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The Golden Pheasant or Chinese Pheasant,(Chrysolophus pictus) is a gamebird of the order Galliformes (gallinaceous birds) and the family Phasianidae. It is native to forests in moun-tainous areas of western China. The Golden Pheasant is commonly found in zoos and aviaries. It is claimed that these were the first species of pheasant brought to North America and that George Washington owned some. Most of the birds found within common collections have some hybrid ancestry. Many of the color mutations of this breed in existence today are believed to originate from crosses between amhearst and goldens. |
Description: The adult male is about 40 inches (~100 cm) in length, with his tail accounting for two-thirds of the total length.
This is an unmistakable pheasant, with a golden-yellow crest with a hint of red at the tip, a golden rump and bright red body. The deep orange "cape" can be spread in display, appearing as an alternating black and orange fan that covers all of the face except its bright yellow eye,with a pinpoint black pupil. The face, throat, chin, and the sides of neck are rusty tan. The wattles and orbital skin are both yellow in colour, and the ruff or cape is light orange. The upper back is green and the rest of the back and rump are golden-yellow in color. The tertiaries are blue whereas the scapulars (shoulder feathers) are dark red. Another characteristic of the male plumage is the central tail feathers which are black spotted with cinnamon as well as the tip of the tail being a cinnamon buff. The upper tail coverts are the same colour as the central tail feathers. Males also have a scarlet breast, and scarlet and light chestnut flanks and underparts. The female (hen) is much less showy, with a duller mottled brown plumage similar to that of the female Common Pheasant. She is darker and more slender than the hen of that species, with a proportionately longer tail (half her 60-80 cm length). The female's breast and sides are barred buff and blackish brown, and the abdomen is plain buff. She has a buff face and throat. Both males and females have yellow legs and yellow bills. |
Habitat: Despite the male's flashy appearance, these hardy birds are very difficult to see in their natural habitat, which is dense, dark young conifer forests with sparse undergrowth. Consequently, little is known of their behavior in the wild. They feed on the ground on grain, leaves and invertebrates (= animals without internal skeleton, such as insects, larvae, earthworms, millipedes, snails, spiders), but roost in trees at night. Whilst they can fly, they prefer to run: but if startled they can suddenly burst upwards at great speed, with a distinctive wing sound. Although they can fly in short bursts they are quite clumsy in flight and spend most of their time on the ground. |
Breeding the Golden Pheasant: The Golden pheasant is one of the best known and easiest pheasants to keep and breed in backyard aviaries. Some can become quite confiding, taking treats right from their caretaker's hand. These strikingly beautiful and hardy pheasants breed readily and are, therefore, a great choice for beginners. These are small pheasants and do not require a very large aviary. They are winter hardy and able to withstand cold temperatures with little shelter. Since they are forest birds by nature, you will need to provide plenty of shade for them during the hot summer months. Often Golden Pheasants are fed on mixed grains and greens. Many people also offer diets formulated for game birds as a nutritional basis. These pheasants are extremely compatible with other types of birds. |