- Lophura nycthemera
Identification
Male 120–125 cm (47¼-49¼ in); female 70–71 cm (28½-28 in)
Male
- Long black crest
- Red facial wattles
- Black chin and throat
- Glossy blueish-black underparts
- White upperparts with black lines
- Long tail with white central feathers
- Grey bill
- Red feet
First year males: brown with light grey streaks. They may show numerous black chest markings.
Females are drab, olive brown overall. With much smaller and paler face wattles.
Distribution
South-western China, eastern Burma, southern Vietnam, southwestern Cambodia, southeastern Thailand, northern Laos and the island of Hainan. Introduced to Vancouver Island, Canada.
Taxonomy
The described form Imperial Pheasant has shown to be a hybrid of this species with Edwards's Pheasant and in one case with Vietnamese Pheasant.
Subspecies
Clements[1] recognises 15 subspecies, but separation of some of these may not be justified (Taxonomy Forum thread)
- L. n. occidentalis: South-central China (north-western Yunnan) and north-eastern Myanmar
- L. n. rufipes: Highlands of northern Myanmar (Northern Shan States)
- L. n. ripponi: Highlands of northern Myanmar (Southern Shan States)
- L. n. jonesi: Myanmar to south-western China (south-westerb Yunnan) and central Thailand
- L. n. omeiensis: South-central China (southern Sichuan)
- L. n. rongjiangensis: South-central China (south-eastern Guizhou)
- L. n. beaulieui : South-central China (south-eastern Yunnan) to northern Laos and northern Vietnam
- L. n. nycthemera: South China (Guangdong and Guangxi) to northern Vietnam
- L. n. whiteheadi: Hainan (southern China)
- L. n. fokiensis: South east China (north-western Fujian and (?) Zhejiang
- L. n. berliozi: Central Vietnam (western slope of Annamitic Mountains)
- L. n. beli : Central Vietnam (eastern slope of Annamitic Mountains)
- L. n. engelbachi: South Laos (Bolavens Plateau)
- L. n. lewisi: Mountains of south-western Cambodia and south-eastern Thailand
- L. n. annamensis: Montane forests of southern Vietnam
Habitat
Various primary and secondary, broad-leaf and pine forests.
Behaviour
The clutch consists of 6 to 15 eggs which are incubated for 26-27 days.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved Feb 2018)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Silver Pheasant. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 28 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Silver_Pheasant
