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659 Featured Specimen
Golden pheasant

Details

Golden pheasant

Chrysolophus pictus

Size
0.6–1.1 m · 550–710 g
Diet
Omnivore
Activity
Diurnal
Sociality
Solitary
Lifespan

A brilliantly colored pheasant of Chinese mountain forests, with males showing a golden crest, red body, and striped cape.

Range

Habitat range map
Native range Occasional / Transient
PalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayan

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Details

Habitat

Native to central Chinese mountain forests, bamboo, and shrubby slopes, with introduced populations in parts of Europe.

Appearance

Males have a golden head, red breast, blue and green accents, and a long tail. Females are brown and cryptic.

Behavior

It forages on the ground and hides in dense cover when alarmed. Males display their bright cape during courtship.

Feeding

Seeds, shoots, fruit, and insects are eaten while picking through the forest floor.

Reproduction

Females lay eggs in hidden ground nests and incubate alone. Chicks are mobile soon after hatching.

Notes

Famous in aviculture, wild birds rely heavily on mountain forests with dense undergrowth.