Pheasant


Pheasant
For other uses, see Pheasant (disambiguation).
Phasianinae
Mongolian Ringneck-type Common Pheasant cock
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Galliformes
Family: Phasianidae
Horsfield, 1821
Subfamily: Phasianinae
Horsfield, 1821
Genus

Argusianus
Catreus
Chrysolophus
Crossoptilon
Ithaginis
Lophura
Phasianus
Polyplectron
Pucrasia
Rheinardia
Syrmaticus

Pheasants refer to some members of the Phasianinae (Horsfield, 1821) subfamily of Phasianidae in the order Galliformes.

Pheasants are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments such as wattles and long tails. Males are usually larger than females and have longer tails. Males play no part in rearing the young. Pheasants typically eat seeds and some insects.

The best-known is the Common Pheasant, which is widespread throughout the world in introduced feral populations and in farm operations. Various other pheasant species are popular in aviaries, such as the Golden Pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus).

Contents

Uses of pheasants

Pheasants were traditionally shot for sport and for the table mostly by the upper class elite (e.g., in Britain), and were valued for their attractive appearance. Due to changes in hunting laws this practice has been significantly reduced.

Species in taxonomic order

This list is ordered to show presumed relationships between species

Pheasant Fowling.--"Showing how to catch Pheasants."--Fac-simile of a Miniature in the Manuscript of the "Livre du Roy Modus" (Fourteenth Century).

Previous classifications

Euplocamus and Gennceus are older names more or less corresponding to the current Lophura.

These old genera were used for:

Vernacular Hume & Marshall Finn: Sporting Birds Finn: Game Birds Contemporary
Vieilott's Crested Fireback E. vielloti Lophura rufa (sic) L. ignita rufa
Black-backed Kalij E. melanonotus G. melanonotus L. leucomelanos melanota
Common or White-crested Kalij E. albocristatus G. albocristatus L. leucomelanos hamiltoni
Nepal Kalij E. leucomelanus G. leucomelanus L. leucomelanos leucomelanos
Purple, Horsfield's or Black-breasted Kalij E. horsfieldi G. horsfieldi L. leucomelanos lathami
Lineated Kalij E. lineatus G. lineatus also: Burmese Silver Pheasant L. leucomelanos lineata
Anderson's Silver Pheasant  ? G. andersoni, considered hybrid of L. nycthemera and L. l. lineata L. nycthemera andersoni (invalid)
Crawfurd's Silver Pheasant (or Crawford's? ) E. andersoni considered a further cross of Anderson's and L. l. lineata  ?
Crawfurd's Kalij (same as C.'s Silver Pheasant?)  ? G. andersoni L. leucomelanos crawfurdi
Cuvier's Kalij  ? G. cuvieri  ?
Oates's Kalij  ? G. oatesi L. leucomelanos oatesi
Whitehead's Silver Pheasant  ? G. whiteheadi  ?
Swinhoe's Kalij  ? G. swinhoii L. swinhoii

References

External links


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Pheasant — Pheas ant, n. [OE. fesant, fesaunt, OF. faisant, faisan, F. faisan, L. phasianus, Gr. ? (sc. ?) the Phasian bird, pheasant, fr. ? a river in Colchis or Pontus.] 1. (Zo[ o]l.) Any one of numerous species of large gallinaceous birds of the genus… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • PHEASANT — PHEASANT, the game bird Phasianus colchicus. The pheasant was known in Greek as Φασιανός and hence in mishnaic Hebrew as פַּסְיוֹנִי (pasyoni). It is not mentioned in the Bible, although pseudo Jonathan identified it with the biblical שְׂלָו… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • pheasant — [fez′ənt] n. pl. pheasants or pheasant [ME fesant < Anglo Fr < OFr faisan < L phasianus < Gr phasianos, after Phasis, river of Colchis: the birds are said to have been numerous near its mouth] 1. any of a number of large gallinaceous… …   English World dictionary

  • pheasant — late 13c., from Anglo Fr. fesaunt, O.Fr. faisan (13c.), from L. phasianus, from Gk. phasianos a pheasant, lit. Phasian bird, from Phasis, river flowing into the Black Sea in Colchis, where the birds were said to have been numerous. The ph was… …   Etymology dictionary

  • pheasant — ► NOUN ▪ a large long tailed game bird, the male of which typically has showy plumage. ORIGIN Greek phasianos bird of Phasis , a river in the Caucasus from which the bird is said to have spread westwards …   English terms dictionary

  • pheasant — /fez euhnt/, n. 1. any of numerous large, usually long tailed, Old World gallinaceous birds of the family Phasianidae, widely introduced. 2. any of various other birds that resemble or suggest a pheasant. 3. Southern U.S. the ruffed grouse. [1250 …   Universalium

  • pheasant — [[t]fe̱z(ə)nt[/t]] pheasants N COUNT (pheasant can also be used as the plural form.) A pheasant is a bird with a long tail. Pheasants are often shot as a sport and then eaten. N UNCOUNT Pheasant is the flesh of this bird eaten as food. ...roast… …   English dictionary

  • pheasant — UK [ˈfez(ə)nt] / US [ˈfezənt] noun Word forms pheasant : singular pheasant plural pheasant or pheasants a) [countable] a large bird with a long tail that is hunted for sport and food b) [uncountable] the meat from a pheasant …   English dictionary

  • pheasant — noun (plural pheasant or pheasants) Etymology: Middle English fesaunt, from Anglo French fesant, faisan, from Latin phasianus, from Greek (ornis) phasianos, from phasianos of the Phasis River, from Phasis, river in Colchis Date: 13th century 1.… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Pheasant — This interesting surname, of English origin, is a nickname for someone bearing a fancied resemblance to the bird, deriving from the Middle English fesaunt meaning pheasant . The surname dates back to the mid 12th Century (see below). Further… …   Surnames reference