Western tragopan  (Tragopan melanocephalus)

Description

The darkest of all tragopans (4), males of this species are mostly greyish-black, ornately spotted with round, black-bordered white dots (5), and possess a conspicuous red collar, upper breast, and facial skin (2). Like other tragopans, males also boast a short crest along their crown, two brightly-coloured fleshy horns that become erect during courtship, and a brilliantly coloured bib-like lappet that hangs from the throat. The vivid blue lappet has purplish-blue markings down the centre, and pinkish-red patches at the margins, with pale blue indentations, and is expanded and exposed during courtship display. Females are more brownish grey, both above and below, and lack the colourful adornments of the male (5).

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