Wildlifeof Nepal
Cheer Pheasant
Pheasants, Partridges & Quails
Photo: (c) Viral joshi, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY
Catreus wallichii
Basic stats
Habitat
Highlands and scrub; breeds on steep cliffs in summer
Range
Himalayas of Nepal (mainly west), India and Pakistan
Clutch size
10–11 eggs
The cheer pheasant is the only member of its genus. It has buffy grey plumage and long grey crests, a contrast with the brilliant colours of other pheasants, and a long tail of 18 feathers with much longer central feathers. The female is slightly smaller with darker plumage and a white collar limited to the chin and throat (Wikipedia, general species account).
It is distributed in the highlands and scrublands of the Himalayas of India, Nepal and Pakistan, mainly in western Nepal. Surveys in 1981 and 2003 in the Dhorpatan area of western Nepal established 70 calling sites, suggesting about 200 birds there. It breeds on steep cliffs in summer with a clutch of 10 to 11 eggs.
Quick answers
- What habitat does the Cheer Pheasant live in?
- Highlands and scrub; breeds on steep cliffs in summer
- Where is the Cheer Pheasant found?
- Himalayas of Nepal (mainly west), India and Pakistan
- How many eggs does the Cheer Pheasant lay?
- 10–11 eggs