Cheer Pheasant, with a scientific name "Catreus wallichii", also known as Wallich`s pheasant is a vulnerable species of the pheasant family, Phasianidae. It is the only member in monotypic genus Catreus. The scientific name of Cheer pheasant commemorates the Danish botanist Nathaniel Wallich.

Structure of Cheer Pheasant
Cheer pheasants lack the colour and brilliance of most pheasants, with buffy grey plumage and long grey crests. Its long tail has 18 feathers and the central tail feathers are much longer and the colour is mainly grey and brown. The female is slightly smaller in overall size. Males are monogamous. They breed on steep cliffs during summer with a clutch of 10 to 11 eggs.

Concentration of Cheer pheasant
Cheer pheasant is distributed in the highlands and scrublands of the Himalayas region of India, Nepal, Kashmir and Pakistan. They are found mainly in the west of Nepal, Kumaon Division, Uttarakhand Garhwal, Tehri Garhwal District, Shimla, Bussahir, Kullu District, Himachal Pradesh, Chamba District, Himachal Pradesh till about the Hazara District. Surveys in 1981 and 2003 in the Dhorpatan area of western Nepal established 70 calling sites, suggesting substantial numbers exist in this area (approximately 200 birds). In another survey in 2010, cheer pheasant was detected in 21 calling sites in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh. They are found mainly above 6000 feet altitude and up to 10000 feet in summer.

Cheer pheasant as Threaten Species
Due to ongoing habitat loss, small population size and hunting in some areas, the cheer pheasant is evaluated as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix I of CITES.

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