Temminck's Tragopan

Tragopan temmincki

"Donald," my yearling male Temminck's Tragopan

This most beautiful bird is found wild from northeastern Burma and eastern Tibet across a fair amount of China and gets into extreme northwestern Vietnam.

During the breeding display this is one of the most striking of creatures. The blue facial skin expands into two hanging lappets extending down both sides of the breast and marked with bright red patches, and two blue "horns" extend out from the top of the head. The male hides behind a log or rock and when a female approaches he leaps up, showing her his incredible display.

They do best in a grassy aviary of at least 400 square feet. The males attain full adult plumage in their second year. 2-4 eggs are normal and incubation takes 28 days. The birds are mainly vegetarian, prefering fruits and berries.