EN
Kalij Pheasant – Lophura leucomelanos
The nine subspecies, characterized by their colors, are considerable variations between the races. The kalijs, in captivity known as the blue Himalayan pheasants, have a plumage that reflects with blue shades, it looks like the silver pheasant.
It lives in a variety of habitats at different altitudes from sea level up to 3600 meters, in the rainforest, in wooded areas in the mountains. The dominant vegetation consists of pine forests, managed forests.
After the breeding season, groups of 4 to 6 generally form a unit, composed by the couple and their young. Their activity is early morning, the groups begin foraging around 4 am and settled in the woods, near roads and trails, in less remote locations of sources they can visit regularly. During the heat of the day, pheasants sit covered, usually on the floor. During the night, they sleep in tall trees, between 6 and 12 meters above the ground. If they are disturbed, they retain the same trees night after night.
The nest is a shallow cavity usually installed in a dense undergrowth area under a thick cover hardwoods, bamboo jungle or scattered trees, under a rock in a bush or a clump of grass. Laying has on average 6 to 9 eggs, the incubation period also varies according to climate, 20 days in the hottest areas, 22 days in areas where the altitude influences temperatures. The incubation is carried exclusively by the female, though males joined the brood and is involved in its education immediately after hatching. The chicks grow quickly and are able to fly after a few days. The female lays only once a year, unless the clutch is destroyed. In this case, it is able to perform a replacement clutch.
These omnivores eat just about everything from bamboo seeds to small snakes and lizards, termites, figs, forest yams and ginger roots. A wide variety of plants such as seeds, berries, all kinds of herbs and roots and a large variety of insects, worms and larvae.
