Snow Partridge

Scientific Name: Lerwa lerwa

Place: Tungnath, Chopta, Uttarakhand

Snow Partridges can be seen at higher ridges of Himalayas; through out indo-tibetan glacial areas. Mostly they forage in groups consisting of as much as 25 pax. While undisturbed they forage very silently alongside the grassy slopes of mountain. However, considering human beings as threat; they keep a minimum distance of 30 feet.

During our birding tour in Chopta and Tungnath in the month of November last week we experienced a flock of 14 foraging on grassy slopes. As we were in search of Monal, all on a sudden we saw a flock of partridge like bird flew and perched on a slope. We first thought it as a flock of Chukar. Following that flock, we moved further up, where the hill side doesn't face any sun. Silently they were foraging and making short clucking (very low pitched sounds). 

Snow Partridge (Lerwa lerwa) | 01.12.2015 | Tungnath, Chopta Valley, Uttarakhand, India
© Dibyendu Ash @ 2015

The entire flock of Snow partridge was so well camouflaged that even for a professional it is hard to find them. They were not hiding themselves rather they were into wide open in broad day light. The coloration of grassy slope and that of the feather texture of partridge mixes well. 

It was really a moment to cherish when all the participants got the photograph of this rare/hard-to-photograph beauty. In that freezing cold temperature; I experienced chilblain. Sudden snowfall on last week of December favored our luck to photograph some of the extreme high altitude avian species. Following the snowline, Snow Partridge came downhill and participants of Chopta-Tungnath birding tour from GoingWild (Nov-Dec 2015) photographed it pretty well. Other than Snow Partridge, we got Alpine Accentor, Altai Accentor, at least 20 individuals of Himalayan Monal.

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Kalij Pheasant

Scientific Name: Lophura leucomelanos
Place: 


A large sized galliforme and most common across Himalayas till Karakoram range in west and extended distribution in north east Indian hillas of Khasi-Garo-Jayantia range. It is mainly a lower medium altitude dweller and an altitudinal migrant by 1,000 meters. From the foothills of Himalayas it's range is extended upto 8,000 ft altitudinally.

Broadly in the oriental region, Kalij Pheasant has 9 different subspecies; from which four types are found in India. These four subspecies are :

• L. l. hamiltonii (J. E. Gray, 1829) – W Himalayas from N Pakistan (R Indus) E to W Nepal.
• L. l. leucomelanos (Latham, 1790) – C & EC Nepal.
• L. l. melanota (T. Hutton, 1848) – extreme E Nepal (Mai Valley), N India (Sikkim) and W Bhutan (E to R Sankosh).
• L. l. lathami (J. E. Gray, 1829) – E Bhutan and E Bangladesh E to NE India (Assam, Arunachal Pradesh), S China (extreme SE Tibet and NW Yunnan) and N Myanmar (probably E to R Irrawaddy).

Though at places in Corbett Tiger Reserve, sighting reports are there for L. l. leucomelanos; but till date I haven't seen any 'leucomelalos' from Corbett.


Lophura leucomelanos hamiltonii

During our birding tour of GoingWild in the month of February '15, I was accompanied by two birders. we had four full birding days in our hand. Though the bird tour started on 1st February, from 2nd February we went on for birding as Day 1.

On 3rd February '15, that is on last day, after bagging 137 specie in four days, we took a mid noon break near Mangoli village birding trail. After having some warm cup of tea, we sat on roadside parapet and started reviewing the outcomes of bird images. After ten minutes or so, all on a sudden we heard call of game birds. Firstly, we didn't notice much. But sudden rise and fall of call, drawn our attention - What is going on up there inside the bush.

Two male Kalij pheasants were fighting there; we kept our camera ready to photograph that and waiting until they come in open; but the fight went beneath the understory of bush. Suddenly, both the male came on road. Their chase and fight for one to another stopped, seeing the outside visitors (Us - Birders). Like Mughal prince (photographed one here), crossed the road and went downhill followed by a stream into the ditch; following him another male did the same. But we couldn't manage to photograph while they were in the action of cock fighting. Photographed below posted image is from Mangoli trail of Uttarakhand during our Ghatgarh - Sattal - pangot birding tour of February 2015.

Kalij Pheasant (♂) | L.l.hamiltonii | Mangoli, Nainital, Uttarakhand, India
© Dibyendu Ash @ 2015 (CC BY-NC-SA)

Only hamiltoni subspecies amongst all Kalij Pheasants has white crest over its head. In hindi crest is called "Kalgi"; in abbreviated form, the name Kalij has been derived. Hope you enjoyed the sighting of Hamiltoni; now see below how the sighting of melanota happened in Sikkim.


Lophura leucomelanos melanota

We had an announced birding tour in Pangolakha in April from 22nd April to 26th April of 2015. Prior to that announced tour, I had a solo birding tour in the reserve for 10 days. After completion of that birding while I was descending from Upper Pangolakha I photographed this beauty downhill on 21st April.

In the early morning on 21st April, when I was getting down from Zuluk to Rongli, I was coming down by Nima's Bolero. Nima also known as "Nima daju", was very satisfied to have a birder accompanying him. Sometimes on the way down, he started spotting birds. This is how we were descending. Since previous 10 days of solo birding trip was tiring, around 8AM in the morning I leaned my back to the headrest and went to sleep. Suddenly Nima yelled "Kalij, sir Kalij". He stopped the car at a distance of 40 feet, so that I could make a frame. I were not after close up of this beauty, but were close enough since I was equipped with 400mm f5.6 telephoto lens. Keeping safe distance is mandatory to photograph pheasants. Once you break their confidence barrier, firstly you would be a loser and secondly, your appearance is a threat for the birdie. Keep safe distance always from wildlife.

Nima said, a flock of bird were there, but I could see just an Individual beside the parapet in an elevated land just at the eye level. I knew if I try to get down from the car, it would slip into the bushes, thus to avoid such mishaps; I took the photographed through car window as much as I could bend myself as much as possible from window and create frame. If I were a fool, I couldn't have done the framing. Forget framing, these skittish birds aren't comfortable with human beings around them. Thus if you ever see a Kalij or its cousin pheasants (Galliformes), try to photograph them through car window. They consider human beings as a threat for them, but cars are not a threat. Judge things wisely, while on a field trip, you can have it too. 

Kalij Pheasant (♂) | L.l.melanota | Zuluk, Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary, East Sikkim, Sikkim, India
© Dibyendu Ash @ 2015 (CC BY-NC-SA)

'melanota' differs from 'hamiltonii' not only by black crest coloration; rump of male bird of 'melanota' is of black color; whereas that of 'hamiltonii' has greyish-white rump.

Lophura leucomelanos lathami

I saw 'lathami' subspecies when I was in Pakke Tiger Reserve of Arunachal Pradesh, back in 2013. In the month of April, we had tour to Nameri National Park of Assam and to Pakke Tiger Reserve of Arunachal Pradesh in the month of April '13. After spending 3 days at Nameri we moved in Pakke by car. 

Kalij Pheasant (♂) | L.l.melanota | Kahari beat, Seijosa range, Pakke Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh, India

© Dibyendu Ash @ 2013 (CC BY-NC-SA)

During our 2nd birding day at Pakke, as we were roaming around Khari beat of Seijosa range, we saw a flock comprising of 2 adult males, 3 females and 3 more subadults. As soon as we spotted them, within split second, both adult males slipped into understories of dense forest of Pakke. By the time when we started clicking these three individuals were left for us; that also against light. Though this is not a good quality image, but still we managed some record of 'lathami'. Later, I almost forgot that I had ever photographed 'lathami' from Pakke, until I started writing up this blog.

Keep in touch bros and sissies! Cheers to all readers!