tragopan

Apr. 8th, 2024 08:10 am
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tragopan (TRAG-uh-pan) - n., any of a handful of species of brilliantly colored Asiatic pheasants (genus Tragopan), the males of which have brilliant plumage, a brightly colored wattle, and two hornlike appendages on the head that inflate during courtship.


tragopan, without his horns
Thanks, WikiMedia!

Yes, another bird, but the name doesn't sound insulting so not part of last week. There are five species, the best-known being the satyr tragopan, shown above. (I'm not quickly finding a good pic of the mating display horns.) The name was adapted by modern ornithologists from Latin tragopān, a fabulous bird of Ethiopia described as larger than an eagle with curved horns like a goat on its temples, its name being coined from Ancient Greek roots trágos, he-goat + Pán, the Greek god, who was usually depicted as having goat horns.

---L.
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