Chir-a-pir chir-a-pir chir chir-chirwa chirwa and chewewoo. This unmistakable call, loud and sharp, once echoed across the steep valleys of western Himalayas, earning the pheasant its local name, “chir”, and its English name, the “cheer” pheasant. But this call is becoming increasingly faint.
BirdLife International and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classify the cheer pheasant as Vulnerable, a reflection of its small and naturally fragmented populations. Today, the species clings to scattered patches of Himalayan grassland, from northern Pakistan through Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, to central Nepal. It favours steep, rocky hillsides studded with scrub, stunted trees and grassy slopes between 1,200 and 3,350 metres.
The cheer pheasant’s nest is a simple ground scrape, tucked beneath undergrowth or sheltered by rocks. And the bird exhibits high natal philopatry—individuals often return to, or remain near, the area where they were born to breed. The pheasant therefore depends on early successional grasslands created by traditional grass cutting and burning—practices that historically maintained open slopes rich in seeds, roots, berries and insects. But when these practices intensify, they can turn destructive. At the same time, its habitats are being squeezed by human and livestock pressures, hunting and rapidly changing land-use patterns.
Although cheer pheasants are not especially valued as food, their proximity to settlements makes them easy targets. The very grasslands they depend on are often closest to villages, exposing them to hunting and constant disturbance. In some protected areas, the cessation of grass cutting has allowed grasslands to grow into dense forest, making them unsuitable for the species. The pheasants also use regenerating conifer and broadleaf forests, especially where juniper and rhododendron open into grassy patches. But their reliance on disturbed, low-intensity landscapes complicates conservation efforts.