#Monal bird skin

They descend down to lower areas in winters after snowfall and become victim to poaching. Himalayan monal stays in the deep forests on the hills and away from humans.

Some folk dancers in Kullu also decorate their cap with a bunch of monal feathers. Monal crest is generally fitted with gold or silver ornaments on the traditional Himachali cap. Meanwhile, western tragopan, another threatened species, replaced Himalayan monal as state bird. The officials now claim that its population was increasing in some parts of the state. To sensitise people and to protect the bird, it was made the state bird. Himachal government imposed a ban on its hunting in 1982. If anybody is found to be in possession of monal crest, he will have to face legal action.” Thousands of Himalayan monal were killed only for its crest and the bird was on the verge of extinction. According to divisional forest officer (wildlife), Rakesh Kumar, the licences were issued many years ago to the people who had their private trophies. I myself swear not to use monal crest in any of my shows now onwards,” he added. If government wants to achieve the target of finishing the tradition of monal crest caps to protect Himalayan monal, all the licences issued in the past should be cancelled. “The fashion of monal crest is on the rise.

Popular Himachali folk artist Inderjeet said the government had issued licences to some people to keep the monal crest, which should be cancelled immediately. The folk artists too have launched a movement against the practice. Female streaky brown with dark blue eye patch. Appears dark from a distance, with bronzed neck and orange-tipped white tail closer looks reveal greenish-blue gloss on the wings.

#Monal bird skin

Male brilliantly colored but oddly vulturine in appearance, with a small peaked head and blue skin around the eye. Be it government employees, politicians or local folk artists, many of them wear caps decorated with monal crest during weddings, festivals or other events. Large terrestrial bird of foothill and montane pine forests with extensive rhododendron ground cover. Posts related to monal hunting for crest are making rounds on WhatsApp. Concerned for dwindling monal population, the youth in Kullu have now taken the war against monal poaching to social media.

Keeping or displaying monal crest can invite legal action under Section 51 of Wildlife (Protection) Act.” Kullu, where donning a monal crest cap is an old tradition, is notorious for monal poaching. Poaching of this colourful bird has decreased over the years, but the use of crest is still in vogue. Conservator of forest and Great Himalayan National Park director, Ajit Thakur, said, “We shall spread social awareness about monal hunting and illegal use of its trophy (crest). The wildlife department will also spread awareness among the people that they should not use the crest, which encourages poaching of the innocent and the most beautiful bird of the state. Taking cognizance of many complaints, Himachal government has decided to take strict actions to put an end to the practice of using monal crest to decorate caps. MANALI: Himalayan monal (lophophorus impejanus), the former state bird of Himachal and national bird of Nepal, has continued to become victim to poaching as despite ban its colourful crest is still available easily and people are using it to decorate their caps without fear.