Species Spotlight: Himalayan Monal

Species Spotlight: Himalayan Monal

Alex Levitskiy

This week’s featured species is the Himalayan Monal (Lophophorus impejanus), normally referred to as the Impeyan Pheasant.  It is the time of the year that various pheasants are hatching, including the Impeyan Pheasant at my collection.  The Impeyan Pheasant males sport various metallic colors such as green, purple, red, and blue.  Their rump is white, and their breast and underparts are black.  The tail feathers are copper colored.  To top off the beautiful males is a metallic green crest, resembling that of a peafowl, and bare, blue facial skin.  The displaying males are quite a sight to see!  The Impeyan Pheasant hens, though not as striking as their counterparts, are stunning in their own way.  They are a mottled brown overall, and their entire plumage consists of white and black streaks.  They have a white throat, a small crest, and blue facial skin.  Both sexes have large, curved beaks which these pheasants utilize as they dig for food.  These pheasants are native to the Himalayas, so their beak is an amazing asset when they have to dig through frozen ground.  Since Impeyan Pheasants are native to mountainous regions, they do tolerate the summer heat very well.  Fortunately, they are extremely cold hardy, making them a great pheasant to raise in our climate.  This pheasant is noticeably larger than what most people think of when they picture a pheasant.  They have distinct, shriek screams, but other than that, they are quiet birds.  

In captivity, care should be taken to keep them in a well drained aviary.  They are susceptible to West Nile Virus.  Also keep in mind that these pheasants dig at, and generally destroy, any greenery.  The Impeyan Pheasant is the most common monal kept in captivity, but they are a great choice for any true pheasant lover.

Photo Credit: Alex Levitskiy

Impeyan Pheasant Male

Impeyan Pheasant Hen

Track Attack

Track Attack

Joe Settineri

On Friday June 5th, the Track and Field state qualifier meet took place at Cicero North Syracuse High School’s track facilities. Both the girl’s and the boy’s track teams have excelled this year, with each having a slew of talented individuals. The state qualifier is a place not often reached by Homer athletes, it is the upper echelon of talent in class B Track and Field. This year, Homer had a lot of talent and sent seventeen individuals to compete. Individually, Alsace Lorraine and Mckayla Crawford both competed in running events. Lorraine ran the 100 meter dash, and Crawford completed the 1500 meter. Both had good times, but did not make it to the state meet. The girl’s 4X100,  run by Alsace Lorraine, Kelsey Clark, Lucy Connery, and Allie Kristof, came in eleventh  place. The girl’s 4X400, run by Erin Leach, Erica Stevens, Arielle Moheimani, and Brenna Johnson, came in second place.  

The boy’s 4X100 meter was run by Matt Guerra, Zach King, Mike Morse, and Paul Morse. Their fast time got them 10th place, but unfortunately not to states. The standout event of the night was the boy’s 4X400 relay. Everyone had their eyes on them, they were seemingly the best 4X400 team that Homer had ever had. However, it was not until Josh Thompson, Jayden Gavidia, Marc Harris, and Nick Yarnell won the race that it was confirmed that they broke the school record. With a time of 3:25.32 they now hold the school record for a 400 meter relay mile. Not only that, but they get to move onto the state meet next Friday in Albany. Although the other relay teams and individuals did not make it to states, the entire team was happy that the boy’s 4X400 won division II in their race. Tyler Hatfield, a member of the team, was also pleased with how the team did. “Even though I was out on an injury it made me really proud to see these guys get to states, what they did was really impressive,  Hatfield said, “this is just the kind of thing I wanted to happen my senior year”. The boys will compete in Albany on Friday, June 12th.