Types of Pheasants

Pheasants are a diverse and bewitching group of birds that are found throughout the world. They are known for their striking and colourful plumage, and many species are highly prized by hunters and bird watchers alike. Pheasants are ground-dwelling birds that typically inhabit wooded areas, grasslands and agricultural landscapes. Pheasants are also known for their distinctive courtship displays, which involve the males displaying their colourful feathers and making vocalisations to attract females. Here are some of the most well-known different types of pheasants:

Common Pheasant (Phasianus Colchicus) - This is the most widespread species of pheasant and is native to Asia. It has been introduced to many other parts of the world, including Europe, North America and New Zealand, for hunting and as ornamental birds. The males have bright and colourful plumage, while the females are brown and less distinctive.

Green Pheasant (Phasianus Versicolor) - This species is native to Japan and is also known as the Japanese Pheasant. The male has green and copper plumage and occasionally bottle-green underparts, a purplish neck and head with red facial skin, while the female is completely brown with spotted and scalloped patterns. It inhabits wooded areas and feeds on seeds, insects and small animals.

Lady Amherst's Pheasant (Chrysolophus Amherstiae) - This species is native to the mountains of southwestern China and Myanmar, but has been introduced to other parts of the world, including the UK. Lady Amherst's Pheasant has distinctive plumage with a green and blue head, white neck and a bright orange body.

Golden Pheasant (Chrysolophus Pictus) - This is a colourful and striking species that is native to China but has been introduced to other parts of the world, including the UK. The males have a bright golden-yellow crest and a red body while the female differs from Common Pheasant with strongly barred plumage, soft pinkish legs and feet, and from Lady Amherst’s Pheasant with lighter barring, orange colouration, and the lack of a bare patch of grey skin behind the eye.

Himalayan Monal (Lophophorus Impedance) - The Himalayan Monal is one of the most breathtaking pheasants from the Himalayas. Himalayan Monals are the national bird of Nepal and the state bird of Uttarakhand. The males have dazzling iridescent plumage and attractive metallic hues, while the females have a soft blue eye patch, white throat and a streaky brown body. Himalayan Monals are some of the most visually pleasing Pheasant species.

Koklass Pheasant (Pucrasia Macrosomia) - A medium-sized pheasant known as the Koklass can be found in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand in India. It can be found in places with oak deodar trees, but it prefers the dense undergrowth of fir and spruce woods. The unique Koklass Pheasant has a black body, a white tail and a blue-grey head. It breeds in several regions of India from April to June. In this race, it appears that the majority of birds lay their eggs from mid-May until roughly the end of June. In coniferous forests, the majority of nests are built beneath substantial shrubs - typically evergreens, on the sides of hills.

Vietnamese Crested Argus (Rheinardia Ocellata) - The Vietnamese Crested Argus is a huge, brown resident of damp woodlands that is elusive and secretive. The majority of sightings occur at dancing grounds, where males have cleared a sizable area of the forest floor of leaf litter. The male can be identified by his enormous tail that is longer than his body and his exquisite white line that curves downward from above his eye. Although the female is much smaller and has a shorter tail, the bare, bluish skin on her face, long, slender neck, and turkey-like appearance are distinctive features throughout the range of the species.

These were the different breeds of pheasants. Pheasant birds are a fascinating and diverse group that have captured the imagination of people around the world. If you are fascinated by pheasants, then we suggest you visit Bird Park - EsselWorld to observe these beautiful species in all their glory!