Western Tragopan stronghold — one of last viable wild populations.
Most birders chase Himalayan monal at Eaglenest or Manali — almost nobody knows GHNP's upper Tirthan and Sainj valleys are the last known intact breeding habitat of the Western Tragopan, one of the world's most endangered pheasants (IUCN Vulnerable, estimated <5,000 individuals globally).WHY NOBODY KNOWS
The Western Tragopan (Tragopan melanocephalus) is endemic to the Western Himalaya — Himachal Pradesh holds roughly 50% of the global population, and GHNP has the largest intact stronghold. Apr-May is the peak calling season (males "kraa-kraa" call carries 1km in dawn fog). Cheer Pheasant (Catreus wallichii) — also globally threatened — occurs in the 1,800-2,400m grassland fringes near Rolla. The GHNP Conservation Programme (1994-1999, Wildlife Institute of India led) was the first community-based ecotourism model in Himalayan India; many present-day Tirthan homestays trace back to that programme's training cohorts.
