Jabarkhet
Koklass Pheasant
Pucrasia macrolopha
Yet another of the wonderful pheasants of this region. The male has a dark green head and ear tufts with a brown crest, a body streaked with chestnut and a chestnut tail. The female is very similar but has a white throat, and lacks the large ear tufts and crest.
It tends to be a rather secretive bird. Couple this with its habit of preferring steeply wooded slopes and ravines, and it is pretty hard to see. But if you can catch a glimpse, it is a very smart bird. The trail to Bhataghat or the darker areas of Leopard Trail are good places to keep your eyes open for it.
You are much more likely to hear it as it can be quite noisy. The call (crow) of the male gives rise to the name Koklass as it is an explosive, grating 4-note “kok-kok-kar-kuk”, which can also be extended to 5 notes:
