Himalayan monal
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An illustration based on the real animal.
A little discovery to share.
The male Himalayan monal calls loudly while flying over cliffs and woods.
THE REAL WORLD
The real Himalayan monal
- Scientific name
- Lophophorus impejanus
- Japanese name
- ニジキジ
- Group
- Birds
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Galliformes
- Family
- Phasianidae
- Genus
- Lophophorus
A bird of the Himalayas. It lives in low, scrubby woods close to the tree line, the highest point where trees can grow.
The male's body is green, blue and purple, with an orange tail. The female is brown all over.
It digs into snow-covered ground with its bill to look for food such as plant roots and insects.
How the Himalayan monal lives
It also eats seeds. Males breed with multiple female partners. It lays eggs in a hollow-shaped nest.
多摩動物公園Basic data
- Size
- Total length: males about 70 cm, females about 63 cm
- Weight
- about 2 kg
- Diet
- Plant roots, underground stems, insects, and seeds
- Range
- The Himalayas from Afghanistan to Bhutan and southern Tibet
Where the Himalayan monal has been recorded
Records: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY 4.0 records, retrieved 2026-11-07). Map: Natural EarthSee the records on GBIF
Watch wild animals from a distance. Do not touch or feed them, and take care of the places where they live.
Names around the world
- 日本語
- ニジキジ
- 简体中文
- 棕尾虹雉
- 繁體中文
- 棕尾虹雉
- 한국어
- 히말라야무지개꿩
- Español
- Monal colirrojo
- Français
- Lophophore resplendissant
- Deutsch
- Rostschwanz-Glanzfasan
- Português (Brasil)
- Monal
- Italiano
- Monal dell'Himalaya
- हिन्दी
- हिमालयी मोनाल
- العربية
- حنقط بهي
- Русский
- Гималайский монал
- Türkçe
- Himalaya Monalı
Names come from Wikidata and iNaturalist records. Where a language has no recorded name, we use the scientific name.
Sources and how we check
- 多摩動物公園 — ニジキジChecked: 2026-11-03
We check each fact against its source. The illustrations simplify how the real animal looks.
The classification (class, order, family, genus) follows Wikidata records, checked against GBIF. Classifications can change as research goes on.
The basic data are the values given in each source. They vary with how the animal is measured, whether it is male or female, and whether it lives in the wild or in captivity.
This page was translated from the original Japanese with the help of AI.
Report a mistakeWhen you meet the Himalayan monal, look for this
- Look for white markings running from the female’s throat to her cheeks.
Animals do different things from day to day, so you may not always see this.
多摩動物公園EXHIBIT INFORMATION
Places that keep or show the Himalayan monal
Zoos, aquariums and other places whose official websites say they keep or show this animal.
Kanto
Displays can change with the animals’ health and the seasons. Check each facility’s official website before you go.
RELATIVES
Others in Phasianidae
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