User:ThatOrthodude777/sandbox/Blyth's targopan: Difference between revisions

The bird primarily moves up and down the slopes in search for food. It is, however, uncommon for this species to travel far, due to the change in climate from area to area. This is a result of the mild winters in their [[habitat]], which are tolerable for longer periods of time. For the majority of the species, travel is only necessary in attempting to avoid the drying out of their vegetation. In this case, they may move down mountain sides for more comfortable living conditions and a readier food supply. There is little information or support on how the Blyth's tragopan moves, but it is suggested that they travel together in groups of four to five, much like other species of tragopans.

 

 

Blyth's tragopan starts mating in April and continues well into May. The males advertise themselves with flamboyant displays to attract females.

 

 

Mating display may involve bowing and scraping the ground with their wings slightly raised and their flesh horns fully dilated while projected forward. The more flamboyant and extravagant the male acts, the more likely they are to attract a female. If the female does not respond, the male intensifies this wild behavior to draw more attention to him. The male then proceeds to strut around the female, in an attempt to distract the female. He then continues the movements with his breast pushed forward and his wings extended into the air.

 

 

After a female becomes fertilised, she can lay up to two to five eggs. The incubation period for eggs lasts for about twenty-eight days. After hatching, the offspring has a similar appearance to the female hen. The male tragopans acquire red on their neck during the first spring moult. During the second year of life, full adult plumage is attained in the tragopan.

 

 

While no nests have been found in the wild, the natives of [[Nagaland]] have stated that the nests are never on the ground, but are found in trees, stumps, and small bushes. This record is consistent with the birds' desire to stay at high altitudes. The heights range from six to twenty feet above the ground. Nesting above the ground is advantageous because the seasonal rains are intensified to where flooding can sweep away all the vegetation that is found on the ground. The nests are made of sticks with a lining of smaller vegetation such as grass or weeds.