Tragopan blythii

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	GALLIFORMES	PHASIANIDAE

Scientific Name:

Tragopan blythii

Species Authority:

(Jerdon, 1870)

Common Name/s:

English	–	Blyth's Tragopan, Grey-bellied Tragopan
Spanish	–	Tragopán de Blyth, Tragopán Oriental

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Vulnerable C2a(i) ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2008

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Garson, P., Butchart, S., Bird, J., McGowan, P.

Contributor/s:

St Jalme, M., Pack-Blumenau, A., Choudhury, A., Zaw, U., Eames, J., Ghose, D., Kumar, S., Lianxian, H.

Justification:
This species qualifies as Vulnerable because its total population is believed to be small, declining and scattered in small subpopulations within a severely fragmented range. Widespread high levels of hunting and continuing habitat destruction will inevitably exacerbate this situation.

History:

2004	–	Vulnerable
2000	–	Vulnerable
1996	–	Vulnerable
1994	–	Vulnerable

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Tragopan blythii occurs from Bhutan through Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur in north-east India, north Myanmar, and south-east Tibet and north-west Yunnan, China. Recent information suggests it is locally distributed in Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh, and uncommon or rare in the Chin Hills/Mt Victoria region of west Myanmar⁶, where although it may have declined good evidence is lacking³. It is also locally uncommon on Mt Majed and Mt Emawbon of eastern Kachin State, Myanmar⁶. Call counts detected 14 pairs in the 50 km² Blue Mountain National Park, Mizoram.
Countries:	Native: Bhutan; China; India; Myanmar
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Population estimate = 2.4 individuals x 4,200 km2 (10% EOO) = 10,080 but Gaston extrapolated an estimate of 400 in Nagaland (Zeliang 1980) to give a global estimate of "at most, a few thousand", suggesting that a band of 2,500-10,000 is most appropriate (population density from mean of two estimates for this species: 0.56 and 4.3 birds/km2 (BirdLife International 2001)
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It inhabits subtropical and temperate, evergreen oak and rhododendron forests, generally preferring a dense understorey, often dominated by bamboos or ferns, in steep or rocky terrain. Its documented altitudinal range is from 1,400 m (winter) up to 3,300 m (summer), but the majority of records come from a rather narrower band (1,800-2,400 m).
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	In north-east India, deforestation is a significant threat, primarily as a result of shifting cultivation. Together with fuelwood-collection and commercial timber extraction, this is rapidly fragmenting suitable habitat, even within protected areas, where enforcement of regulations is often absent or impossible. Hunting for food is the other major threat, particularly in Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh, where large-scale snaring of pheasants and partridges by local people is an increasing problem. Little data on the exploitation of this species is available from Myanmar, making it difficult to assess the severity of the threat there³. Even in Bhutan, high levels of grazing and slash-and-burn agriculture are potentially significant problems.

Major Threat(s):

In north-east India, deforestation is a significant threat, primarily as a result of shifting cultivation. Together with fuelwood-collection and commercial timber extraction, this is rapidly fragmenting suitable habitat, even within protected areas, where enforcement of regulations is often absent or impossible. Hunting for food is the other major threat, particularly in Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh, where large-scale snaring of pheasants and partridges by local people is an increasing problem. Little data on the exploitation of this species is available from Myanmar, making it difficult to assess the severity of the threat there³. Even in Bhutan, high levels of grazing and slash-and-burn agriculture are potentially significant problems.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Conservation Actions Underway CITES Appendix I. The species is legally protected in all countries. It occurs in several protected areas, including: two small wildlife sanctuaries and a community reserve in Nagaland²; the Blue Mountain National Park in Mizoram; Mouling National Park², Sessa Orchid Sanctuary¹, Eaglenest Mehao and Dibang Wildlife Sanctuaries in Arunachal Pradesh; Thrumsing La National Park, Bhutan; Gaoligongshan National Park in China⁴; and Natma Taung National Park, Myanmar. Surveys for the species have been conducted in many areas in north-east India. An international studbook exists documenting the captive population held at locations in North America and Europe; however, recent analysis found the captive population is declining, ageing and highly inbred and requires new founders if it is not to be lost as a conservation resource for the species⁵. Conservation Actions Proposed Design and implement monitoring projects in Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram. Initiate a conservation awareness programme with communities in range areas, focusing on the effects of over-exploitation. Continue (or initiate) surveys to establish its distribution, status and habitat requirements in Myanmar, Arunachal Pradesh, Bhutan, Yunnan and south-east Tibet. Review the adequacy of the current protected areas system, to evaluate whether new areas in Myanmar, north-east India and south-east Tibet could be feasibly and usefully protected. Promote the careful management of existing captive populations and introduce new founders.

Conservation Actions:

Conservation Actions Underway
CITES Appendix I. The species is legally protected in all countries. It occurs in several protected areas, including: two small wildlife sanctuaries and a community reserve in Nagaland²; the Blue Mountain National Park in Mizoram; Mouling National Park², Sessa Orchid Sanctuary¹, Eaglenest Mehao and Dibang Wildlife Sanctuaries in Arunachal Pradesh; Thrumsing La National Park, Bhutan; Gaoligongshan National Park in China⁴; and Natma Taung National Park, Myanmar. Surveys for the species have been conducted in many areas in north-east India. An international studbook exists documenting the captive population held at locations in North America and Europe; however, recent analysis found the captive population is declining, ageing and highly inbred and requires new founders if it is not to be lost as a conservation resource for the species⁵.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Design and implement monitoring projects in Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram. Initiate a conservation awareness programme with communities in range areas, focusing on the effects of over-exploitation. Continue (or initiate) surveys to establish its distribution, status and habitat requirements in Myanmar, Arunachal Pradesh, Bhutan, Yunnan and south-east Tibet. Review the adequacy of the current protected areas system, to evaluate whether new areas in Myanmar, north-east India and south-east Tibet could be feasibly and usefully protected. Promote the careful management of existing captive populations and introduce new founders.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2008. Tragopan blythii. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 09 February 2012.
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