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Cheer Pheasant

Catreus wallichii

CHEPH

Resident

Vulnerable (IUCN)

Steep grass and scrub slopes

The reason most people come to Ranikhet. The Cheer Pheasant lives only in a thin band of the western Himalaya, and the grass-and-scrub slopes around Ranikhet hold one of the few dependable populations. It is also the one bird I will not oversell: the dawn call carries a long way, the sighting is often brief, and some mornings give you nothing.

When is the best time to see a Cheer Pheasant near Ranikhet?

At first light. The call carries a long way before dawn, and the best chance of seeing a bird is the first hour after the light comes up, while it is still out on open grass. On the Ranikhet tour we leave at 05:15 on the Cheer morning to be in position before the light. The tours run from October to April, and the Cheer morning is part of every Ranikhet trip.

Where to look

Steep slopes of grass and scattered scrub on the ridges around Ranikhet and Majkhali. I don't publish the exact slopes. The species is sensitive to disturbance, and the birds are easier to protect when fewer people know where to find them. On a trip we drive a short way in the dark, then walk up to a vantage point above the grass and wait.

How to identify one

A large, long-tailed pheasant in muted buff and grey, closely barred with black, with a long grey crest and bare red skin around the eye. Females are slightly smaller and darker. Koklass, the other dawn pheasant here, is streaked, with a dark glossy head and a white neck patch. Kalij is dark and glossy, and is usually seen on the forest road at dusk.

Read about my own first encounter: The Cheer Pheasants of Ranikhet.

See this bird with me

The Cheer morning is on every Ranikhet trip

We look for it on one morning of a three-day trip, and get a second attempt on the four-day version. If the Cheer matters most to you, take the four days.

See the Ranikhet tour

Ask about the Cheer morning

Common questions

Is a Cheer Pheasant sighting guaranteed?

No. It is a wild, shy bird on a big hillside. The dawn call carries a long way, the sighting is often brief, and some mornings give you nothing. Anyone who guarantees it is selling you something. The four-day tour gives you two attempts.

How early do we start on the Cheer morning?

Out at 05:15, a short drive, then a walk up onto the grass slopes to be in position before the light. Koklass on the walk down, the rest of the morning on the Chaubatia stream, and the afternoon off.

Why is the Cheer Pheasant listed as Vulnerable?

It needs a particular habitat of steep grass and scrub, which is patchy across its range, and it is sensitive to disturbance. The IUCN lists it as Vulnerable. Keeping groups small and quiet on the slopes is part of how we watch it.

Can I photograph it?

Sometimes, but plan for record shots. Birds are usually distant, on open grass, in low light. Bring your longest lens and a steady support, and keep still once we are in position.