Details
Chrysolophus pictus
A brilliantly colored pheasant of Chinese mountain forests, with males showing a golden crest, red body, and striped cape.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
Native to central Chinese mountain forests, bamboo, and shrubby slopes, with introduced populations in parts of Europe.
Males have a golden head, red breast, blue and green accents, and a long tail. Females are brown and cryptic.
It forages on the ground and hides in dense cover when alarmed. Males display their bright cape during courtship.
Seeds, shoots, fruit, and insects are eaten while picking through the forest floor.
Females lay eggs in hidden ground nests and incubate alone. Chicks are mobile soon after hatching.
Famous in aviculture, wild birds rely heavily on mountain forests with dense undergrowth.
