The pheasant subfamily, which includes the species Common Pheasant, is quite numerous. It has not only many genera, but also many subspecies. Because they belong to different genera, many varieties of pheasants do not interbreed. But when they say "pheasant" they usually mean the Asian species.
Asian view
Another name for this species is Caucasian pheasant. It was domesticated in the Asian part of the mainland, although today it is widely distributed in the wild. The bird received its name from the city of Phasis, located in Colchis (eastern coast of the Black Sea). From this settlement, according to legend, the Argonauts brought these birds to the European part of the mainland. But, given the number of subspecies of the Common Pheasant, it has spread on its own. But this species was introduced to other continents by humans.
In total, this species has 32 subspecies.It is not clear whether they can be called breeds, since they developed without human intervention, but when bred in a household, these subspecies are usually simply called breeds.
The most common breeds of Common pheasant found in Russia are Caucasian, Manchurian and Romanian.
For this reason, the description of a hunting pheasant will vary depending on the subspecies. But often only an ornithologist can understand all the subtleties of plumage color. As an example, a photo of two varieties of the Common Pheasant: Phasianus colchicus principalis (Murgab), living in the Aral-Caspian Lowland area; below Southern Caucasus Pheasant (South Caucasian).
Females of hunting pheasants of any subspecies are gray, inconspicuous birds. It is very difficult to distinguish a pheasant of one subspecies from a female of another.
But in other cases, the color of different subspecies is very different from the typical North Caucasian one.
The most suitable breed for home breeding is the Common Pheasant. They have a calmer disposition, as they have been bred in captivity for a long time. In addition, this is the largest and most early ripening, and, therefore, the most economically profitable species. Sexual maturity in “Asians” occurs already at the age of one year, while other species mature only by 2 years. Not all subspecies of Hunting Pheasant look alike. To an inexperienced person it may even seem like they are different species.Unscrupulous sellers take advantage of this point, passing off various subspecies of Hunting pheasants as separate breeds of pheasants, and even photos with descriptions are of little help in this case, since the subspecies easily interbreed with each other.
On the personal farmsteads of pheasant breeders, two subspecies are most common: Caucasian and Romanian. The Romanian pheasant is so different in appearance from other subspecies that beginners usually do not believe in the subspecies, considering it a breed. But pheasants, like peacocks, although bred in captivity, are not domesticated. Moreover, the “Hunting” and Romanian subspecies are often bred in order to release them in the fall to “free range” and give hunters the opportunity to “hunt”.
The most common conventional “breeds” of pheasants on farms can be viewed with photographs and names. The only inconvenience in keeping these birds is that they cannot be allowed to roam freely, like chickens. Most likely they won't come back.
"Domesticated"
The two most common and often mixed subspecies are Caucasian and Romanian. Although, if you compare a photograph of a Caucasian “breed” pheasant with a Romanian one, then, at first glance, there is nothing in common between them.
Caucasian subspecies
The photo of pheasants is a heterosexual pair of birds. The male is a bright bird with variegated plumage in red-brown tones. The head is covered with black feathers with a strong purple tint. A thin white “collar” separates the black plumage from the red-brown. On the head of a sexually mature male there are areas of red bare skin. During the mating season, the “cheeks” begin to hang even below the head.
In addition, a sexually mature male has tufts of feathers growing on top of his head, resembling horns sticking out back. These “horns” are not suitable for the role of “ears” similar to those of the genus of Eared Pheasants. They do not differ in color from the main plumage of the head and the direction of feather growth is somewhat different.
The color of females is the color of dried grass. This is ideal camouflage in the summer-burning Asian steppes, since only the female incubates the eggs.
Body length with tail up to 85 cm. Weight up to 2 kg. Females are smaller than males.
Romanian
The description of a purebred Romanian pheasant is quite simple: the male has a solid black color with a strong emerald tint. Females are significantly darker than the Caucasian subspecies. The plumage of Romanian pheasants is dark bronze.
The origin of the Romanian subspecies is not known with certainty. It is believed that this is a hybrid of the Caucasian subspecies and the Japanese emerald pheasant. Ornithologists have no consensus regarding the Japanese bird. Some consider it a subspecies of the Asian one, others believe that it is a superspecies common with the Asian one. The latter opinion is based on the fact that hybrids of the Copper Pheasant and the Japanese Emerald Pheasant are sometimes found. The photo below shows that the Japanese also has little in common with the purebred Romanian. Perhaps Romanian is a spontaneous mutation of the Caucasian subspecies.
Romanian ones easily cross with the more common Caucasian ones, introducing additional confusion into the systematization of “breeds” by pheasant breeders. When hybridizing between these two subspecies, the resulting birds are intermediate in color between Romanian and Caucasian, as in the photo below.
The purity of a Romanian can be determined even in a chicken. Caucasian chickens are motley, Romanian chickens are black with white breasts.If you compare the pheasant chicken of the Romanian “breed” in the photo with the Caucasian one, the difference is obvious.
This difference persists until juvenile molting. White spots in “Romanian” chickens can be of any size, but in adult birds the color is uniform.
The size and productivity of the "Romanians" are the same as those of the Caucasians. Therefore, from the point of view of productive breeding, there is no difference between them. The same situation applies to other “breeds” of the Asian species.
Manchurian
As can be seen in the photo, the Manchurian subspecies of the Common pheasant is lighter and has almost no “redness” in the plumage. The back has gray plumage and the belly has orange feathers. The body is motley beige. You still have to look for the female Manchurian even in the photo.
Its plumage blends completely with the withered grass. The color of the Manchurian pheasant is quite light.
In the video, purebred Romanian and Hunting pheasants:
White
This is the only option that, with some stretch, can be called a breed. But in reality it is a mutation. In nature, white individuals usually die, but a person can afford to fix a similar color. If there is no pair for a white pheasant, you can use a regular colored Hunting specimen.
These are the main “breeds” that are usually bred in private backyards for meat and eggs. If desired, you can have others. Man is an omnivorous creature and any bird will suit him as food. Therefore, theoretically, not only subspecies of the Common pheasant, but also more exotic and colorful species can be bred for meat.
Decorative
Several genera of these birds fall into the category of decorative birds, one of which, strictly speaking, is not even a pheasant. In addition to Okhotnichy, representatives of other pheasant genera are also found in the enclosures of Russian pheasant breeders:
- Collared;
- Eared;
- Bandtails;
- Lofurs.
All these birds from the pheasant family, photos and descriptions of which are presented below, can theoretically be bred for meat. In practice, the cost of these pheasants and the timing of their growth, as well as difficulties in breeding, make these species completely “inedible”. Few people would raise their hand to put a very expensive bird into the soup.
Collar
This genus received its name for the plumage on the neck, reminiscent of a luxurious medieval collar. The genus includes only two species, and both are found in the enclosures of amateur pheasant breeders.
Gold
The Golden or Golden Pheasant is a native of western China. It belongs to the Vorotnichkov family and does not cross with Hunting breeds of pheasants. They tried to acclimatize it in Europe, but the birds mostly died in winter from the cold. Small semi-wild populations exist in Great Britain and Central Europe. But it is very difficult to see these cautious birds in natural conditions. Therefore, most people have to admire the Golden Pheasant in a photo or in a zoo.
In China, this species is bred in captivity for its beautiful feathers, and wild representatives of the species are also hunted. Although the total size of the Chinese population is unknown, this species is not in danger of extinction. Today, the wild population of these birds lives in the southern part of the Transbaikal region of the Russian Federation and in Eastern Mongolia. In Great Britain the population numbers no more than 1,000 pairs.
The females, like all representatives of this family, are very modest.
Photo of a pair of birds of the Golden Pheasant species.
The meat of the Golden Pheasant is also edible, but compared to the Game Pheasant, it is a very small bird. Raising Goldens for meat in Europe makes no sense. Many fanciers keep them as ornamental birds.
Thanks to the work of amateurs, color variations of the Golden Pheasant have also been developed. Specifically, Golden Yellow.
Diamond
Another representative of the Vorotnichkov family, the Diamond Pheasant, also comes from China. At home, he lives in bamboo forests, preferring mountain slopes. It was exported to the UK, where it prefers to settle in coniferous forests with trees no more than 30 years old.
The bird is very secretive and prefers to hide under the lower branches of fir trees. The modestly colored female Diamond Pheasant is difficult to see among the vegetation even in the photo. Even though the photographer placed her in the center of the frame.
Compared to the brightly colored males, pheasants present a striking contrast.
The diamond pheasant also does not interbreed with other species of these birds. It is bred as an ornamental bird. This species is not of interest for productive breeding. There are very few of them in Russia, but there are lovers who keep them to decorate their poultry yard.
Eared
This genus has 4 species. In the photo, from the appearance of pheasants with “ears,” it may seem that these are just different breeds or even different colors of the same breed of birds. In fact, these are 4 different species, the habitats of which in nature do not even intersect. Eared pheasants can be:
- Blue;
- Brown;
- White;
- Tibetan.
These birds bear little resemblance to the usual hunting birds. Most of all they resemble guinea fowl. The common name of the genus “Eared” pheasants was given to the characteristic tufts of feathers on their heads that stick out back.
But the difference between the Eared and the Common is that in the Eared tufts of feathers not only stick out back, but continue the characteristic white stripe running from the base of the beak to the back of the head.
The main feature of eared pheasants is the almost complete absence of sexual dimorphism in these birds. In these birds, it is impossible to distinguish a female pheasant from a male either in a photo or “live” until the mating season begins.
Breeding eared pheasants for meat is not economically profitable, since they reach sexual maturity only at 2 years, and the number of eggs is not large.
Blue
This is the most numerous species of the Eared genus. This species can be found on sale in Russia. Since the tails of representatives of this genus are short, the length of the bird is indicated less than that of other long-tailed species. So the length of the Blue Eared is only 96 cm. The plumage on the head is black. There is red bare skin around the yellow eyes. Under the bare areas of skin there is a stripe of white feathers, turning into “ears”. The tail is loose and short. The species feeds mainly on berries and plant foods.
Brown
This is the rarest species of all Eared Pheasants. It is in the Red Book, so it is unlikely to be found on the open market. Accordingly, the data is for informational purposes only. Body size up to 100 cm. Almost the entire body is brown. A white stripe extending into the “ears” covers the head, passing under the beak and exposed skin. The plumage on the lower back is white. The upper cover feathers of the tail are also white. Feeds on plant matter.
White
The species lives in the highlands on the border with eternal snow. Hence the color, which is so unmasking at first glance. In fact, in an area where black stones stick out from the snow, the color of the bird is ideal for camouflage. The inhabitants of the Himalayas call it “Shagga”, that is, “Snow Bird”.
The white long-eared has two subspecies, externally differing in the color of the plumage on the wings.The Sichuan subspecies has dark gray or purple wings, while the Yunnan subspecies has black wings.
It is impossible to distinguish young animals by sex, but in adults the male is almost twice as heavy as the female. A rooster weighs on average 2.5 kg, the average weight of a female is 1.8 kg.
This species has a good ability to fly, which must be taken into account when keeping them at home.
Tibetan
The smallest representative of the genus of Eared Pheasants. Its body length is 75-85 cm. The name directly indicates its habitat. In addition to Tibet, it is found in northern India and northern Bhutan. Prefers river valleys and grassy slopes of ravines in deciduous and coniferous forests. Usually found between 3 thousand and 5 thousand meters above sea level. Due to habitat destruction, it is today an endangered species.
Variegated
The genus of motley pheasants includes 5 species:
- Reeves/Royal/Motley Chinese;
- Elliot;
- Copper;
- Mikado;
- Mrs. Huma.
All of them are inhabitants of the Eastern part of Eurasia. Copper is endemic to Japan, and Mikado is endemic to Taiwan.
Pied Chinese
The more famous and common name for this elegant bird is the Royal Pheasant. Belongs to the third genus of pheasants - Variegated pheasants. It lives in the foothills of Central and Northeastern China. This is one of the largest representatives of pheasants. It is equal in size to the Common Pheasant. The weight of males reaches 1.5 kg. Females are slightly less than a kilogram and weigh 950 g.
The motley plumage of females, being more elegant than that of other species, makes them completely invisible against the background of burnt grass. Even in the photo, the female King Pheasant is difficult to spot at a quick glance.
Copper
In the photo, the female Romanian Pheasant may appear very similar to the male Copper.This is perhaps the most “modest” species of all pheasants. But if the female Romanian has dark bronze feathers all over her body, then the male Copper has a color with a lot of red on his head and neck, and on his belly the feather is two-colored: red areas alternate with gray ones. A clear difference in a mature rooster is the red, bare areas of skin around the eyes.
Elliot
This bird is unlikely to be confused with another species. The conspicuous white neck and motley back immediately indicate that it is an Elliott pheasant. A closer look will only confirm the first impression. This species lives in Eastern China.
The bird is small compared to the others. The total length is 80 cm, of which more than half is the tail. The male weighs up to 1.3 kg, the female pheasant weighs up to 0.9 kg.
The body length of a pheasant is 50 cm. But if the rooster’s tail is 42-47 cm long, then the female’s is 17-19.5 cm long.
Elliott pheasant is bred in captivity. Since the birds are very secretive, all data on their mating behavior is obtained from observations of individuals kept in captivity.
Mikado
Endemic o. Taiwan and its unofficial symbol. The bird is small. Together with the tail, it can be from 47 to 70 cm. It is endangered and is listed in the World Red Book.
Mrs. Hume (Yuma)
In color this species resembles both the Manchurian subspecies of the Common pheasant and the Elliott pheasant. The bird is quite large. Length 90 cm. Named in honor of the wife of the British naturalist Allan Hume.
Lives in Southeast Asia. The species is very rare and is in the Red Book.
Lofurs
The name "pheasant" for these species is erroneous, although in the photo it is difficult to distinguish these from real pheasants. Lofurs belong to the same family as the genus of True and Collared pheasants.The second name of the genus Lofur is Chicken Pheasants. Their food preferences are the same. Behaviors and marriage rituals are similar. Therefore, lofur can easily be confused with True Pheasants. But these birds cannot interbreed.
Silver
In fact, the Silver Pheasant is a Lofura from the genus Lofura. But this genus also belongs to the pheasant family. Externally, the Silver Pheasant differs from real pheasants in having longer legs and a bushy, sickle-shaped tail. The Silver Pheasant's metatarsals, as seen in the photo, are bright red. Another difference between Lofura and real hunting pheasants is also visible in the photo: a tuft of feathers on the head directed backwards.
On the feathers of the back, neck and tail there are alternating small stripes of white and black. Sometimes, as in the photo above, the “silver” of a pheasant can give way to greenish plumage.
Young pheasants do not have “silver”. Their back plumage is grey-black.
Unlike the bright black and white male, the female silver pheasant in the photo can only be guessed by her silhouette and bright red legs.
The Silver Pheasant itself is not a large bird. But the length of the tail is usually added to the size of birds and the data from the tip of the beak to the tip of the tail is indicated. Therefore, with relatively equal body sizes, the length of the male is almost twice as large. The male lofura reaches a length of 90-127 cm, the female only 55-68. The weight of males varies from 1.3 to 2 kg, females weigh about 1 kg.
Black lofura
The second name is Nepalese pheasant. Judging by the photo and description, this variety of chicken pheasant can be confused with a young Silver pheasant. But the color of the feathers on the back and neck of the Black Lofura is not white, like the Silver one, but is more reminiscent of the feathers of a blue guinea fowl.
Lives in the mountains of Asia. The bird is relatively small, weighing 0.6-1.1 kg. The length of the male is up to 74 cm, females – up to 60 cm.
Breeding
All species and breeds of pheasants reproduce very well in captivity. But to obtain offspring from these birds, an incubator is needed. In order for a pheasant to sit down and incubate her eggs, she needs to create conditions in the enclosure similar to those in nature. This means a large area of the enclosure and many shelters from bushes and houses on the territory. Pheasants are secretive birds. Unlike domestic chickens, they are not well satisfied with nest boxes that are easily accessible to outsiders.
The collected eggs are placed in an incubator and the chicks are hatched just like chickens. The incubation period for eggs in different species is from 24 to 32 days.
Conclusion
As a productive bird, the pheasant is not economically profitable. But if there is a need to raise it for meat or for hunting, then it does not matter much whether a “pure” subspecies is slaughtered or released. Photos of different “breeds” of pheasants are important only if there is a need to breed the subspecies “purely.” And photographs are needed only to get an idea of what one or another subspecies of the Common Pheasant looks like.
