The kalij pheasant (Lophura leucomelanos), or simply kalij, is a pheasant found in forests and thickets, especially in the Himalayan foothills, from Nepal, Pakistan to western Thailand. Males are rather variable depending on the subspecies involved, but all have at least partially glossy bluish-black plumage, while females are overall brownish.
DESCRIPTION OF THE BIRD:
Biometrics:
Male: Length: 63-74 cm (tail: 21-35 cm)
Female: Length: 50-60 cm (tail 19-23 cm)
Weight: 564-1025 g
The adult male of nominate race has glossy blue-black plumage with purplish to greenish wash, and with distinctive broad white scales on lower back to uppertail-coverts. Wings and vent are blackish-brown and mostly glossless. The tail is glossy blue-black above and black below. The breast is grey to greyish-white, but there are many variations in breast colour according to the race, and extent of white pattern on lower back, rump and tail.
On the head, forehead, crown and throat are black, whereas the nape is glossy blue-black. We can see several elongated blue-black feathers, forming a long crest on the hind crown. The face shows bright red to scarlet wattles.The bill is pale grey. The eyes are dark brown. Strong legs and feet are pale brown. We can see a spur at the rear of each tarsus.
The female has reddish-brown to dark brown plumage, with whitish-edged feathers giving scalloped appearance. The tail is black with chestnut-brown central rectrices. The flight feathers are brown.The underparts are brown too, with buff to whitish shaft-streaks.On the head, the red wattles are smaller than in male, mostly restricted to the eye area. The crest is shorter and brown.The bill is horn-coloured with greenish tinge. The eyes are orange-brown. Legs and feet are similar to male but she lacks the spurs.
HABITAT: The Kalij Pheasant can be found in a variety of habitat types such as evergreen and deciduous forests with dense undergrowth in valleys, or thickets, secondary vegetation and abandoned cultivated areas.This species can be found from 25 metres in NE Bangladesh, up to 3700 metres in Nepal.
CALLS AND SONGS: The Kalij Pheasant is mainly heard at dawn and dusk, uttering loud whistling chuckle or chirrup-like calls.When disturbed, it produces guinea pig-like squeaks and chuckles, a rapid “WHiii WHiiii WHiiii” and a whistling “psee psee psee” when flushed.
BEHAVIOUR IN THE WILD: Like numerous pheasants, the Kalij Pheasant is omnivorous. It feeds on diverse food items such as bamboo seeds, small snakes, termites, figs, forest yams, acorns, ripe fruits and other plant matter.
It usually forages in small groups of 10-20 birds, and sometimes in single-sex groups in Bhutan. They scratch the ground with their strong feet and dig with the bill for roots and tubers. They forage along tracks and roads, also in fields, in the early morning and late afternoon.
PROTECTION / THREATS / STATUS: The Kalij Pheasant is not globally threatened, but the situation varies with each race. Declines are reported, due to habitat destruction and heavy hunting pressure. But currently, this species is evaluated as Least Concern by BirdLife International.
Video: