The Cheer Pheasant Catreus wallichii, categorised as Vulnerable (BirdLife International 2019a), inhabits the Himalaya biogeographic region; its range covers the west Himalaya from north-east Pakistan to west-central Nepal. The species is most frequently found on steep, rocky terrain between 1,445 and 3,050 m (Johnsguard 1986, BirdLife International 2001), occasionally as low as 950 m (Bisht et al. 2005), and apparently as low as 600 m in Pakistan (Roberts 1991). It favours open forest and scrub, and is strongly associated with successional grasslands, resulting in a naturally fragmented population (BirdLife International 2001). Historically the distribution of the species in Pakistan extended to the mountains of Kahaber Pakhtoon Khawa and Azad Kashmir (BirdLife International 2001) and was recorded at Qazinag on the borders of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (Baker 1921–1930), in Kishtwar and the hills of the Jhelum valley (Ward 1926, Osmaston 1927), and Neelum valley (Roberts 1991), including Salkhala Game Reserve (Mirza 1978). Mirza et al.(1978) reported that the species was threatened with extinction from Pakistan, although small subpopulations, which in some cases were considered on the brink of local extirpation (Chaudhry 1993), have since been documented across its range (Young et al. 1987, Burt 1988, Roberts 1991). However, more hopefully recent surveys have rediscovered several populations (Awan et al. 2004, Dar 2006, Khan et al. 2006, Awan 2011, 2013, Awan & Lee 2013, Awan et al. 2014).

Based on a report of one calling bird in 1977, Mirza (1978) reported that Machiara National Park was a potential site for the species; in January 1983 a single bird was located by Kamal Islam in the upper Machiara valley (Roberts 1991). In addition, Khawaja Younus, an 80-year old local resident in Machiara village, confirmed the presence of a significant number of Cheer Pheasants in Machiara in the 1960s. But his observations unfortunately remained unreported until after 1983, with no subsequent systematic surveys to independently