Himalayan Monal (Lophophorus impejanus): distribution, habitat and population status in Tibet, China

The Himalayan Monal (Lophophorus impejanus) is a national first grade protected species in China. So far, current knowledge of the Himalayan Monal in China is still poor. An estimate of its distribution, numbers and habitat was conducted during a two-year investigation from 2008 to 2009 in southern Tibet, especially in Lhozhag, Cona and Yadong counties. In total, 12 sightings of the Himalayan Monal were recorded during the study period. Our data suggest that this bird is mainly found in Medog, Zayu, Cona, Lhunze, Lhozhag, Nyalam, Dingjie, Gamba and Yadong counties on the southern slopes of the Himalayas. Its western-most location was confirmed to be Nyalam County. The bird ranges in elevation from 3800 to 4300 m in the summer and from 3200 to 3500 m in the winter. We sighted 36-37 individual birds, consisting of 8-10 males, 16-20 females and 7-8 sub-adults inhabiting the area around the Kajiu Monastery in Lhozhag County. The birds are mainly found in rocky forests, interspersed with steep slopes, cliffs and alpine meadows at elevations between 3800 and 4000 m. The population density of the Himalayan Monal near the Kajiu Monastery is 2.03 individual birds per km², much larger than that of Yadong and Cona counties (0.052 individuals per km²).