Kalij Pheasant
Lophura leucomelanos
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderGalliformes (Landfowl)
- FamilyPhasianidae (Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies)
- GenusLophura (Gallopheasants)
- SpeciesLophura leucomelanos (Kalij Pheasant)
About the Kalij Pheasant
The kalij pheasant (Lophura leucomelanos), or simply kalij, is a pheasant found in forests and thickets, especially in the Himalayan foothills, from India, 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. Both sexes have a bare red face and greyish legs (the latter separating it from the red-legged silver pheasant). It is generally widespread, though three of its eastern subspecies (L. l. oatesi, L. l. lineata, and L. l. crawfurdi) are considered threatened and L. l. moffitti is virtually unknown in the wild.
The name is also spelled kaleege in old texts, such as Game Birds of India and Asia by Frank Finn, though no longer in his Indian Sporting Birds. The species was introduced to Hawaii in 1962 as a gamebird. On 21 October 2021, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir declared the kalij pheasant as bird of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
The kalij pheasant is closely related to the silver pheasant, and the two are known to hybridize. The placement of the taxa L. l. lineata and L. l. crawfurdi has been a matter of... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Kalij Pheasant in Chitwan National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Chitwan National Park
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jim Corbett National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Kaeng Krachan National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 3 | Royal Manas National Park | 🇧🇹 Bhutan | |
| 4 | Langtang National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 5 | Kaziranga National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 6 | Manas National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 7 | Namdapha National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 8 | Khangchendzonga National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 9 | Chitwan National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Kalij Pheasant in Chitwan National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Kalij Pheasant sighting in Chitwan National Park, based on 24 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Kalij Pheasant in Chitwan National Park?
January has the highest sighting rate for Kalij Pheasant in Chitwan National Park in our monthly data.