Himalayan Monal
Photo: Pratap Gurung · CC BY-SA 4.0

Partridges, Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies

Himalayan Monal

Lophophorus impejanus

LCLeast Concern
Family
Partridges, Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies (Phasianidae)
Order
Galliformes

Overview

The Himalayan monal (Lophophorus impejanus), also called Impeyan monal, is a landfowl native to Himalayan forests and shrublands at elevations of 2,100–4,500 m (6,900–14,800 ft). It is part of the family Phasianidae and is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
It is the national bird of Nepal, where it is known as the danphe or danfe, and state bird of Uttarakhand, India, where it is known as a monal.
The scientific name commemorates Lady Mary Impey, the wife of the British chief justice of Bengal, Sir Elijah Impey.

Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Diet: Roots, tubers, seeds and insects dug from the soil.

How to identify it

  1. Male: iridescent green, purple and copper with a spatula-tipped crest
  2. White rump and rufous tail show in flight
  3. Female: mottled brown with a white throat

Voice

Loud whistles echoing across mountain slopes at dawn.

Listen to recordings on xeno-canto

Where to see it

  • Chopta–Tungnath, India
  • High passes of Bhutan

Destination guides featuring this bird

Range and habitat

Himalayas of Afghanistan to southern Tibet, southwestern China, and northeastern Myanmar.

Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.

Sources and further reading

Last updated September 29, 2026.