Himalayan monal changes its voice and habitat due to human activity
Two studies by Indian researchers show that infrastructure development, tourism and noise are pushing the monal pheasant to higher ground and altering the pitch of its calls.
A sharp rise in human activity is affecting how the monal, a Himalayan pheasant, lives and communicates, according to two studies by Indian researchers. The male, with its green, blue and copper plumage, is the state bird of Uttarakhand in India and the national bird of Nepal.
The studies, carried out by Uttarakhand-based researchers over five years, were led by Dr Rajeev Lochan. He says the monal was chosen because of its narrow habitat range: it moves seasonally between the lower montane zone and high-elevation alpine areas. That makes it a key indicator of ecosystem health in the north-western Himalayas.
Shifting habitat
The first study found that alpine meadows above the tree line, where the birds live, are becoming crowded, forcing them higher up the mountains. Researchers modelled the impact of climate change in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh using the kind of global climate models and emissions scenarios employed by the IPCC. Suitable habitat is projected to keep shrinking and becoming less stable through 2100. Populations could end up in disconnected pockets, reducing breeding between groups and raising the risk of decline or local extinction. The model assumes the bird will need the same climate conditions in the future, which is reasonable but not certain.
A change in voice
The second study examined behaviour in Kedarnath Musk Deer Sanctuary, comparing Chopta, a busy tourist spot, with the quiet Madmaheshwar valley. Over a year from April 2023, researchers recorded more than 700 monal calls. In noisier surroundings, calls had significantly higher peak frequencies, and in Chopta they were also shorter, likely to cut through low-frequency noise from traffic and visitors.
Lochan stresses that this does not indicate a permanent or evolutionary change, but behavioural flexibility. The team regards the work as preliminary and hopes to expand it. The research is not conclusive on ecological consequences, and more study is needed.
Environmental practitioner Vishal Singh said the region's economic development is not aligned with its ecological integrity.
