Patanjali Civil Services Academy

Himalayan Monal: Human Noise and Bird Calls [Prelims Bits]

Tags: Prelims Current events of national and international importance

Source: The Indian Express

Himalayan Monal, the state bird of Uttarakhand, is altering its calls in response to human-generated noise from roads, traffic, tourism and pilgrimage.
A study by Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University (HNB Garhwal University) compared monal calls in Madmaheshwar Valley and Chopta Valley of Kedarnath Musk Deer Sanctuary.
Scientific name: Lophophorus impejanus
Family: Phasianidae — same family as pheasants.
Habitat: Himalayan mountains, including Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Sikkim.
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN); not currently endangered.
Ecology: Ground-dwelling landfowl; calls are important for communication, social behaviour and reproduction.
Study finding: Monals in noisier Chopta Valley produced higher-frequency and higher-amplitude calls than those in relatively undisturbed Madmaheshwar Valley.
This reflects acoustic adaptation—animals can modify vocal characteristics in response to environmental noise.
Kedarnath Musk Deer Sanctuary: Located in Uttarakhand and known for musk deer conservation; forms part of the Himalayan ecological landscape.
Anthropogenic noise pollution can interfere with animal communication by masking vocal signals, potentially affecting mating and social interactions.

Q1. Consider the following pairs:

Location/Feature	Association
1. Chopta Valley	Higher-frequency and higher-amplitude Himalayan Monal calls observed in a noisier environment
2. Madmaheshwar Valley	Relatively less disturbed environment used for comparison in the study
3. Kedarnath Musk Deer Sanctuary	Located in Uttarakhand
4. Himalayan Monal	State bird of Himachal Pradesh

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four

Answer: (c)

Explanation:

Pair 1 is Correct: Monals in the noisier Chopta Valley produced calls with higher frequency and amplitude.
Pair 2 is Correct: Madmaheshwar Valley served as the relatively undisturbed comparison site.
Pair 3 is Correct: Kedarnath Musk Deer Sanctuary is located in Uttarakhand and forms part of the Himalayan ecological landscape.
Pair 4 is Incorrect: The Himalayan Monal is the state bird of Uttarakhand, not Himachal Pradesh.