Reeves's Pheasant
Syrmaticus reevesii
A large terrestrial bird of hill forests. Male has very long black-and-white tail and is strikingly patterned: appears crafted out of black-edged gold and white porcelain scales. Female has peach belly and dark comma-like stripe behind the eye. Courting male makes a series of sputtering, bubbling, chirping, and squeaking notes, as well as loud and resonant wing-drumming. Contact and alarm calls are similarly sputtering, varying in loudness.
Identification
Males measure 210 cm (83 in) long and weigh 1,529 g (3.371 lb). The male is brightly plumaged with a scaled golden white and red body plumage, grey legs, brown iris and bare red skin around the eye. The head is white with a black narrow band across its eyes. The male has an extremely long silvery white tail barred with chestnut brown. This pheasant is mentioned in the 2008 edition of Guinness World Records for having the longest natural tail feather of any bird species; a record formerly held by the crested argus pheasant. The tail can measure up to 2.4 m (7.9 ft) long.<p>Females measure 75 cm (30 in) long and weigh 949 g (2.092 lb). They are brown with a blackish crown, a buff face and greyish brown barred tail feathers. The females are about the same size as a male common pheasant.<p>There are no known subspecies, but there is some variation in plumage.
Taxonomy
Genus: Syrmaticus; Family: Phasianidae; Order: Galliformes.
- Scientific name
- Syrmaticus reevesii
- Authority
- (Gray, JE, 1829)
- Order
- Galliformes
- Family
- Phasianidae
- Genus
- Syrmaticus
Range and habitat
The Reeves's pheasant is endemic to the temperate evergreen and deciduous forests of central and eastern China. Where introduced, they also inhabit farmland close to woodlands. The tail of the male bird grows approximately 30 cm (12 in) every year.<p>They have been introduced for sport and ornamental purposes to the United States, Czech Republic, France and the United Kingdom. In the latter three countries, they have built up small breeding populations, and are still released on a small scale for shooting, often alongside common pheasants.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Henderson Petrel
Pterodroma atrata
A typical uniformly grayish-brown petrel with pale mottling at the base of the bill that gives it a somewhat “frosted” facial appearance. Pale bar along the leading edge of the underwing between the body and elbow is evident in flight. Highly pelagic, visiting land only to nest. Similar to Kermadec Petrel, but lacks the white primary shafts in the upperwing of that species and is overall more uniformly colored. Providence Petrel is similar but appears much heavier-chested and paler-faced, with more extensively mottled gray-brown tones across the body. Herald Petrel is very similar, but has much more contrasting dark-and-light underwing pattern. Henderson Petrel is silent at sea.
Bar-shouldered Dove
Geopelia humeralis
Medium sized dove with a scaled metallic copper patch on the hind-neck. Gray face and neck, with a pinkish belly. Juveniles have a less obvious patch on the neck, and with more muted plumage and an eye-line could be confused with the much larger Common Bronzewing. Forages on the ground in small groups. This species is abundant in woodlands, towns, parks and gardens in northern Australia. Voice is often a repeated 6-note phrase (low-low-high low-low-high).
Scarlet-backed Woodpecker
Veniliornis callonotus
Small, colorful woodpecker of western Ecuador and northwestern Peru. Most common in dry, deciduous forest and scrub, but also inhabits degraded rainforest. Both sexes have red back and white underparts that may show very faint barring. Male’s cap is red and female’s is black. Typical song is a long, rattling trill.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.