Himalayan Quail
Scientific Name: Ophrysia superciliosa
Belonging to the pheasant family, the Himalayan Quail (Ophrysia superciliosa), is a medium-sized quail. It is one of the rarest birds in the world and is listed in the Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 of India and categorized as Critically Endangered in the IUCN Red List. Some sources believe the quail to be extinct as its last confirmed sighting was way back in 1876. Due to a spate of recent sighting reports, although all of which are unconfirmed, there is hope that an invisible population of the bird may still be alive.
The distinctive features of this small dark quail are its bill and legs, which have been described to be red or yellow. It also has white spots before and after the eye. It has long tail coverts and the tail is longer than most other quails. The male is dark grey with bleak streaks and a white forehead and supercilium. The female is brownish with dark streaks and greyish brown in color.
It was found in coveys of five to ten. The birds are believed to fly only when encountered at very close quarters. Once disturbed, they regroup by keeping in contact with each other with shrill whistles. The preferred habitat is steep hillsides covered by long grass.
This species has been reported with certainty from two locations, both of which are in western Himalayas in the north-western state of Uttarakhand in India. Most of the recent reports from India were from the Kumaon region, near Nainital, again in Uttarakhand. But these could be misidentifications, as the habitat type in the region is not the one it prefers. Some experts believe as the area is under severe human pressure and its habitat severely degraded, it is unlikely that the bird can exist in the area It is however possible that a small population of the quail still exists in Western Nepal due the presence of suitable habitat and low human pressure.
There is a need for a detailed scientific survey of the Gharwal and Kumaon hills in India and potential sites in Nepal to confirm the presence of this rare quail and initiate appropriate conservation measures to protect the same.
WWF-India is working to prevent the degradation of the habitats preferred by the Himalayan Quail through its Terai Arc Landscape programme as well as the trans-border Living Himalayas Initiative (India-Nepal-Bhutan).
References:
Belonging to the pheasant family, the Himalayan Quail (Ophrysia superciliosa), is a medium-sized quail. It is one of the rarest birds in the world and is listed in the Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 of India and categorized as Critically Endangered in the IUCN Red List. Some sources believe the quail to be extinct as its last confirmed sighting was way back in 1876. Due to a spate of recent sighting reports, although all of which are unconfirmed, there is hope that an invisible population of the bird may still be alive.
The distinctive features of this small dark quail are its bill and legs, which have been described to be red or yellow. It also has white spots before and after the eye. It has long tail coverts and the tail is longer than most other quails. The male is dark grey with bleak streaks and a white forehead and supercilium. The female is brownish with dark streaks and greyish brown in color.
It was found in coveys of five to ten. The birds are believed to fly only when encountered at very close quarters. Once disturbed, they regroup by keeping in contact with each other with shrill whistles. The preferred habitat is steep hillsides covered by long grass.
This species has been reported with certainty from two locations, both of which are in western Himalayas in the north-western state of Uttarakhand in India. Most of the recent reports from India were from the Kumaon region, near Nainital, again in Uttarakhand. But these could be misidentifications, as the habitat type in the region is not the one it prefers. Some experts believe as the area is under severe human pressure and its habitat severely degraded, it is unlikely that the bird can exist in the area It is however possible that a small population of the quail still exists in Western Nepal due the presence of suitable habitat and low human pressure.
There is a need for a detailed scientific survey of the Gharwal and Kumaon hills in India and potential sites in Nepal to confirm the presence of this rare quail and initiate appropriate conservation measures to protect the same.
WWF-India is working to prevent the degradation of the habitats preferred by the Himalayan Quail through its Terai Arc Landscape programme as well as the trans-border Living Himalayas Initiative (India-Nepal-Bhutan).
References:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Himalayan_Quail
- BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Ophrysia superciliosa. (http://www.birdlife.org)
- In Quest of The Himalayan Quail, WWF-India, New Delhi, 1998
Himalayan Quail