Endangered cabot's tragopans spotted at national nature reserve in SE China’s Fujian

Two female cabot's tragopans, an endangered pheasant species under first-class state protection in China, were recently spotted at the Tianbaoyan national nature reserve in southeast China's Fujian Province.

File photo shows a male cabot's tragopan at the Tianbaoyan national nature reserve in southeast China's Fujian Province. (Photo/Liao Jinpeng)

The cabot's tragopan, also known as the "yellow-bellied tragopan," is endemic to China. The species inhabits subtropical evergreen forests and other forests with a mix of deciduous and coniferous trees at an altitude of between 800 and 1,400 meters. Male tragopans are more richly colored than the plainer females, according to experts.

It marks the first time that images of female cabot's tragopans have been captured by photographers at the nature reserve since 2018, when male cabot's tragopans were photographed there for the first time.

Experts also preliminarily concluded that the population of cabot's tragopans at the nature reserve is expanding.

Photo shows a female cabot's tragopan at the Tianbaoyan national nature reserve in southeast China's Fujian Province. (Photo/Luo Huaxing)

Photo shows a female cabot's tragopan at the Tianbaoyan national nature reserve in southeast China's Fujian Province. (Photo/Luo Huaxing)

Photo shows a female cabot's tragopan at the Tianbaoyan national nature reserve in southeast China's Fujian Province. (Photo/Liao Jinpeng)