As Munmun Dhalaria watched from a bird blind, this male jujurana stood on “a boulder in front of me to continually sound his territorial call.” She suspected he was proclaiming his turf to other calling males in the area. But Dhalaria saw another cause for the call when she emerged from the blind: A female jujurana was hiding next to it.
Known locally as jujurana—which translates to king of birds—this adult male western tragopan is part of the captive breeding program at the Sarahan Pheasantry, a facility in Himachal Pradesh that’s supported by forest, wildlife, and zoo agencies. At press time 18 male and 19 female jujuranas were in the breeding program.
An adult male western tragopan shows a territorial display during breeding season in May 2018. Two aspects of his breeding finery are visible: the lappet, an elaborate multicolored wattle that extends from his throat down his chest, and just the tip of one of two light blue horns that pop up from his feathered head during courtship.
