Data Zone
Taxonomic note
C. wallichii (del Hoyo and Collar 2014) was previously listed as C. wallichi. Hybridization in the wild with Lophura leucomelanos has been reported (Rasmussen and Anderton 2005). Monotypic.
Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
| Critically Endangered | Endangered | Vulnerable |
|---|---|---|
| - | - | C1+2a(ii) |
| Year | Category | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Vulnerable | C1+2a(ii) |
| 2016 | Vulnerable | C2a(i) |
| 2013 | Vulnerable | C2a(i) |
| 2012 | Vulnerable | C2a(i) |
| 2008 | Vulnerable | C2a(i) |
| 2004 | Vulnerable | |
| 2000 | Vulnerable | |
| 1996 | Vulnerable | |
| 1994 | Vulnerable | |
| 1988 | Threatened |
| Migratory status | not a migrant | Forest dependency | low |
| Land-mass type |
continent |
Average mass | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) | 259,000 km2 | medium |
| Severely fragmented? | no | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population size | 2500-9999 mature individuals | medium | estimated | 2022 |
| Population trend | decreasing | poor | estimated | 2010-2029 |
| Rate of change over the past 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods) | 10-19% | - | - | - |
| Rate of change over the future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods) | 10-19% | - | - | - |
| Rate of change over the past & future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods) | 10-19% | - | - | - |
| Generation length | 6.44 years | - | - | - |
| Number of subpopulations | 1-50,1 | - | - | - |
| Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation | 100% | - | - | - |
Population justification: Quantifying this species' population size is difficult due to ongoing declines which are thought to have decreased numbers (sometimes considerably) since estimates were made. Previous suggestion that there are only 2000-2,700 mature individuals (Rahmani 2012) may have proven too pessimistic. Although the Nepalese population is estimated at fewer than 1,500 individuals (c. 1,000 mature individuals; C. Inskipp and H. S. Baral in litt. 2012), Awan et al. (2014) found large numbers in Jelum valley Pakistan, potentially equivalent to 2,000-3,000 pairs and there are likely to be c.1,000-3,000 mature individuals in India based on the area of suitable habitat and recorded densities (see Sathyakumar and Kaul 2007, Awan 2013, Awan et al. 2014). It bears mention, however, that the species has declined at least locally since many of these estimates were made. Consequently, the population is estimated to fall in the band 2,500-9,999 mature individuals.
Trend justification: This species appears to be particularly vulnerable to hunting pressure as it has a strong association with human settlements, relying on low-level anthropogenic disturbance to maintain its preferred habitat. Hunting pressure and habitat fragmentation are causing a moderately rapid decline.
Trend data, however, are geographically variable. In Nepal, the population at Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve (a stronghold of the species in Nepal and across its entire range; see Garson and Baral 2006) exhibited a significant decline between 2003 and 2013 (Basnet et al. 2020) from an average of 15.15 individuals counted to 6.00 based on counts from 13 stations. Of particular note was the species' absence from Kandedanda station which, in 2003, was one of those with the highest numbers, and there were marked declines too at Lamathan and Nabithumko stations. These data mirror declines of more than 50% in Kaligandaki between 2004 and 2009 (Subedi 2013), as well as declines documented from Rara National Park between 2005 and 2008 (see Budhathapa 2006, Singh 2009). In Pakistan, Awan et al. (2012, 2014) document the apparent disappearance of the species from Neelum valley, Salkhala Game Reserve, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Margalla National Park. Other populations, especially those in inaccessible terrain free from hunting and snaring pressures, appear to have remained stable in the same time periods (Basnet et al. 2020) while those in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan, may even be slowly increasing (Iftikhar et al. 2017). Combining these data with approximations of population sizes in each region, the global population trend is estimated at c.10-19% over three generations (19.3 years; Bird et al. 2020).
| Country/Territory | Presence | Origin | Resident | Breeding visitor | Non-breeding visitor | Passage migrant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | extant | native | yes | |||
| Nepal | extant | native | yes | |||
| Pakistan | extant | native | yes |
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest | Subtropical/Tropical Swamp | suitable | resident |
| Grassland | Temperate | suitable | resident |
| Shrubland | Temperate | major | resident |
| Altitude | 1445 - 3050 m | Occasional altitudinal limits | (min) 950 m |
| Threat (level 1) | Threat (level 2) | Impact and Stresses | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Agro-industry farming | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Low Impact: 5 | ||||||
|
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| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Small-holder farming | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Medium Impact: 6 | ||||||
|
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| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching - Agro-industry grazing, ranching or farming | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Low Impact: 5 | ||||||
|
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| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching - Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Medium Impact: 6 | ||||||
|
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| Agriculture & aquaculture | Wood & pulp plantations - Scale Unknown/Unrecorded | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Low Impact: 5 | ||||||
|
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| Biological resource use | Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Intentional use (species is the target) | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Medium Impact: 6 | ||||||
|
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| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting - Unintentional effects: (subsistence/small scale) [harvest] | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Medium Impact: 6 | ||||||
|
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| Human intrusions & disturbance | Work & other activities | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Negligible declines | Low Impact: 5 | ||||||
|
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| Natural system modifications | Dams & water management/use - Large dams | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Future | Minority (<50%) | Rapid Declines | Low Impact: 4 | ||||||
|
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| Natural system modifications | Fire & fire suppression - Increase in fire frequency/intensity | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Rapid Declines | Medium Impact: 7 | ||||||
|
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| Purpose | Scale |
|---|---|
| Food - human | subsistence, national |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Cheer Pheasant Catreus wallichii. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/cheer-pheasant-catreus-wallichii on 22/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 22/12/2024.