Tibetan Eared-Pheasant
Crossoptilon harmani
Distinctive slate-gray pheasant with a bright red face, scraggly fan-shaped tail, and bizarre white whiskers (the namesake “ears”). Also note black cap, pale gray rump, and whitish belly. Restricted to the southeastern Tibetan Plateau, where it inhabits areas with dense scrubby or brushy cover. Typically at 3000-5000 meters, though it is known to descend in the winter. Regularly found around monasteries which put food out for wildlife. Forages on the ground in small to medium-sized flocks. Can be vocal, giving high-pitched grunts and a rising squeal: “gu-tse-WEEW!"
Identification
The Tibetan eared pheasant shares many characteristics, such as the short ears and the droopy tail, with the white eared pheasant (C. crossoptilon), as well as having similar calls and hybridising with it in the Salween Valley, so the two may be conspecific. The Tibetan eared pheasant grows to a length between 75 and 85 cm (30 and 33 in), with females being slightly smaller than males. The sexes are similar. The beak is reddish-brown, the irises yellowish-orange, and the bare facial skin is red, as are the legs. The head is topped with a crown of black, dense, short feathers, on either side of which are short, nonprojecting ear tufts. The rest of the head and nape and a thin collar are white. The rest of the body, wings, and tail are bluish-grey, the mantle, neck and breast being of a darker shade, whereas the lower back, rump, upper tail coverts, and belly are paler whitish-grey. The wings are blackish-brown and the tail bluish-black.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Crossoptilon harmani
- Authority
- Elwes, 1881
- Order
- Galliformes
- Family
- Phasianidae
- Genus
- Crossoptilon
Range and habitat
Their range is restricted to Tibet, northern India, and northern Bhutan. Their typical habitat is dense scrubby areas in river valleys, grassy hillsides, and the verges of both coniferous and deciduous woodlands. Although sometimes found at elevations as low as 2,400 m (7,900 ft), they usually occur between about 3,000 and 5,000 m (9,800 and 16,400 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
These pheasants usually form groups of up to 10 individuals. They feed on the ground, foraging through the plant debris and grasses near woodland edges and among the rhododendron and juniper scrub. In areas where they are hunted, they may be elusive, retreating into the undergrowth or flying off downhill when scared, but where unmolested, can be quite bold. The birds are believed to be monogamous, with breeding taking place between May and July. One nest was discovered under a fallen tree trunk; it was made from bark and pulp with a mossy lining. The female seems to be solely responsible for incubating the eggs, but both sexes have been observed feeding the chicks.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
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