Kalij Pheasant

The kalij pheasant is found in forests and thickets, especially in the Himalayan foothills, from India, Nepal and Pakistan to western Thailand. Males measure 63–74cm and females 50–60cm. Males vary by subspecies but all have at least partly glossy bluish-black plumage, while females are overall brownish. Both sexes have a bare red face and greyish legs, which separates it from the red-legged silver pheasant (Wikipedia, general species account).

In one group of subspecies the underparts and crest are glossy blue-black but the tail and upperparts are white or very pale grey, densely vermiculated with black. In the westernmost subspecies the crest is white, while in all others it is blue-black (Wikipedia, general species account).