White Crested Kalij Pheasant

Measurements:

Ali and Ripley (1978) reported that males of leucomelana weigh from 11 Ib  to 21 Ib. (c. 795-1140 g), and that males of melanota weigh from 2 Ib 6 oz to 2| Ib (c. 1080-1150 g), while females weigh from 1 Ib 14 oz to 2i Ib (c. 848-925 g). Baker (1928) gave the weights of hamiltoni as 2 Ib 6 oz in males and li-2i  Ib in females, those of leucomelana as lf-2tz Ib in males, and those of melanota as 2 Ib 6 oz-2f Ib in Adult malemales and 1 Ib 14 oz-2^ Ib in females.  The eggs of melanota average 48.7 X 37.3 mm and have an estimated fresh weight of 37.4 g. 

 

Description: 

Adult male
Top of the head and elongate crest black, glossed with purplish blue; back and sides of the neck, back, rump, upper tail-coverts, lesser and median wing-coverts, and scapulars finely vermiculated with alternate black and white lines running chiefly across the feathers; primaries and their coverts blackish brown; secondaries and secondary coverts black, all with obliquely-irregular white lines; chin, throat, forepart of neck, and rest of underparts black with a slight blue gloss; the feathers on the sides of the breast always have white shaft-stripes. Middle pair of tail feathers dirty white, more or less vermiculated with black on the outer web except at the extremity; rest of the feathers obliquely vermiculated with black and white, the black gradually increasing and the white diminishing on each successive feather, so that the outer pair are black, obliquely vermiculated with white. Bill bluish or brownish horny; facial skin blood-red; legs and feet fleshy brown; iris brownish yellow.

Female
Top of the head and crest tinged with rufous, rest of the upperparts olive-brown,- most of the feathers of the mantle with V-shaped white marks narrowly edged with black; inner webs of the primaries and secondaries brown; the outer webs of the latter slightly mottled with whitish buff along the margin; sides of the neck with triangular white spots; chin, throat, and forepart of neck whitish; rest of the underparts brownish chestnut, each feather with a pointed white shaft-stripe margined with black. Middle pair of tail feathers buff, mottled on the outer web and also slightly on the inner with black; the six outer pairs are reddish brown, with wide irregular white bars mottled and widely margined with black; the second pair have the basal two-thirds like the outer pairs, and the terminal third buff mottled with black like the middle pair. Soft parts as in male but duller

Habitats, Population densities and Conservation Status
The nine subspecies of kalij pheasants recognized by Delacour occur over an extremely wide range of habitats and elevations, from nearly sea level to at least 11 000 ft, and in a variety of tropical to montane forest habitats. Beginning in the western edge of the species' range, the white-crested kalij occurs from 1200 to 11 000 ft, but is most common between 3000 and 7000 ft, and may be found lower in winter and higher in summer. In these medium elevations the dominant trees are pines (mainly Pinus longifolia), especially below 6000 ft, while from about 5000 to 9000 ft oak forests (especially Queicus incana] predominate. Of the two low altitude species found in the NWFP, the White Crested Kalij (L.leucomela hamiltoni) has the most southerly distribution. It extends from the Siran and Kaghan Valleys in Hazara district into the Margalla Hills just north of the capital Islamabad, where it is relatively common. It extends into Azad Kashmir, with good population in AYubia National Park, where atleast 30 breeding pairs are present. 

Although it is possible that some races of this species may be rather rare, the total overall distribution is great, and the birds seem to do well in a variety of both original and disturbed habitat types. The birds seem to withstand hunting fairly well (Bump and Bohl 1961), and also are highly adaptable and resistant to habitat changes (Yonzon and Lelliott 1981). But, this information is not true for Pakistan, where the Khalij pheasant has a very limited habitat and is only locally common.