Meet the rooster’s colorful Chinese cousins
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THE rooster, the only bird on the Chinese zodiac, is getting plenty of attention with the approach of a new Lunar New Year.
The chicken enjoys a particularly close relationship with man. The domesticated jungle fowl is a major source of food; and even its feathers can make great dusters, which have been used by the Chinese for thousands of years.
But within the larger family of Phasianidae, which includes the common chicken, there are many other interesting members.
China is home to around 50 of the 159 Phasianidae species. Of these, one-third are native only to China.
White-crowned long-tailed pheasant (Reeves’s pheasant) 白冠长尾雉
Syrmaticus reevesii
This large pheasant is a forest bird native to central and northeastern China, residing mostly in evergreen forests. Its common name, Reeves’s Pheasant, comes from John Reeves, the British naturalist who introduced the species to Europe.
The male pheasant has bright colored plumage. The scaled golden white and red body plumage alongside a long silver tail barred with chestnut brown gives the bird a majestic appearance.
This species is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Today, few are left in the wild.
The bird suffered from over-hunting and trade for both sport and ornamental purposes. Its beautiful tail feathers were used to make head accessories for Peking Opera singers.
Habitat loss due to deforestation has also contributed to the population decrease. It’s a class-two national protected animal in China.
Golden pheasant 红腹锦鸡
Chrysolophus pictus
The golden pheasant is among the most well-known pheasants in China.
The male bird is known for its golden yellow crest, colorful plumage and long black spotted tail. The female, on the other hand, is more modest in appearance with mottled brown plumage.
The golden pheasant is native to central China and can be found in provinces like Qinghai, Gansu, Shaanxi, Hunan, and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
Because of its brightly colored feathers and tail, golden pheasants were overhunted in the past. Poachers often go after the male birds, selling skins and feathers as well as live birds.
And in traditional Chinese medicine, golden pheasant meat is considered a warm tonic for various deficiencies. Though there is no scientific support for such claims, they supported a thriving demand for poached birds.
Today, artificial breeding of golden pheasants has made the animal one of the most common pheasants in zoos. In 2004, it was included on a list of terrestrial wildlife that can be commercially traded thanks to mature domestication and breeding technology.
Chinese bamboo partridge 灰胸竹鸡
Bambusicola thoracicus
This small-sized bird is native to southern China. It has a mottled breast and back plumage that is black, chestnut and cream in color.
Chinese bamboo partridges reside in herds of around 20. They live in bushes, forests and grasslands in mountains and plains. They eat plants, seeds, insects and invertebrates. They are not as prone to flight as other birds, so they often stay hidden until being flushed out.
In China, the Chinese bamboo partridge is mostly found in provinces south to the Yangtze River, including Taiwan. The bird was introduced to Japan in 1919 and since then has widely expanded its footprint.
The Chinese bamboo partridge is a commercial bird that can be breed for exhibition, meat and TCM purposes.
Yellow-bellied tragopan 黄腹角雉
Tragopan caboti
Also known as Cabot’s tragopan or the Chinese tragopan, the yellow-bellied tragopan is native to southeastern China. It can be found in Fujian, Jiangxi, Zhejiang and Guangdong provinces.
The male birds have black heads with orange streaks on both sides and the neck, yellow brown chest plumage and short tails.
The yellow-bellied tragopan is a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, and faces the threat of habitat loss. China’s only protected area for this species is the Wuyanling National Nature Reserve in Zhejiang Province.
Chinese monal pheasant 绿尾虹雉
Lophophorus lhuysii
The Chinese monal is a beautiful large pheasant with iridescent plumage of vibrant colors, similar to the peacock. The male Chinese monal has a metallic green head, bluish green feathers and drooping purple crest. There’s also a bit of white feathering on its back.
The Chinese monal is native to western China in the high-altitude Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. By hovering in the air, the birds are highly vigilant of any changes to their surroundings. This species is herbivorous, feeding on fruits, seeds, roots and berries.
The bird is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, facing threats from both habitat loss and illegal hunting.
Livestock herding and herb gathering has damaged the bird’s habitat, and the large-sized avian is one of the food sources of mountain dwellers. It’s among the most difficult bird species to keep in captivity and breed artificially as well.
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