Tragopan

Summary

Tragopan is a bird genus in the pheasant family Phasianidae. Member of the genus are commonly called "horned pheasants" because males have two brightly colored, fleshy horns on their head that can be erected during courtship displays. The habit of tragopans to nest in trees is unique among phasianids.[1]

Tragopan
Blyth's tragopan (Tragopan blythii)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Galliformes
Family: Phasianidae
Tribe: Lophophorini
Genus: Tragopan
Cuvier, 1829
Type species
Meleagris satyra (satyr tragopan)
Linnaeus, 1758

Taxonomy edit

The genus Tragopan was introduced by the French naturalist Georges Cuvier in 1829 for the satyr tragopan.[2] The name tragopan is a mythical horned purple-headed bird mentioned by the Roman authors Pliny and Pomponius Mela.[3]

The genus contains five species.[4]

Image Name Common name Distribution
  Tragopan melanocephalus Western tragopan Kohistan, Kaghan valley, Kishtwar, Chamba, Kullu and an area east of the Satluj river, Pakistan
  Tragopan satyra Satyr tragopan India, Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan.
  Tragopan temminckii Temminck's tragopan northern Myanmar to northwestern Tonkin.
  Tragopan blythii Blyth's tragopan Bhutan through northeast India, north Myanmar to southeast Tibet, and also China.
  Tragopan caboti Cabot's tragopan provinces of Fujian, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, and Guangdong, China

References edit

  1. ^ Madge, S.; McGowan, P. (2002). "Genus Tragopan: tragopans (horned pheasants)". Pheasants, partridges and grouse: including buttonquails, sandgrouse and allies. London: Christopher Helm Publishers. pp. 280−286. ISBN 978-0-7136-3966-7.
  2. ^ Cuvier, Georges (1829). Le Règne animal distribué d'après son organisation : pour servir de base a l'histoire naturelle des animaux et d'introduction a l'anatomie comparée. Nouvel Édition, Revue et Augmentée (in French). Vol. 1. Paris: Déterville. p. 479.
  3. ^ Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 389. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
  4. ^ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (July 2021). "Pheasants, partridges, francolins". IOC World Bird List Version 11.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 11 October 2021.