- Pheasant
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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, 1821Subfamily: Phasianinae
Horsfield, 1821Genus Argusianus
Catreus
Chrysolophus
Crossoptilon
Ithaginis
Lophura
Phasianus
Polyplectron
Pucrasia
Rheinardia
SyrmaticusPheasants 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
- Blood Pheasant (genus Ithaginis)
- Blood Pheasant, (I. cruentus)
- Koklass (genus Pucrasia)
- Koklass Pheasant, (P. macrolopha)
- Gallopheasants (genus Lophura)
- Kalij Pheasant, (L. leucomelanos)
- White-crested Kalij Pheasant, (L. l. hamiltoni)
- Nepal Kalij Pheasant, (L. l. leucomelanos)
- Black-backed Kalij Pheasant, (L. l. melanota)
- Black Kalij Pheasant, (L. l. moffitti)
- Black-breasted Kalij Pheasant, (L. l. lathami)
- William's Kalij Pheasant, (L. l. williamsi)
- Oates' Kalij Pheasant, (L. l. oatesi)
- Crawfurd's Kalij Pheasant, (L. l. crawfurdi)
- Lineated Kalij Pheasant, (L. l. lineata)
- Silver Pheasant, (L. nycthemera)
- Imperial Pheasant, (L. imperialis)
- Edward's Pheasant, (L. edwardsi)
- Vietnamese Pheasant, (L. hatinhensis)
- Swinhoe's Pheasant, (L. swinhoii)
- Hoogerwerf's Pheasant, (L. hoogerwerfi)
- Salvadori's Pheasant, (L. inornata)
- Crestless Fireback, (L. erythrophthalma)
- Malayan Crestless Fireback, (L. e. erythrophthalma)
- Bornean Crestless Fireback, (L. e. pyronota)
- Crested Fireback, (L. ignita)
- Lesser Bornean Crested Fireback, (L. i. ignita)
- Greater Bornean Crested Fireback, (L. i. nobilis)
- Vieilott's Crested Fireback, (L. i. rufa)
- Delacour's Crested Fireback, (L. i. macartneyi)
- Siamese Fireback, (L. diardi)
- Bulwer's Pheasant, (L. bulweri)
- Kalij Pheasant, (L. leucomelanos)
- Eared Pheasants (genus Crossoptilon)
- White-eared Pheasant, (C. crossoptilon)
- Tibetan Eared Pheasant, (C. harmani)
- Brown Eared Pheasant, (C. mantchuricum)
- Blue Eared Pheasant, (C. auritum)
- Cheer Pheasant (genus Catreus)
- Cheer Pheasant, (C. wallichi)
- Long-tailed Pheasants (genus Syrmaticus)
- Reeve's Pheasant, (S. reevesi)
- Elliot's Pheasant, (S. ellioti)
- Mrs. Hume's Pheasant, (S. humiae)
- Mikado Pheasant, (S. mikado)
- Copper Pheasant, (S. soemmerringi)
- Typical Pheasants (genus Phasianus)
- Green Pheasant (P. versicolor)
- Common Pheasant, (P. colchicus)
- Caucasus Pheasants, Phasianus colchicus colchicus group
- White-winged Pheasants, Phasianus colchicus chrysomelas/principalis group
- Prince of Wales Pheasant, Phasianus colchicus principalis
- Mongolian Ring-necked Pheasants or White-winged Ring-necked Pheasants, Phasianus colchicus mongolicus group
- Tarim Pheasants, Phasianus colchicus tarimensis group
- Chinese Ring-necked Pheasants, Phasianus colchicus torquatus group
- Taiwan Pheasant, Phasianus colchicus formosanus
- Ruffed Pheasants (genus Chrysolophus)
- Golden Pheasant, (C. pictus)
- Lady Amherst's Pheasant, (C. amherstiae)
- Peacock-Pheasants (genus Polyplectron)
- Bronze-tailed Peacock-Pheasant, (P. chalcurum)
- Mountain Peacock-Pheasant, (P. inopinatum)
- Germain's Peacock-Pheasant, (P. germaini)
- Grey Peacock-Pheasant (P. bicalcaratum
- Hainan Peacock-Pheasant, (Polyplectron katsumatae)
- Malayan Peacock-Pheasant, (P. malacense)
- Bornean Peacock-Pheasant, (P. schleiermacheri)
- Palawan Peacock-Pheasant, (P. emphanum)
- Crested Argus (genus Rheinartia)
- Crested Argus, (R. ocellata)
- Great Argus (genus Argusianus)
- Great Argus, (A. argus)
- Double-banded Argus, (Argusianus bipunctatus )
Previous classifications
Euplocamus and Gennceus are older names more or less corresponding to the current Lophura.
- Euplocamus was used, for example, by Hume and Marshall's in their Game Birds of India, Burmah and Ceylon (1879–1881).
- Gennceus, was used, for example, by Frank Finn in Indian Sporting Birds (1915) and Game Birds of India and Asia (1911?).
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
- Beebe, William. 1918-22. A Monograph of the Pheasants. 1st edition in 4 volumes: H. F. Witherby, London. Reprint: 1990, Dover Publications.(4 volumes bound as 2). ISBN 0-486-26579-X and ISBN 0-486-26580-3. Republished as: Pheasants: Their Lives and Homes. 2 vols. 1926. Single volume edition: New York Zoological Society, 1936.)
- Green-Armytage, Stephen. 2002. Extraordinary Pheasants.Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York. Book ISBN 0-8109-1007-1.
- Madge and McGowan, Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse ISBN 0-7136-3966-0
External links
- Videos of pheasants in the Internet Bird Collection
Categories: - Blood Pheasant (genus Ithaginis)
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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