Chasing angels or fleeing demons, go to the mountains.
-Jeffrey Rasley
This species of pheasant is found at elevations between 8000 to 12000 feet in the Himalayas extending all the way from Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, southern Tibet and Bhutan. This montane species is found on steep grassy slopes of upper temperate oak-conifer forests interspersed with alpine meadows.
Winters are considered a better time for bird photography in the Himalayas. There is very little movement of vehicles through the Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary and birds are mostly undisturbed.
The road between Kedarnath and Badrinath - the two religious places of the Char Dham Yatra, is open to vehicular traffic during the summers which disturbs the birds. Trying for two whole days to get a decent shot of this beautiful bird only on the third day was I lucky enough to get a good shot of the Monal with a foreground of beautiful green grass and wild flowers as opposed to most of the Monal images I have seen against barren trees, snow or dried grass.
Himalayan Monal
(Lophophorus impejanus)
Sony A77II
Tamron 150-600
f/6.3, 1/800s, ISO3200, 400mm
Kedarnath WLS, India
May 2019