Context
A study by researchers from Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University (HNBGU) found that Himalayan monals in noisier areas use higher-frequency calls, apparently adjusting their vocal behaviour to human-generated noise from traffic, tourism and pilgrimage activities. The long-term effects on mating and survival are not yet established.
Explanation
- Himalayan Monal (Lophophorus impejanus) is a colourful, ground-dwelling pheasant of the Himalayan region and the State Bird of Uttarakhand.
- It occurs across Himalayan habitats, including Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Sikkim.
- The study compared monals in the relatively quiet Madmaheshwar Valley with the tourist-heavy Chopta Valley, both within the Kedarnath Musk Deer Sanctuary.
- Researchers used passive acoustic monitoring, which records animal sounds without continuous human presence.
- Monals in noisier habitats produced calls with higher peak frequencies, potentially helping reduce auditory masking by low-frequency human noise.
- This illustrates behavioural plasticity, where organisms modify behaviour in response to environmental conditions.
- The Himalayan Monal is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
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