Temminck's Tragopan

Temminck’s Tragopans in the wild range across the eastern Himalayan mountains.  They are found in the countries of India , China , Bhutan , Myanmar , and Vietnam .  They move up and down the slopes as the seasons change.  Winters are spent at lower elevations and as spring and summer approach, they move back up the mountains.  They spend most of their days foraging for flowers, leaves, grasses, ferns, mosses, berries, seeds, and insects.

 We keep ours in pairs and they are feed a gamebird breeder pellet along with some scratch grains, and a little pelleted, dog food.  They will become quite tame and eat unsalted peanuts from my hand as a treat.  The nesting season starts in May and a clutch of 2 to 3 eggs is laid in a secluded corner of their building or behind an angled board.  Some people provide elevated nesting boxes such as a milk crate.  Incubation takes 26 to 28 days and is normally done by the hen.  We have had a male to set on a nest before.  The chicks are fed a gamebird or chicken starter feed.  The chicks are quite wild at first and a brooder with small wire and a secure top is recommended.  Once the chicks get a few months old, they seem to calm down and become friendly like the adults.  At about 3 months of age, the chicks are switched to a pelleted, game bird or chicken grower feed.  At this age, the males will start to show more red coloration on their bodies and their heads will start to darken like the adults.

 Temminck’s Tragopans are hardy birds and don’t require a heated area for the cold winter months.  We have found them to be an easy bird to raise and the coloration of the adult males is just gorgeous.  Hand feeding them peanuts can make them quite tame and they will look forward to your daily visit with the treats.

Yearling chicks

Newly hatched chicks

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