along with being Uttarakhand’s state bird!
It has a distribution range across the Himalayas, and while it’s listed as “least common” in the IUCN red list, sighting it out in the open can be a task for it’s a relatively shy bird. But you’ll instantly recognize it from its striking plumage. Primary hues of blue, purple, red, then some orange and even yellow and green along the neck. And then a few crest feathers to complete this apparition.
You’ll likely see the Monal during the early hours of dawn (and not during the evenings) along Palampur’s tea estates, at the peripheries. That is, if they feel like coming out at all!
