State Bird’ of Himachal Pradesh

Known as the  Western Tragopan ,a rarest pheasants and off course ‘the State Bird’ of Himachal Pradesh. Found in the Greater Himalaya, between Northwest Frontier Province in Pakistan and western Uttarakhand in India (Birdlife International 2001). This species is a habitat specialist, favoring conifer and oak communities with sufficient undergrowth of bamboo and other dense vegetation. The state of Himachal Pradesh is a stronghold for this species as it is distributed widely in sizable populations in all three major catchments (Beas, Satluj and Ravi) and also serves ‘flagship’ value on account of socio-cultural linkages with the traditional people.