• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Distribution map
• Reference and further resources

Justification of Red List category
This species is listed as Vulnerable because it has a single small population which is inferred to be in decline because of ongoing habitat degradation and hunting.

Population justification
Using MaxEnt modelling, Wang et al. (2017) predicted that suitable habitats for this species span an area of c. 2,500 km². However, the model did not account directly for habitat degradation caused by, for example, yak farming (instead relying on proxies such as distance to habitation), thus the total area of suitable habitat may be smaller. Accounting for occupancy, the species' distribution is assumed here to cover 1,500-2,500 km². Densities of c. 6 birds/km² were recorded during the National Wildlife Survey of China (1995-2000). Given these counts were made in the non-breeding season, this density is thought to refer to individuals, not mature individuals. The population is therefore estimated here to number 9,000-15,000 individuals, or c. 6,000-10,000 mature individuals.

Trend justification
Overgrazing by wild yak and the collection of its food plants are degrading the species' habitat and leading to disturbance (He et al. 1986, BirdLife International 2001). This, and localised hunting pressure, is inferred to be driving an ongoing decline in the population size, although the likely rate of decline has not been estimated (Wang et al. 2017). In the future, these impacts may be compounded by climate change. Xu et al. (2020) predicted that the species' occupied range will shift to higher latitudes and altitudes under all predicted climate change scenarios tested and in emission scenarios RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5, to suffer a net loss of 22.0% and 32.6% respectively by the 2050s. How these translate into population size reductions should be closely monitored in the future.

Lophophorus lhuysii is endemic to south-west China, where it is recorded from the mountains of west Sichuan, and adjacent parts of east Tibet, south-east Qinghai, south Gansu and possibly north-west Yunnan (BirdLife International 2001).

It inhabits subalpine rhododendron scrub and subalpine and alpine meadows with exposed cliffs and crags above the treeline, but sometimes moves down into subalpine coniferous forest. It has been recorded between 2,800 m and 4,900 m, but is normally found between 3,300 and 4,500 m. Surveys at Baoxing in Sichuan suggests that this species may take several years to reach maturity and may not breed every year.

Its subalpine and alpine meadow habitats have been degraded in some areas by an increase in the grazing of wild yaks. The large-scale collection of Fritillaria spp. (a known food source for this species) and other herbs for Chinese medicine causes local disturbance, and nests are sometimes destroyed by these activities. Illegal hunting is also considered to be a localised threat, and appeared to be the cause of a substantial decline at Baoxing where this species was surveyed in 1983-1986, and again in 1988. During surveys 2010-2015, traps for monals and other Galliformes were found inside and outside nature reserves (Wang et al. 2017). The forests in west Sichuan have been rapidly exploited in recent decades, which has directly affected its subalpine habitats, and logging roads have improved access to alpine habitats for local people.

Conservation Actions Underway
CITES Appendix I since 1975. Since 1989, it is listed as a first-class, nationally-protected species in China. It has been recorded in several nature reserves (area of suitable habitat in parentheses; per Wang et al. 2017): Wolong (585 km²), Miyaluo (181 km²), Heishuihe (146 km²) Siguniangshan (131 km²) and Caopo (128 km²). Captive breeding is made challenging by high disease mortality in captivity, but a small breeding population of c. 20 individuals has been established in San Diego Zoo, in partnership with the Endangered Species Breeding Centre in Beijing (BirdLife International 2001).

Conservation Actions Proposed
Conduct intensive ecological studies focusing on habitat preference and altitudinal migrations. Determine the impacts of human exploitation (including livestock grazing and herb collection) on its subalpine and alpine habitats. Conduct further surveys to assess the adequacy of the existing protected area network, particularly in the west of its range.
Enforce the existing laws on wildlife protection, with particular attention to hunting. Wang et al. (2017) and Xu et al. (2020) suggested revisions should be made to protected area boundaries to accommodate future shifts in the species' distribution in response to climate change, and suggested corridors to facilitate population connectivity. Xu et al. (2020) further suggested the acceleration of captive breeding population to assist colonisation into restored habitat.

75-80 cm. Large, colourful monal with a bushy crest. Male has dazzling, iridescent plumage comprising green head, purplish crest, coppery-golden nape and upper mantle, purplish-green upperparts and tail, whitish lower back, blackish underparts and blue facial skin. Smaller female has less prominent crest, intricately-marked dark greyish and rufous-brown body plumage, streaked pale below, white back and rufous tail, finely barred black. Similar spp. Male Sclater's Monal L. sclateri (in south-west of range) lacks crest, has more extensive white back and white-tipped rufous tail, female has barred underparts, pale (not white) back and a white-tipped tail.

Text account compilers
Berryman, A.

Contributors
Benstead, P., Bird, J., Davidson, P., He, F., Keane, A., Khwaja, N., Lu, X., Rimlinger, D., Taylor, J. & Zhang, Z.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Chinese Monal Lophophorus lhuysii. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/chinese-monal-lophophorus-lhuysii 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.