Blythtragopan
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Blythtragopan ( Tragopan blythii ) |
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| Tragopan blythii | ||||||||||
| ( Jerdon , 1870) |
The Blythtragopan ( Tragopan blythii ), also written Blyth-Tragopan and called Graubuchtragopan , is a species from the pheasant-like family. It occurs exclusively in Asia. It is the largest and probably the rarest species in the tragopane genus . There are two subspecies.
The stock situation of the Blythtragopan is indicated as endangered ( vulnerable ).
Appearance
The males of the Blythtragopane reach a height of 65 to 70 centimeters. They achieve an average body weight of 1,930 grams. The females stay a little smaller and reach a height of 58 to 59 centimeters. They weigh between 1,000 and 1,500 grams.
Like all tragopans, the Blythtragopan has a pronounced sexual dimorphism . The males have a striking orange-yellow head markings that are set off in black. The back of the head, the nape of the neck, the throat, the upper chest and the bend of the wing are dark orange-red. On the upper side of the body, the individual feathers are narrowly lined with black and have isabel-colored, black-lined V-shaped transverse bands and a chestnut-red end section. The longer, wide upper tail-coverts have white central spots with a wide red-brown border at the end. The tail feathers are black with an irregular isabel-colored banding on the basal third. The rear breast and belly are smoky gray, the individual feathers have light centers that stand out clearly from the darker feather edges. The flanks and legs are speckled black and isabel-colored. The iris is brown, the beak is dark horn-colored and the legs are pinkish-brown.
In the females, the top of the body is patterned black-brown and white. Each individual feather also has a lancet-shaped yellow shaft line. The chin and throat are whitish, the underside of the body is dark brown with dirty white spots. The female's beak is horn-colored. The iris is brown, the orbital skin is yellowish.
distribution and habitat
The Blythtragopan occurs in the northeast of the Indian subcontinent. The distribution area extends from the east of Bhutan to the northeast of India . It is also found in the extreme southeast of Tibet. It occurs there at altitudes between 1000 and 3000 meters. His habitat there are cool, rainy regions with dense, evergreen deciduous forests, which are characterized by rich undergrowth. They stay there mainly in shady ravines through which mountain streams flow, on whose banks perennials and ferns stand. The Blythtragopan is basically a resident bird, it undertakes high-altitude hikes in response to weather conditions and food supply in its area of distribution.
Way of life
The Blythtragopan is considered to be the least explored tragopan to date. The reproductive behavior in the wild is still largely unknown. The few clutches found so far comprised two to five eggs.
In the north Indian Kohima Zoo, where there is a conservation breeding program, the Blythtragopane courtship for about four weeks in March. They put their clutches in nesting baskets that are suspended high - in the wild, the nests were also high above the ground in trees. The incubation period was 28 to 30 days. The male parent bird sat on the eggs when the female left the nest.
Stock situation
The Blyth tragopan is a rare bird. It is protected in all parts of its distribution area, but the population continues to decline. The main reason for this population decline is the loss of suitable habitats due to deforestation. This is due to logging, slash and burn and grazing. It is also hunted as a meat supplier, especially in northern India. The fact that part of its range is in nature reserves helps to protect it. These include the Phawngpui Blue Mountain National Park in Mizoram , India, the Thrumshingla National Park in Bhutan and the Gaoigongshan National Park in the People's Republic of China.
Blythtragopan and human
attitude
The Blythtragopan was kept in London Zoo the year it was first described. It was a male that came from Assam and survived in London for half a year. In 1882 more Blythtragopane were imported and in 1883 both a French hobby breeder and the Berlin Zoo received a pair each, which both successfully bred in 1884. It was also bred successfully in the years that followed. However, the offspring in Europe ended in the years of the Second World War.
Breeding in Europe was resumed after the end of World War II, but the breeding animals were crossed with Satyrtragopans. A breeding program for this species was started in 1973 at Kohima Zoo in Assam, India, in order to support the wild population. From this breed, two breeding pairs were also exported to Europe in 1983 in order to establish a European maintenance breed there.
Dedication names
The Blyth tragopan is named after Edward Blyth (1810–1873). He is considered to be one of the founders of Indian zoology. In 1841 he traveled to India to become the curator of the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal . He began by updating the catalogs of the museum and published in 1849 a catalog over the birds of the Asiatic Society ( Catalog of the Birds of the Asiatic Society ). He couldn't do much field work himself, but he described many species of birds that he got from Hume, Tickell, Swinhoe and others. He remained a curator until 1862, at which time his poor health forced him to return to England. In 1881 his work The Natural History of the Cranes was published.
Subspecies
So far, two subspecies are known:
- Tragopan blythi molesworthi Baker, ECS , 1914 occurs in eastern Bhutan , southern Tibet to northeast Assam .
- Tragopan blythi blythii ( Jerdon , 1870) is distributed in northeast India through southwest China and Myanmar .
supporting documents
literature
- W. Grummt, H. Strehlow (Ed.): Zoo animal keeping birds . Verlag Harri Deutsch, Frankfurt am Main 2009, ISBN 978-3-8171-1636-2 .
- Steve Madge , Phil McGowan, and Guy M. Kirwan : Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse. A Guide to the Pheasants, Partridges, Quails, Grouse, Guineafowl, Buttonquails and Sandgrouse of the world. Christopher Helm, London 2002, ISBN 0-7136-3966-0 .
- Heinz-Sigurd Raethel : Chicken birds of the world. Natur Verlag, Weltbild Verlag, Augsburg 1991, ISBN 3-89440-440-X .
- Martin Walters: The signals of birds - What birds reveal about the environment . Haupt, Bern 2011, ISBN 978-3-258-07682-9 .
- Thomas Caverhill Jerdon: Notes on some new species of birds from the North-Eastern frontier of India . In: Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal . 1870, p. 59-61 ( biodiversitylibrary.org ).
- Edward Charles Stuart Baker: Mr. EC Stuart Baker described the following new birds from the north-east frontier of India . In: Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club . tape 35 , no. 200 , 1914, pp. 17-19 ( biodiversitylibrary.org ).
Web links
- Tragopan blythii inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013.2. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
- Calls of the Blythtragopans on Xeno-Canto
Single receipts
- ↑ Grummt, H. Strehlow (Ed.): Zoo animal keeping birds . P. 233
- ↑ Tragopan blythii in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013.2. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
- ↑ Madge et al., P. 285
- ↑ Raethel: Hühnervögel der Welt , p. 506.
- ↑ a b c d Raethel: Hühnervögel der Welt , p. 507.
- ↑ Martin Walters: The signals of the birds - What birds reveal about the environment . Haupt, Bern 2011, ISBN 978-3-258-07682-9 . , P. 140
- ↑ a b Raethel: Hühnervögel der Welt , p. 508.
- ↑ Bo Beolens, Michael Watkins: Whose Bird? Men and Women Commemorated in the Common Names of Birds . Christopher Helm, London 2003, p. 205.
- ^ IOC World Bird List Pheasants, partridges, francolins
- ^ Edward Charles Stuart Baker, p. 18.
- ^ Thomas Caverhill Jerdon, p. 60.