Subspecies of Phasianus colchicus
List of subspecies of the common pheasant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
About 30 subspecies of the common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) are currently recognised by major ornithological authorities, revealing pronounced geographic variation within this species.
The geographic variation is particularly evident in the male plumage colouration. At the western limits of the species' native range, subspecies lack a white neck collar and exhibit a strong reddish overall plumage tone that extends to the rump and upper tail coverts ("red-rumped pheasants"). In these subspecies, black-and-white markings are present but less conspicuous. At the eastern limits of the species' range, subspecies possess a pronounced white neck collar and display a contrasting plumage pattern of yellow and red areas bearing prominent black and white markings, while the rump and upper tail coverts are greyish with bright orange patches on either side ("grey-rumped pheasants"). Along the eastern margins of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (Hengduan Mountains, Min Mountains, Qinling Mountains and Qaidam Basin), several subspecies exhibit a blue-green chest colouration of varying intensity. This differs markedly from their counterparts farther east, where a copper-red chest colour dominates. In northern Central Asia, males exhibit a strong purple-greenish gloss in their plumage and possess a well-developed white neck collar. In southern Central Asia, the plumage is characterised by striking golden-and-black contrasts and white wing coverts, while the white neck collar is strongly reduced or absent. The transition between red-rumped and grey-rumped pheasants occurs at the eastern end of the Tarim Basin. The presence or absence of white superciliary stripes tends to correlate with the presence or absence of a white neck collar. Subspecies differentiation has occurred both through the isolation of populations in riverine or oasis habitats by deserts and semi-deserts, and through the formation of mountain barriers.
Overview
Subspecies of Phasianus colchicus are native to a range extending from the Caucasus and Central Asia to eastern China. They occur across the lower mid-latitudes of Eurasia, where they are widespread in shrubland near forest edges and openings, near watercourses and reservoirs, and in agricultural fields, or are sparsely distributed in desert and semi-desert areas, where they occur in tugay forests along rivers and near oases. They occur both in plains and on montane slopes. In winter, they are restricted to areas with no snow or snow cover of less than 10–20 cm on the ground. Several subspecies have been widely introduced outside their native range, where they freely hybridise. Reintroductions into native areas pose serious problems, as hybrid pheasants genetically swamp native populations, leading locally to their extinction. Native forms highly endangered by this process include, for example, all Caucasus subspecies and the subspecies in Taiwan.
The considerable geographic variation of the common pheasant has long attracted ornithologists. Early reviews were provided by William Robert Ogilvie-Grant,[1][2][3] by Sergei Buturlin,[4][5] and by Sergei Alphéraky and Valentin Bianchi.[6] Detailed revisions were offered by Ernst Hartert,[7][8] and by William Beebe.[9] The Soviet perspective was detailed in influential works by Sergei Buturlin and Georgi Dementiev,[10][11] the Chinese perspective by the seminal work of Zuoxin Zheng (Tso-hsin Cheng).[12] Several more recent books and reviews provide detailed accounts of plumage colouration and geographic variability in the Common Pheasant.[13][14][15][16][17][18][19]
Accepted subspecies
This article follows the taxonomy of IOC World Bird List (version 15.1).
| Subspecies | Authority | Native distribution |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Red-rumped pheasants | ||
| Black-necked Pheasants | ||
| P. c. colchicus | Linnaeus, 1758 | Caucasus (Georgia, Azerbaijan, and adjacent areas in Armenia and Iran), Nestos delta in Greece |
| P. c. septentrionalis | Lorenz, 1889 | N slopes of Caucasus and W coast of Caspian Sea (Russia) |
| P. c. talischensis | Lorenz, 1889 | SW coast of Caspian Sea (Azerbaijan, Iran) |
| P. c. persicus | Severtsov, 1875 | SE coast of Caspian Sea (Iran) and SW Turkmenistan |
| White-winged Pheasants | ||
| P. c. principalis | Sclater, 1885 | SE Turkmenistan, far NE Iran, and NW Afghanistan |
| P. c. zarudnyi | Buturlin, 1904 | central valleys of the Amu Darya river on the E Turkmenistan–Uzbekistan border |
| P. c. zerafschanicus | Tarnovski, 1893 | Bukhara and valley of Zerafshan river in S Uzbekistan |
| P. c. chrysomelas | Severtsov, 1875 | Amu Darya delta, in W Uzbekistan and adjacent N Turkmenistan |
| P. c. bianchii | Buturlin, 1904 | upper valley of the Amu Darya in S Uzbekistan, SW Tajikistan, and extreme N Afghanistan |
| P. c. shawii | Elliot, 1870 | valleys of Kashgar Daria and Yarkand Daria E to Hotan Daria, lower Aksu and upper Tarim |
| Kyrghyz Pheasants | ||
| P. c. turcestanicus | Lorenz, 1896 | Syr Darya valley in S Kazakhstan SE to Fergana Basin in E Uzbekistan and borders of Kyrgyzstan |
| P. c. mongolicus | Brandt, 1844 | N Tian Shan in N Kyrgyzstan northward to Balkhash Lake, and eastward to NW Xinjiang and Urumchi |
| Tarim Pheasants | ||
| P. c. tarimensis | Pleske, 1889 | valleys of the lower Tarim, Cherchen Daria, Lake Bagratsch-kul and Lob-nor |
| 2. Grey-rumped pheasants | ||
| Yunnan Pheasants | ||
| P. c. elegans | Elliot, 1870 | W Sichuan to NW Yunnan, NE Myanmar and E Tibet |
| P. c. rothschildi | La Touche, 1922 | mountains of SE Yunnan and adjacent parts of N Tonkin |
| Western Grey-rumped Pheasants | ||
| P. c. vlangalii | Przevalski, 1876 | E Qaidam basin between the South Koko-nor and Burchan Budda ranges (Burhan Budai Shan) |
| P. c. suehschanensis | Bianchi, 1906 | NW Sichuan south of the Minshans |
| P. c. strauchi | Przevalski, 1876 | Gansu, north to the Datong River, east to C and S Shaanxi, south into NE Sichuan |
| P. c. sohokhotensis | Buturlin, 1908 | Sohokhoto Oasis (Minqin County), and possibly northern foothills of Qilian Shan |
| P. c. satscheuensis | Pleske, 1892 | extreme W Gansu north of the Nanshan |
| P. c. edzinensis | Sushkin, 1926 | valley of the Edzin-gol |
| P. c. alaschanicus | Alferaki & Bianchi, 1908 | oases near the W foothills of the middle Helanshan |
| P. c. kiangsuensis | Buturlin, 1904 | W Hebei, Shanxi, N Shaanxi, and adjacent Inner Mongolia west to Ordos plateau |
| Eastern Grey-rumped Pheasants | ||
| P. c. hagenbecki | Rothschild, 1901 | Kobdo valley in W Mongolia |
| P. c. pallasi | Rothschild, 1903 | SE Siberia from the upper Amur and Ussuriland south to N Korean peninsula |
| P. c. karpowi | Buturlin, 1904 | S Manchuria and N Liaoning to N Hebei, Beijing, Korea and Jeju Island |
| P. c. torquatus | Gmelin, 1789 | E China (Hebei and Shandong) to Vietnam border. |
| P. c. takatsukasae | Delacour, 1927 | S Guangxi and NE Vietnam (Tonkin) |
| P. c. decollatus | Swinhoe, 1870 | Sichuan to NW Hunan, SW Henan, NE Yunnan, and Guizhou |
| Taiwan Pheasants | ||
| P. c. formosanus | Elliot, 1870 | Taiwan |
Apart from Albania, Montenegro, and Bulgaria, where native populations are now genetically extinct, the following countries host native subspecies of Phasianus colchicus:
| Countries | # ssp. | Subspecies |
|---|---|---|
| Greece, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia | 1 | P. c. colchicus |
| Azerbaijan | 3 | P. c. colchicus, P. c. septentrionalis, P. c. talischensis |
| Russia | 2 | P. c. septentrionalis, P. c. pallasi |
| Iran | 4 | P. c. colchicus, P. c. talischensis, P. c. persicus, P. c. principalis |
| Afghanistan | 2-3 | P. c. principalis, P. c. bainchii, P. c. zarudnyi ?, likely all extinct |
| Turkmenistan | 4 | P. c. persicus, P. c. principalis, P. c. chrysomelas, P. c. zarudnyi |
| Uzbekistan | 5 | P. c. chrysomelas, P. c. zarudnyi, P. c. zerafschanicus, P. c. bianchii, P. c. turcestanicus |
| Tajikistan | 3 | P. c. bianchii, P. c. zerafschanicus, P. c. turcestanicus |
| Kyrgyzstan | 2-3 | P. c. turcestanicus, P. c. mongolicus, P. c. bianchii ? |
| Kazakhstan | 3 | P. c. septentrionalis, P. c. turcestanicus, P. c. mongolicus |
| Mongolia | 2 | P. c. hagenbecki, P. c. pallasi |
| North Korea, South Korea | 2 | P. c. karpowi, P. c. pallasi |
| China | 18 | P. c. mongolicus, P. c. shawii, P. c. tarimensis, P. c. vlangalii, P. c. satscheuensis, P. c. edzinensis, P. c. sohokhotensis, P. c. alaschanicus, P. c. strauchi, P. c. kiangsuensis, P. c. suehschanensis, P. c. elegans, P. c. rothschildi, P. c. decollatus, P. c. takatsukasae, P. c. torquatus, P. c. karpowi, P. c. pallasi |
| Taiwan | 1 | P. c. formosanus |
| Vietnam | 3-4 | P. c. takatsukasae, P. c. torquatus, P. c. rothschildi, P. c. elegans ? |
| Laos ? | 0-2 | P. c. rothschildi ?, P. c. elegans ? |
| Myanmar | 1 | P. c. elegans |
Subspecies accounts
Traditionally, the common pheasant is divided into a Western red-rumped subspecies group and an Eastern grey-rumped subspecies group.[5][6][3][8] The dividing line runs in a north–south direction across the eastern end of the Tarim Basin. The Tarim pheasant shows intermediate rump colouration; however, it is more closely related to the red-rumped group. Within these two large groups, there are several well-defined subgroups. Subspecies within each subgroup are more closely related to each other than to those of other subgroups, and typically show various degrees of clinal geographic variation.
According to various mDNA studies,[20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30] the Western group of subspecies of the common pheasant is phylogenetically distinct from all pheasants in the Eastern group, forming a clade. Within the grey-rumped Eastern group, the elegans-group (consisting of P. c. elegans and P. c. rothschildi) is basal to all other subspecies within this group. Recent phylogenetic studies suggest that the Elegans-group may, in fact, be basal to all other subspecies groups of the common pheasant;[28] otherwise, the Eastern and Western groups are phylogenetically well supported. The classification below follows the traditional classification scheme. The green pheasant Phasianus versicolor replaces the common pheasant on the Japanese islands and is the sister species to the common pheasant. Historically, it was sometimes treated as a subspecies of the common pheasant; however, phylogenetic studies confirm that it is a separate species.
1. Western group (Red-rumped pheasants)
The lower back, rump, and middle upper tail-coverts are generally coppery-red, bronze-red, maroon, or rusty-orange in colouration, sometimes tinged with green or glossed with an oily greenish sheen. The dark bars on the basal half of the tail are usually, but not always, very narrow (~2 mm). The lesser and median wing-coverts are sandy-brown, sandy-rufous, whitish, or white. There is never any trace of a white supercilium.
1.1. Colchicus group (Black-necked pheasants)
This subspecies group includes the nominate form and is native to the Caucasus, extending north to the Volga delta and west along the Caspian coast to western Turkestan, with some isolated populations in coastal areas of the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara in Turkey[31] and in northeastern Greece (Nestos delta).[32] Additional, now extinct, populations existed in Bulgaria, Greece, and in the border area between Albania and Montenegro.[33][34][35][36][37] Whether these populations were introduced in ancient times by humans,[32] or are remnants of native populations,[38][39] remains unresolved and requires genetic study. Males of the black-necked pheasant group lack a neck ring; occasionally, small traces of white may be present in concealed parts of the neck feathers, but no white is visible externally. They have very prominent ear tufts.[40] Characteristic of this group, the upper wing-coverts are buff- to rufous-brown (in P. c. persicus greyish white or buffy white), with sparse shiny copper-red streaks. The rump and upper tail-coverts are rusty to chestnut with a metallic sheen. The nape and foreback are golden-rufous with black feather edges; the sides of the body are golden-red with glossy black feather tips. The shoulder region shows a pattern of creamy ochre and black contrasting with rufous or copper-red feather edges. The crop and breast are shiny copper-red (or golden-orange in P. c. persicus) with velvety-black terminal feather edges of varying width. The belly is a matte copper-red or dark brown with a reddish tint. The tail feathers are brownish-olive with copper-red edges and sparse, narrow transverse dark stripes.[40] Females have upperparts dark greyish-rufous with a slight violet sheen, dark brown feather centres, and lighter streaked edges. The underparts are paler with sparse dark spotting on the crop and sides. The crop and foreparts are reddish-brown with a dark streaked rim. The chest has a reddish-violet sheen.[40] Wing lengths of males average largest in P. c. septentrionalis (~252 mm) and P. c. colchicus (~248 mm), and considerably smaller in P. c. talischensis and P. c. persicus (~230–235 mm).
1.1.1. Phasianus colchicus colchicus (Transcaucasian or Colchic black-necked pheasant)
Authority and original description: Linnaeus, C. 1758.[41]
Type locality: Rioni/Phasis region (Eastern Caucasus).[41]
Protonym and synonyms:[42]
- Phasianus colchicus Linnaeus, 1758 — protonym
- Phasianus lorenzi Buturlin, 1904 — junior synonym
- Phasianus colchicus europaeus Hachisuka, 1937 — junior synonym
Local names: კოლხური ხოხობი (Georgian: Colchian Pheasant), Cənubi Qafqaz qırqovulu (Azerbaijani: South Caucasian Pheasant), Անդրկովկասյան փասիան (Armenian: Transcaucasian Pheasant), قرقاول ارسبارانی (Persian: Arasbarani Pheasant), Kafkas sülünü (Turkish: Caucasian Pheasant), Κολχικος Φασιανος (Greek: Colchian Pheasant), Колхидски фазан (Bulgarian: Colchian Pheasant), Закавказский фазан (Russian: Transcaucasian Pheasant)
Description:[8][11] The male has pale brown to buff upper wing-coverts and well-developed purplish tones, lacking any white on the neck and head. The upperparts are distinctly purple-violet with spotting and streaking, while the underparts are purple-bluish with wavy markings. The overall plumage is coppery-red. The head and neck are bright metallic dark green, becoming bronze-green on the crown and purple-blue on the sides and front of the neck. The nape and upper back are glossy golden-orange, each feather with a glossy black margin and a black apical rod-like shaft streak. The shoulders show a black-and-cream mottled, scaly appearance. The lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts are copper-red with a purple and/or gold tint depending on the viewing angle. The chest is glossy purple or golden, each feather with a broad black margin. A blue or violet gloss is prominent on the black markings of the mantle and breast. The flanks are golden-orange with black apical feather edges. The belly is blackish brown or dark chocolate anteriorly, grading into chestnut posteriorly. The tail feathers are brownish-olive-ochre with copper-red edges and a purple-violet gloss; the central tail feathers have transverse black stripes, very narrow at the base and broader towards the tip. The female is generally sandy-brown on the head, neck, mantle, and sides of the chest, with black-brown feather centres and a reddish tinge with a faint purple tint. The flanks and upper tail-coverts show brown markings and ochreous mottling. The throat is pale reddish-ochreous. The breast and belly are pale reddish-brown, either unspotted or with faint semicircular brown markings. The central tail feathers are reddish-brown with sandy-olive edges and irregular black-brown and ochreous transverse stripes. There is clinal variation within P. c. colchicus, with males in the eastern part of its range approaching P. c. talischensis in upper wing-covert, abdomen, and chest colouration. The following collapsed tables provide detailed plumage descriptions.
| ♂️ Click [show] to view comprehensive Male plumage accounts | |
|---|---|
| Anatomical Feature | Detailed Male Description |
| Baseline Colouration and Pattern Scheme | The body plumage displays a highly saturated, rich, and dark ground colour of bright gold, fiery copper-red, and deep chestnut-brown.[10][11] In comparison to related subspecies, the overall and general colouration is darker, more purple, more intensely copper-red, and less golden than in P. c. septentrionalis,[4][10][17][43] and possesses a much deeper saturation of dark coppery-red compared to the lighter, more yellow-gold baseline of P. c. persicus.[5]The general pattern is characterised by heavy, contrasting black bars and crescent-shaped spots across the mantle, breast, and flanks,[8][17] combined with a visually uniform surface of dark coppery-red or fiery maroon across the lower back and rump that exhibits only faint, indistinct brown structural markings.[5][9] The bird shows a prominent absence of any white plumage markings across the shoulders, wing-coverts, eyebrows, or neck.[44]A clinal variation occurs, with males in the lower Kura and Araks valleys approaching P. c. talischensis in the colouration of the belly, the gloss of the lower breast feathers bordering the belly in front,[4][5][6][10][45] as well as the width of the black margins and the colouration of the basal band on the front chest feathers (the latter also shared with P. c. septentrionalis).[46] This variant has been historically referred to as lorenzi.[4] |
| Head and Neck | The bare papillar patch on the side of the head shifts between scarlet and crimson depending on the season.[47] This bare skin is finely dotted with minute green feathers.[48] Surrounded by this bare skin patch, a narrow crescent of dark bluish-green feathers extends forward under the eye from a small auricular patch of the same colour on the side of the head.[13] The long, tattered ear-coverts are dark brown[49] or black without gloss, appearing more brown in younger birds.[50] There is a prominent erectile tuft of feathers on each side of the head behind the ears.[47][48][50][40]The feathered parts of the head, neck, and throat are black,[51][52][50][53][8][17] with a bright, metallic dark green gloss.[1][9][10][11][17] This gloss turns into bronze-green on the crown and shifts, depending on the angle of light, into magnificent greenish-blue,[10][11][17] steel-blue,[49][52][13] brown,[51] blue-violet,[8] or purple-blue[48][44] on the chin, upper throat, the small patch below the eye, and the sides and front of the upper neck.Individual feathers of the neck are black at their bases, terminating in softly frayed, shaggy violet tips.[51] The violet-purple-blue shimmer is particularly strong on the sides of the neck, setting them apart from the pure dark metallic green of the hindneck and a ring around the base of the neck.[47][44][1][13] Short, black, steel-blue glossy feathers stand somewhat ruffled around the base of the bill.[50]The forehead and narrow superciliary stripes just above the eyes terminating in the movable tufts are bright metallic dark green,[1][11] sometimes with a bluish tint.[8] The centre of the crown between the darker green stripes appears bronze-green.[49][8][9][10][11][17] From forehead to occiput, the gloss shifts from steel-blue[50] and bottle-green[52] to darkish-brownish and yellowish-green.[51] The longer feathers of the occiput are brownish-black beyond the middle portion of the shaft,[51] and are finished with greenish-yellow or yellowish marginal filaments at the tips.[47][50]The upper head feathers are oblong and blended.[47] The feathers of the rest of the head and upper neck are imbricated and rounded,[47] and adorned at the tip with softly frayed barbs.[51][8]There is never any trace of a white superciliary stripe.[6] There is no white neck-ring, nor are there any hidden traces.[8][5][10][14][17] |
| Mantle, Back, Interscapulars, and Scapulars | At the base of the neck and upper back, the mantle plumage establishes a highly iridescent golden-orange,[10][11][8] yellowish-red,[47] reddish-orange,[47] or golden-yellow[48] tone, shifting from coppery-red[4][5][9][13] or rich brownish-red[49] to bright rufescent golden[52][1][17] depending on the angle of light. This baseline colouration is darker, more intensely coppery red than in P. c. septentrionalis,[4][5][9][17] and darker, more rufescent golden than in P. c. persicus.[5]The feather tips show narrow black edges and a broad, oblong, wedge-shaped black shaft mark at the central tip that resembles a cut-out.[47][49][48][52][1][8][10][11][13][17] These velvety black marks are glossed with bluish, greenish-blue, purplish-green, violet-purple, or blue-violet, as the sides of the neck.[48][1][4][5][6][9][10][43] Each feather has a blackish or black-brown basal part, a shiny golden-orange outer edge (with glossy black edge marks as described above), and an inner matte red-brown zone,[8][13] with each feather bisected by a distinct light-coloured shaft that is narrowly edged in velvety black.[49][48]Moving towards the middle of the back, first a black band, then a red-yellow or cream-coloured band are added within the red-brown, both running parallel to the edges.[8] In the middle of the back, the feathers are broad and rounded, and are variegated with additional spots of light blue and purple.[47]On the shoulders and rest of the back, the golden hue deepens into a coppery purple, Indian-red, purplish-red, or chestnut hue with glossy violet and purplish lake tips.[51][52][53][5][9][10][11][17] Each scapular is broad and rounded,[47][13] and has a black-brown base with multiple rust-yellow spots and a matching shaft-streak, giving way to a pointed horseshoe- or broad U-shaped buff, cream, or whitish-yellow band[49][52][50][13] that is mottled with black speckles toward the centre.[47][5][10] This pale horsehoe is framed externally by a parallel, narrow, green- and blue-glossy black band,[47][51][50][17] before terminating in a broad, coppery-red[49][50][5][10][11][40] or chestnut,[51][48] purple-glossed outer fringe.[52][50][10][13][40] Along the very edge of the feather tip, an extremely narrow, faint black, toothed margin can occasionally be distinguished.[51]The scapular regions have a highly variegated, scaly appearance because on most of their feathers, besides the dark-rufous or copper-red edge, the inner matte cream, pale buff, or pale ochre central pattern is well exposed when the plumage is properly arranged.[5][10][11] |
| Rump and Uppertail-Coverts | The lower back, rump, and upper tail coverts feature a ground colour of dark coppery-red,[50][5][8][10][11] deep chestnut-red,[49] or red-maroon.[9] This unbroken surface colour is created by dense, elongated feathers with loose, frayed, hair-like distal fringes that lay smoothly across one another over the base of the tail.[47][51][50][10] These highly exposed outer margins gloss strongly with a purple,[51][49][52][44][50][53][8][10][45][11] violet,[6][17] or purplish-lake colour.[1][9] Under shifting viewing angles, these deep red surface feathers can throw off subtle green or greyish highlights.[47][48] Furthermore, while the upper tail coverts are predominantly glossed purplish and usually lack green gloss,[6] they may occasionally display a noticeable dark green or greenish gloss or tint.[13][40][43]Structurally beneath this uniform purple surface layer, the hidden and intermediate zones of the feathers reveal a highly complex, regionalised pattern. The deeply concealed bases of the rump feathers are cinnamon to yellow-brown, finely vermiculated with blackish-sepia.[8][13][17] Moving outward toward the surface, these bases give way to transitional, crescent-shaped bands characterised by a predominance of metallic blue or violet gloss (contrasting with the glossy-green crescent-shaped bands seen in P. c. septentrionalis).[6] The long upper tail coverts shift to an olive- to buff-brown base with sepia vermiculations.[48][17] These dark inner patterns are hidden by broad, solid chestnut or coppery-red terminal borders,[10][11][17] though indistinct shiny brown structural markings are present near their hidden bases.[10][11] |
| Rectrices | The tail is composed of 18 (rarely 16 or 20) rectrices, dominated by highly elongated and tapered central feathers.[47][1][50][8][11] The fringes of the rectrices are broadly bordered, partly decomposed, loose-webbed, or hair-like,[47][50][8][10][13][17] with this tattered, frayed appearance becoming highly pronounced along the margins in older males.[8] The base colour of the central tail feathers down the centre is variably described as yellowish-brown,[49][48] golden-olivaceous,[52][50][53][8] light olive-brown,[1] or brownish-olive to brownish-olive-ochre,[10][45][11][40] or as buff-brown[17] or dull greenish-yellow variegated with yellowish-grey,[47] often tinted with olive.[8][9] They are crossed by a series of distinct irregular black transverse bars which are generally narrow,[47][49][48][4][6][5][9][13][17] particularly on the basal half where they usually measure 1.5–2.5 mm.[1][5][8][10][11] These black bands are wide-set[1][9][17] and progressively increase in width, becoming broader toward the tips of the feathers;[1][8][10][11] however, individual variation is high, and the black markings can occasionally be rather wide, varying significantly in number, shape, and position.[50][6] The spaces between the bands usually feature blackish speckles, splashes, or small spots.[50]Moving outward from this olivaceous yellow-brown centre, the feather layout transitions first into a reddish-brown zone,[8] before finishing at the outer margins of the tail feathers with a distinct broad, tattered, coppery-red,[50][10][11][8][40][17] fiery purple,[52] or rufous colouration glossed with purplish lake, pink-purple, or green.[47][49][48][1][9][45][17] This reddish colour manifests on the central feathers as a broad longitudinal band or a pointed stripe running down the sides.[47][48][50]Moving outward from the central rectrices toward the lateral tail feathers, the black banding and the shiny outer borders progressively fade or become less distinct.[8] Concurrently, the inner webs and tips of these outer feathers become increasingly blackish-speckled, mottled, or wholly vermiculated with grey-buff and dull black,[48][50][8][17] or shade into blackish-brown towards the margins of the inner web.[1] The extreme outer feathers display this black mottling and vermiculation across both webs.[48][17] The lower surface of the tail feathers appears dark black-brown or blackish, with very little of the upper pattern showing through.[50]The tail is described by some as being lighter compared to P. c. talischensis,[4] although this lighter colouration is not always constant.[6] |
| Wing-Coverts and Remiges | The upper, lesser, and median wing-coverts are sandy-brown or sandy-rufous,[4][5][6][9] deep buff,[17] yellow-brown,[50][8] cinnamon-brown,[13] rufous-brown,[45][40] or brownish.[46] This colouration is noted by some authorities to be lighter compared to P. c. talischensis,[4] though this is not always the case.[6] The marginal and outer coverts feature lighter pale or yellowish-white shafts and shaft-streaks,[49][50][8] complemented by cream or yellowish-white arc-like, jagged, or arched patterns over a blackish, dull black, or brown base.[47][51][50][8][17] The inner, median and greater coverts are golden olivaceous varied with ochreous,[52][53] widely margined dark red,[47][1] copper-red,[50][8][13][40] rufous-purple,[17] or coppery-purple.[52][53] There is a distinct absence of any white markings on the shoulders and wing coverts.[44]The base colour of the primaries, primary coverts, and alula ranges from dark brown,[52][53] brown,[8][13] and dark sepia,[17] to light brown,[1] dull greyish brown,[49] light brownish-grey,[47] or smoky-dun.[50] The secondaries share a similar dark base but are often more heavily tinged with brown,[47] buff-brown,[1][17] or brownish-white[50] at the edges, featuring fine black specks or blackish splashes.[50][17] The flight feathers are crossed by short, curved, interrupted, or oblique bars and band-like spots of cream-colour,[49][8] whitish buff,[1][17] yellowish white,[50] or ochreous buff.[52][53][13] These bars are more irregular on the secondaries and can become vague, streak-like, or entirely absent on the outer webs and tips of the primaries.[17] Conversely, the banding is even more distinct on the inner vanes of the primary flight feathers.[50]The lower surface of the wing and the axillaries are pale grey,[17] yellowish-grey,[47] or patterned like the upper side but in a very pale layout, mottled with pale buff.[50] The smaller underwing coverts appear buff or cinnamon, mottled with black.[17] |
| Flanks | The ground colour of the flanks is a purplish coppery-red,[13] rich coppery-orange,[9][17] rich golden-orange,[48][52][53][10][11] golden-red,[40] fiery golden-copper,[8] or fiery orange-red.[1] They are similar to the breast plumage but display a more yellowish or distinctly golden-orange tinge.[51][52][53] Individually, the flank feathers are brown or black at the base and centre, turning reddish-brown in the middle before transitioning to the brilliant, shining fiery golden or copper pre-apical band positioned right in front of the square tip.[8][13] In comparison to related subspecies, the flanks are described as darker and more intense coppery red than in P. c. septentrionalis,[4] darker and more rufescent golden than in P. c. persicus,[5] and darker with an admixture of purple or copper-red tint compared to both P. c. talischensis and P. c. persicus.[10]The flank feathers finish with a square tip,[8][13] marked by a prominent, deep velvety black terminal margin,[10][11][8][40] which forms a bold triangular blackish-violet band.[51][17] On these dark markings, a blue-violet, blue, or violet shine and purple iridescence dominate, showing a brilliant deep blue,[48] greenish-blue or purple,[4][9] purplish-black,[13] rich purple,[1] purple-pink,[17] violett-blue,[10][43] or violet[51] gloss depending on the light angle. On the lower flanks, this purple-blue gloss tends to diminish.[17] |
| Crop, Chest, and Breast | The lower neck, chest, and breast are of a beautiful rusty,[50] copper-red,[10][45][11][40] purplish copper-red,[13] rich brown-red,[48] fiery orange-red,[1] deep copper-orange,[9][17] or fiery golden-copper colour.[8] The general colour is darker and more copper-red compared to P. c. talischensis and P. c. persicus, and deeper, less pale golden-orange compared to P. c. septentrionalis,[10] also more rufescent golden than P. c. persicus.[5]The feathers feature black or brown bases,[52][53][8][13] shifting to a reddish-brown or rufescent golden middle,[52][53][8] before displaying a brilliant golden, purple-bronze, or purple-pink iridescence in front of the tip,[50][53][8][17] and finished with a broad, deep velvety or metallic black terminal edge.[49][44][4][8][9][11][40] Solokha instead notes a purple-violet basal band in typical P. c. colchicus from the western part of its range, and a brown-red basal zone on the front chest feathers in var. lorenzi from the eastern part of its range, the former also having wider black edges.[46] The velvety black borders are consistently wider than 1 mm, frequently measuring between 2 and 2.5 mm,[44][5][6][10] with a single individual feather of the lower crop reaching up to 13.5 mm in total width between the lateral ends of the black seam.[44] The black margins reflect strong tints of golden, copper, purple-blue, or a dominant blue/violet (cherry) gloss,[49][4][6][9][10][45][17][43] or an ultramarine blue, azure, or violet gleam depending on the light.[50]The crop feathers are broad and abruptly rounded rather than narrowed apically.[47][44][6][10] They feature a slight notch, emargination, or faint indentation at the end of the shaft,[47][44][6][10][13] forming two broad lobes, or a slightly W-shaped or dentated layout, where the black border can reach pointedly upward from the center of the notch.[51][44][6][17]Indentations or W-shaped margins present on the upper breast gradually diminish further down.[47][17] The apex of the lower breast feathers ranges from abruptly rounded or square to pointed and irregularly diamond-shaped, often bearing a small black triangular or crescent-shaped terminal spot.[52][44][50][53][13] The lower middle portion of the breast often transitions into a dark purplish-green, dark green, or blackish-brown glossed with green.[47][1][4][9][17] The ends of the breast feathers bordering the belly form a prominent semi-encircling band characterised by a dark green, greenish-blue, or glossy copper-red sheen [BD35, DG52].[10][11][43] In var. lorenzi specimens, the middle of the breast is usually glossed purplish red-bronze rather than dark purplish green.[4][6][45] |
| Belly and Undertail-Coverts | The centre of the abdomen and belly is matte blackish-brown,[4][5][8][9][10][11] dull black,[48][45][13][17] dull greyish-brown,[47] dusky-brown,[6] dark brown mixed with rufous,[1][40] dark chocolate-brown,[9] or brownish-black,[49][50] in variant "lorenzi" matte chocolate-brown,[5][10] brown,[6][45] reddish brown,[10][40] matte copper-red,[40] or matte rusty-brown.[54][4]The anterior part of the belly is bordered or semi-bordered by a prominent band formed by the shiny, glossy tips of the adjacent feathers of the breast.[10][11] The sides and upper portions of the belly are glossed with dark purplish-green,[1][4][5][9][17] green,[6][43] dark green,[5][10] blue-green,[5][45][17] greenish-blue,[10] purplish-blue,[8] or purple;[13] in variant "lorenzi" copper-red,[5][6][10][45] purplish red-bronze,[4] or bluish.[45]The primary ground colour of the undertail-coverts is chestnut,[10][11] deep red,[48] or reddish-brown/rufous-chestnut,[47][8][17] in variant "lorenzi" lighter, matte rusty brown.[54][4] These coverts are marked with black,[13][17] featuring blackish bases,[8] black shiny spots,[10][11] or shiny greenish-black spots situated just in front of the feather tips.[8] Alternatively, some authors group the undertail-coverts with the lower abdomen, defining them as blackish-brown,[4][9][13] brownish-black,[49] dark brown mixed with rufous,[1] or brown-black with light reddish-brown sides and shafts,[50] with the tattered belly and vent feathers appearing as a mixed light brown, grey, and blackish.[50]The thigh feathers are dark brown, light reddish-brown, or yellow-brown at the sides and tips.[50] |
| Iris, Bill, and Feet | In youth, the iris is light brown,[50] changing to rusty-brown,[8][11] yellow-brown,[50][17] or hazel-brown,[13] and finally turning into a vivid rusty-yellow or orange-yellow in old males.[47][50][17] Some also report deep brown or dark-brown colours.[52][1][53]The bill is brown in youth,[50] changing in adults to pale greenish-yellow or dull pea-green,[47][49][13][17] light brownish-yellow,[50][8][11] whitish-horn,[1][48] or horn-yellow.[17] The nasal membrane is light brown or flesh-coloured.[47]The legs and feet are lead-coloured in youth with brownish-yellow soles,[50] and in adults range from dirty grey,[10][11] leaden-grey,[48] light grey tinged with brown,[47] or horn-grey[13][17] to light or dull brown,[11][52][1][53] greyish-brown,[17] or horn-colour.[49][8][1] Adult males feature a pair of thick and sharp spurs.[1][8] The claws are light chocolate-brown[47] to dark-brown or blackish.[50] |
| ♀️ Click [show] to view comprehensive Female plumage accounts | |
|---|---|
| Anatomical Feature | Detailed Female Description |
| Baseline Colouration and Pattern Scheme | The margins of the main body feathers, scapulars, and tail feathers exhibit a neutral sandy-brownish colour.[47][52][53][10][11] This baseline shade deepens into a rich, saturated reddish-warm tone across the hindneck, mantle centres, breast patches, and the central tail patterns,[47][52][1][53][40] while fading into a highly desaturated tint along the narrow tail cross-bars and the wing primary bands.[48][52][8][13] In the female, these three distinct colour tiers (reddish-warm tone / neutral / pale) vary individually between:
|
| Head and Neck | The bare skin patch around the eye is small and fleshy-red,[50] while the sides of the head are otherwise feathered and not bare.[52] A broad, pale, mixed brownish- and greyish-white or pink-buff stripe runs over the eye,[50][17] accompanied by an elongate patch of white, black-tipped feathers directly below the eye.[1][9] The ear-coverts are neutral,[17] and the cheeks are neutral streaked or barred with dark.[50][17]The forehead and crown are dark, frequently tinged or banded with red or black,[47][48] and heavily broken up with neutral to pale bars, spots, and edges.[52][1][50][53][13][17]The feathers on the back and sides of the neck feature dark centres with neutral margins or tips,[1][9][13] often displaying a slight pinkish tinge and a glossy crimson and purple line or purplish-pink gloss across the tip.[1][13] The chin and throat are plain, pale, and entirely unspotted,[47][13][17] sometimes with a rufous or reddish cast.[1][11] |
| Mantle, Back, Interscapulars, and Scapulars | The upper body feathers are characterised by a combination of dark central/basal portions and broad outermost neutral to pale margins.[49][52][1][53][8][17] The feathers of the mantle and interscapular region have a rich reddish-warm tone.[48][1][13][17] They are heavily marked with broad dark subterminal U- or V-marks,[48][1][17] and are finished with broad neutral fringes that can be finely mottled with black or dusky shades at the tips.[52][1][53][9][17]Moving down toward the back, the dark central markings form large, elongated, or lanceolate glossy spots.[50][17] In this region, each dark spot features a whitish shaft-streak and is surrounded by a reddish-warm stripe; this stripe is separated from the broad pale feather edge by a dark zigzag line or rows of dots.[50][17] The rest of the back is neutral with dark centres and dark tips.[48]The scapulars match the back pattern [Delacour1964]. Their dark feather bases project forward in a sharp point toward a neutral tip.[17] They feature broad pale fringes with olive tinged borders and mottling.[17] |
| Rump and Uppertail-Coverts | The lower back and rump are neutral, with the central part of each feather being dark.[48][1] The dark colour on the feather bases projects forward in a distinct point toward a neutral tip, and the feathers feature broad pale fringes with olive-tinged borders and mottling.[17] Structurally, the rump plumage follows the same pattern model as the back and wing-coverts, but it carries less dark and less reddish-warm colouration overall.[50]The upper tail-coverts are patterned like the back, but the longer coverts are distinctively pale-barred.[17] They display neutral markings mixed with pale mottling.[10][11] |
| Rectrices | The central tail feathers feature a broad, darker central field around the shaft that occupies a larger part of the width of the web, bordered on its outermost edges by narrower, paler, less prominent lateral margins.The central field is of a rich reddish-warm colouration,[48][9][10] heavily intersected by well-spaced, bold, oblique-shaped, or irregular transverse pattern blocks consisting of narrow pale lines and bars,[48][50][8] that are on both sides flanked and broadly bordered by heavy dark markings near the central shaft,[50][9][17] with both components progressively diminishing in width as they extend outward.[17]The neutral background colour of the narrower feather margins has a distinct olive tinge and is mottled, splashed, and vermiculated with medium-dark specks, speckles, splashes and dots.[47][48][52][1][50][53][8][9][10][11][13][17] The edges of the tail feathers are not noticeably frayed or tattered.[8]The outer or lateral tail feathers are structurally very similar to the central pair, but their bars are closer and narrower,[1][17] and their inner webs shade into blackish brown towards the margins.[1] On the underside, the tail is dark and spotted with medium-dark; the pattern of the upper side shines through, making the pale bars appear even more distinct on the bottom surface.[50] |
| Wing-Coverts and Remiges | The upper wing-coverts are lighter than the back, appearing pale, or medium-dark richly variegated with neutral.[47][52][53] The secondary upper wing-coverts are pale with broad fringes, marked with dark heart-shaped or crescent-shaped subterminal dots at the tips and dark dots at their bases.[50][17] The wing-coverts mirror the general pattern model of the back, but feature less dark and less reddish-warm colouration overall.[50] The tertials are dark, mottled with medium-dark and barred/edged with pale, closely resembling the intricate pattern of the back.[8][17]Primaries, primary coverts, and alula quills are medium-dark.[52][50][53][17] They are regularly crossed by irregular, wide, pale stripe-like transverse bars.[49][50][8] These bars are wider, straighter, and more distinct in males,[17] while on females they are coarser, especially on the outer webs of the secondaries.[1] The primaries are barred on the outer webs and mottled on the inner webs with pale,[48] and their tips (except the outermost) are margined with pale.[17] The secondaries are similar, but their medium-dark bars are partly mottled with neutral, and their tips are fringed with pale.[48][17]The underwing-coverts and axillaries are of a washed-out dark tone, indistinctly crossed or barred with pale.[17] |
| Flanks | The flanks are neutral, variegated with dark V-marks, double kidney-shaped dark spots (without a rusty surrounding), or bold dark-and-neutral bars.[49][48][52][1][50][53][17] The flank feathers are edged with pale and can be finely mottled with medium-dark at their tips.[1][17] |
| Crop, Chest, and Breast | The foreneck, crop, and upper breast feathers are reddish-warm coloured, washed with a warm vinous or pinkish tinge.[48][52][1][8][13] These feathers feature a dark transverse pattern, an irregular dark line, or dark subterminal U-marks near the tips, though the basal parts are almost entirely hidden by the lighter neutral or reddish-warm tips.[48][1][8][17]The sides of the breast are patterned similarly to the mantle, though the bases are of a lighter neutral tone.[10][11][17] The breast is neutral with a pale reddish tinge.[49][53][8][10][11] It can be entirely unmarked, finely vermiculated with dark lines, peppered with sparse dark spotting, or carry small, kidney-shaped dark spots at the tips within a faint reddish-warm surrounding.[50][8][10][11][13][17] |
| Belly and Undertail-Coverts | The middle of the breast, abdomen, and vent are pale.[48][8][13][17] This region is finely vermiculated with medium-dark dots, though it often appears completely unspotted or has only weakly showing medium-dark markings.[48][8][10][11][13][17]The under tail-coverts are of a reddish-warm tone, irregularly and sharply barred with alternating medium-dark, neutral, or dark transverse bands, and finished with pale tips.[50][17] |
| Iris, Bill, and Feet | The iris is brown, yellow-brown, light brown, or hazel.[50][13][17]The bill is horn-brown or blackish-brown,[48][13][17] and the legs and feet are greyish-brown or brownish-grey.[13][17] |
Photographs: Photographs are available from Georgia (Kakhet'i region and Tbilisi),[55][56][57] from the Nestos Delta in Greece,[58][59][60][61] and from the Marmara Region in Turkey.[62][63][64]
Measurements: Male wing length: Ogilvie-Grant:[2] 257 mm; Hartert, Delacour:[8][13] 238–256 mm; Dementyev:[11] n = 3: 250–253 mm (mean 251 mm); Vaurie:[14] n = 10: 235–255 mm (mean 245 mm).
Distribution: In the past, it ranged from Bulgaria and Greece through northern Turkey to Georgia (along the coast of the Black Sea, extending north to Sukhumi and south to Batumi),[65] Azerbaijan, extreme southern Dagestan, Armenia, and northwestern Iran. It is generally assumed that the populations in Europe and Turkey west of the Chorokh Valley were introduced by humans from the Colchis region in ancient times, and that the subspecies' original range was restricted to the Caucasus. This notion is challenged by the fact that common pheasants where already present in a number of Neolithic settlements in Bulgaria (e.g., Mursalevo, Dolnoslav, Kazanlak, Galabovo, and Sozopol) during 6000–5000 BC.[38][39] Today, only relict populations remain, and the survival of the nominate subspecies is highly threatened by the introduction of hunting pheasants, which genetically swamp the native form.
In the western part of its range, which extends from Greece to the Colchis Lowland, only a few native populations survive today. In the Colchis region, these are restricted to a small area within the Lake Paliastomi basin and the Rioni River basin.[66] It does not ascend to the narrow valleys of the upper Rion.[9] It is now extinct in the Rioni and Qvirila valleys above Kutaisi,[9] in the Chorokh Valley of southern Georgia and extreme northeastern Turkey, as well as in the Kodori River valley of Abkhazia. In Turkey, relatively pure populations persist on the Black Sea coast in the Sinop–Samsun–Ünye region and near Trabzon.[31][67] In the Marmara region of Turkey,[67][68][69] in northeastern Greece (Macedonia and Thrace),[33][34][36][32] and in southeastern Bulgaria (the Maritsa and Tundja basins),[35][70][71] formerly pure populations have been lost through hybridisation following introductions from game farms and for hunting purposes. For example, P. c. torquatus was introduced into Bulgaria in 1895, and P. c. mongolicus on a large scale between 1962 and 1989, leading to the genetic extinction of the nominate form around 1990.[70] An isolated population also existed on the border between Albania and Montenegro, south of Lake Skadar and east of Dulcigno (modern Ulcinj).[34][37] The only genetically pure population in Europe appears to survive in the Kotza Orman (Κοτζά Ορμάν) riparian forest of the Nestos River delta in Greece (about 250 individuals, stable since 2012).[32]
In the eastern part of its range, it is restricted to the basins of the Kura (Mtkvari), Iori, Alazani, lower Araks (Aras, Araz) rivers and their tributaries in Transcaucasia (Georgia, Azerbaijan, extreme southern Armenia, and northwestern Iran).[66][72][29] Birds in the lower Kura and lower Araks basins refer to variant "lorenzi" according to Buturlin.[4][45] In the Kura valley in Georgia, it ascends to about the Borjomi Gorge; it is rare above Gori in the Liakhvi Plains, more common in the lower Ksani and lower Aragvi valleys; in the Iori valley it does not reach the plains of Tianeti, along the Alazani river it occurs all the way to the Pankisi Gorge; in the Ayrichay (=Ajri) depression it ascends to Sheki, and further east to Agsu and Shamakhi.[9] In Iran, small populations occur in the mountains of the protected Arasbaran area and the Kalibar Mountains, in the semi-arid northern parts of the Mughan Plain, and along the Aras River as far as Jolfa.[73] In Armenia, it has been genetically swamped by hunting pheasants over most of its range; only small populations survive in the southern Araks valley along the border with Iran (around Shvanidzor) and near the border with Azerbaijan (Kapan, Yeghvardi, Nerkin Hand). Historically, in the Araks valley, P. c. colchicus never ascended much further than Ordubad (in Nakhichevan). It occurred only in the southern (and possibly extreme northeastern) parts of Armenia, particularly near the border regions with Iran and Azerbaijan. In Nagorno-Karabakh, it ascended the Tartar River valley to elevations of up to 1,500 m, reaching approximately the village of Hasanriz.[74] In Azerbaijan, this subspecies is now extinct in the Kura–Araz Plain, the Lankaran Plain (including the Ghizil-Agaj State Reserve), the Samur–Shabran Plain, and the Nakhichivan–Arazboyu Plain; small populations survive in several nature reserves in the foothills of the Greater and Lesser Caucasus, including Gusar, Sheki, and Uludüz.[75] Populations in the coastal lowlands of northeastern Azerbaijan (Quba–Khachmaz) are of uncertain subspecific status (P. c. septentrionalis vs. P. c. colchicus), but likely belong to P. c. septentrionalis.[11][75]
Habitat: Open deciduous riverine forests with dense undergrowth intertwined with thorny climbing plants; thickets of oleaster.[11] On the Black Sea coast, it occurs in coastal forests, pseudo-maquis and heathlands from sea level to 400 m.[69][68] In the Rioni River valley, it populates natural forest clearings with a dense undergrowth of Smilax and Clematis.[9] Along rivers such as Kura and Araks, it inhabits extensive and dense reed beds (Phragmites spp.), and thickets of brambles (Rubus spp.) interspersed with willows (Salix spp.) and tamarisks (Tamarix spp.),[11][66] ascending to 750–880 m above sea level.[4][10] In the Kapan region, it occurs in oak forests with dense understorey and adjacent open shrublands (Quercus spp., Carpinus spp., Corylus spp., Paliurus spp.), at elevations of about 800–1,000 m.[66] It may also occur seasonally in grain fields, maize fields, and tea plantations.[11] In the Tartar River valley, it ascends to elevations of up to 1,500 m.[74]
1.1.2. Phasianus colchicus septentrionalis (West Caspian or North Caucasian black-necked pheasant)
Authority and original description: Lorenz, T. K. 1888.[54]
Type locality: North side of the Caucasus.[54]
Protonym and synonyms:[76]
- Phasianus septentrionalis — protonym
Local names: Şimali Qafqaz qırqovulu (Azerbaijani: North Caucasian Pheasant), Северокавказский фазан (Russian: North Caucasian Pheasant)
Description:[54][11][8] This subspecies is similar to P. c. colchicus, but males are generally paler, less heavily marked with purplish black above, and less barred with purplish blue below,[14] with general colouring more of a golden-red or golden-orange rather than coppery-red.[11] The black feather margins on the breast and sides lack purple-blue tones but often show a dark greenish gloss.[54] The mantle and lower back are also less purple-blue than in P. c. colchicus.[8] The edges of the central tail feathers are not copper-red with purple-violet gloss, but greyish-red, sometimes in certain light conditions with a greenish gloss.[8] The front belly and the outer vanes of the tail feathers may show a greenish-violet rather than a purple-violet gloss.[54] Females are slightly paler than those of P. c. colchicus.[11] The following collapsed table provides detailed plumage descriptions.
| Click [show] to view comprehensive plumage accounts | |
|---|---|
| Anatomical Feature | Detailed Description |
| Baseline Colouration and Pattern Scheme | The general colouration is lighter, paler, and more golden-orange above, and less purplish compared to nominal P. c. colchicus.[4][9][10][11][13][14][17][43] The black markings on the mantle, back, crop, chest, and flanks are dominated by a distinct green metallic gloss or sheen.[4][6][5][9][10][11] |
| Head and Neck | The centre of the crown is lighter than in nominal P. c. colchicus,[54] being described as bronze-green[9][10][45] or golden-green along with the nape.[65] The rest of the head and neck, including the ear tufts and throat, feature a bright, metallically shiny dark green.[9][10][65]While the throat and neck region are generally greener than in the nominate subspecies,[43] descriptions of its gloss vary: the sides of the neck often show hardly any purple-blue gloss compared to P. c. colchicus,[54][4][9] yet some authors note a violet or blue-violet tint on the sides and front of the neck region.[65][10][45][40] Due to this variance, using the neck sheen as a diagnostic trait is cautioned against.[6]A white collar is entirely absent with no traces,[5][10][14] and there is never any trace of a white eyebrow.[6] |
| Mantle, Back and Scapulars | The upper back is a golden-orange,[65][4][9][10][11] golden-rufous,[40] or bright coppery-red[13] shade that lacks the highly evident violet-purple sheen of P. c. colchicus,[8] showing a reduced purplish orange shade.[13] Compared to P. c. persicus, it is darker and more rufescent golden.[5] Feathers on the upper back are golden-orange with narrow, velvety-black edges[65][40] and a black apical shaft stripe[10] that show a distinct greenish metallic gloss or tint.[4][6][5][9][10][11][43]The scapulars appear copper-red or Indian-red with a purple or violet tint,[65][10][40] exhibiting a highly distinct variegated, scaled appearance when the plumage is naturally arranged.[5][10] Like in the nominate subspecies, this pattern is formed by an inner matte cream, pale buff, or pale ochre centre with black speckles (overall appearing brown) bounded by a pale ochre rim, which is separated from the red margins by a U-shaped blackish-brown frame running parallel to the edges of the feather.[65][5][10] |
| Rump and Uppertail-Coverts | The lower back and middle of the rump are copper-red with a purple or violet tint,[65][10] the feathers being margined coppery-maroon.[4][9] The lower back is less violet-purplish than in nominal P. c. colchicus;[8] instead, a green metallic gloss dominates the crescents separating the hidden and exposed parts of the rump feathers,[6] manifesting as faint brown markings or speckles with a metallic green sheen,[65] though some authors generally describe the region as possessing a greenish tint or sheen,[40][43] and another notes a clear purple metallic sheen instead.[45]The upper tail coverts are partly dissected and hair-like, matching the edges of the rectrices,[10] and lack a green gloss on these hair-like outer portions.[6] |
| Rectrices | Down the centre, the long, tapering rectrices are brownish-olive-ochre,[10] brownish-olive,[40][45] or yellow-brown.[65] Their edges are partly decomposed and hair-like.[10] The rectrices are bordered with copper-red[10][40] or copper-violet.[65] Compared to nominate P. c. colchicus, these borders lack a pure purple sheen; they are less violet-purple, appearing grey-reddish or greenish out of direct light,[8] with the outer vanes of the central feathers displaying a greenish-purple sheen.[54]Similarly to P. c. colchicus, the transverse black bars at the central rectrices are narrow (1.5–2.5 mm or less) at the basal half and wide-set, becoming broader toward the tips.[65][4][6][5][9][10][40][17] The lateral tail feathers feature black speckles.[65] |
| Wing-Coverts and Remiges | Upper wing-coverts are lighter than in P. c. colchicus,[54] showing a sandy-brown, rufous-brown, sandy-rufous, or isabelline tint,[4][6][5][9][45][40][17] though the greater coverts have copper-violet edges,[65] appearing as sparse, shiny copper-red streaks.[40]The upperside of the wing is richly ochre, while the remiges are brown with pale cross-speckles.[65] |
| Flanks | The flanks transition smoothly from the breast, turning from golden-orange or golden-red into copper-red on the lower flanks.[65][10][40] The general colour is lighter, paler, and less purplish-orange than nominal P. c. colchicus,[4][9][11][13] but darker and more rufescent-golden than P. c. persicus and P. c. talischensis due to a slight purple or copper-red tint.[5][10] The black terminal borders of the elongated flank feathers are wider than in P. c. colchicus[54] and are dominated by a distinct dark green metallic gloss rather than the purple-blue sheen seen in nominal P. c. colchicus.[54][4][8][9][10][11][43] |
| Crop, Chest, and Breast | The crop and breast are coppery-orange[9] or shiny copper-red,[10][65][40] appearing lighter and more golden than nominal P. c. colchicus[11] but darker than P. c. talischensis and P. c. persicus.[5][10] At certain angles, a slight violet tint may be visible,[65] though the sides of the front chest completely lack the highly evident violet-purple sheen of P. c. colchicus.[8] The basal band of the chest feathers is brownish-red rather than purple-violet, structurally resembling P. c. talischensis and P. c. colchicus var. lorenzi.[46]Morphologically, these feathers are not narrowed toward the tip; they are merely rounded at the apex, less emarginated than in P. c. talischensis and P. c. persicus, and feature a small terminal notch or indentation that forms two broad lobes.[6][5][10]Their black apical margins are broadly tipped and much wider than in P. c. colchicus (exceeding 1 mm, usually 2–2.5 mm),[54][4][6][5][9][10][40] carrying a dominant dark green or bluish-green metallic gloss instead of the purple-blue gloss of P. c. colchicus.[54][4][6][5][8][9][10][45][11]The middle of the breast is shiny dark purplish-green,[4][9][17] and where the breast framing meets the darker belly, the shiny tips of these adjacent feathers form a distinct dark green or greenish-blue border across the front.[10][43] |
| Belly and Undertail-Coverts | The upper section of the belly is semi-bordered by the glossy dark green,[54][6][5][10][43] dark purplish-green,[4][9][17] or blue-green/greenish-blue[5][10][45] tips of the surrounding breast and flank feathers. The centre of the belly is glossy black anteriorly,[54][65] turning blackish,[45] matte black-brown,[54][10] blackish-brown,[4][5][9] or dark brown with a reddish tint[40] further down. Towards the undertail it may transition into rufous.[65]The centre of the belly and the undertail-coverts are typically darker than in P. c. talischensis and P. c. colchicus var. lorenzi.[4][9]The undertail-coverts themselves are subject to varying descriptions, characterized either as blackish-brown,[4][9][17] matte blackish-brown with brown apical margins,[54] or as chestnut/rusty with black pre-apical shiny spots.[65][10] |
| Female | The female is noticeably paler than the female of nominal P. c. colchicus.[8][10][11][14] Her plumage is a uniform clay-brown with an ochre throat, a faint lilac-pink tint on the neck, and blackish-brown spots on the head.[65] Feathers of the back, shoulders, flanks, and uppertail feature blackish-brown centres with wide, rusty-brown rims.[65] The upper tail coverts and large scapulars display wide brown transverse stripes; on the scapulars, these dark bands are neatly divided in half by narrow ochre transverse lines.[65] The crop, breast, and abdomen are unspeckled when fresh, though worn feathers can develop faint, V-shaped brown spots across the crop and breast region.[65] |
Photographs: Photographs are available from Pyatigorsk,[77] from North Ossetia,[78] from Chechnya,[79][80] from Dagestan,[81] and from the Volga basin.[82][83][84]
Measurements: Male wing length: Hartert, Delacour:[8][13] n = 8: 242–255 mm; Dementyev:[11] n = 13: 250–267 mm (mean 258.5 mm).
Distribution: North Caucasus, including the basins of the Kuma, Terek, Sulak, and Kuban rivers, and the lower reaches of the Samur River; from Dagestan north to the Volga Delta (formerly also Ural Delta, where it is now extinct), south to northern slope of the Greater Caucasus and along the Caspian Sea coast at least as far as the Samur valley (possibly even to Absheron Peninsula).[65][10][11] In the 18th and 19th centuries, P. c. septentrionalis was considerably more widespread; it was reported from the eastern Azov region and the lower Don, from the lower Ural River possibly as far as the Orenburg region, from the lower Uzen River in the southeastern Trans-Volga Saratov region, from the Sarpinsky Lakes, and from the lower reaches of the Yeruslan River on the left bank of the Volga.[85] In the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, the subspecies' range in southern Russia was sharply reduced due to overhunting. Formerly, it also occurred as far as the mouth of the Kuban River,[86] but by the early 20th century it had been extirpated along the entire Black Sea coast. Various hybrid forms ("hunting pheasants") were released in hunting grounds in the Rostov and Volgograd regions, as well as in Kabardino–Balkaria, leading to their partial assimilation by the North Caucasian subspecies and contamination of its genotype; hunting pheasants also spread into the Rostov region from the Luhansk region via the Seversky Donets valley.[85] Breeding programmes aimed at restoring the native population have been conducted since 1958 at the Maykop (Kuzhorsky) Pheasant Farm and in Astrakhan, with mass releases in the Krasnodar and Rostov regions, along the Don and Volga rivers, at various localities along the Black Sea coast, and in North Ossetia.[85] The current distribution is highly fragmented, with remnant pure populations surviving mainly in eastern Ciscaucasia (populations in all western Ciscaucasia are hybrids to varying degrees and often show white neck-rings).[87][88] Possible pure populations may persist in the central Volga Delta and in the lower Terek Valley, where hunting pheasants were probably never released,[87] as well as in the "Steppe Pearl" protected area in Chechnya[89] and in the lower reaches of the Samur River.[25] Large spatio-temporal fluctuations in distribution occur due to flooding and other environmental factors.[11] Since the beginning of the 21st century, sporadic observations have been reported along the Caspian coast north of the Volga Delta, including near the village of Zaburunye and even in the vicinity of Atyrau.[90] The wild population is highly endangered by introduced hunting pheasants, which threaten to genetically swamp the native form. P. c. septentrionalis is currently listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Ingushetia,[91] the Red Book of the Chechen Republic,[92] the Red Book of the Karachay–Cherkess Republic,[93] and the Red Book of the Kabardino–Balkarian Republic.[94]
Habitat: Mosaic floodplain landscapes along riverbanks and islands, in dense thickets of willow, sea-buckthorn, and oleaster, along floodplain groves, in blackthorn scrub, reed beds, and along forest edges. In the floodplain forests of the Terek River, grey alder (Alnus incana), white poplar (Populus alba), and oak (Quercus robur) are accompanied by an undergrowth of hazel (Corylus avellana), warty spindle tree (Euonymus verrucosus), black elder (Sambucus nigra), blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), and sea-buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides), with a ground layer of reed (Phragmites australis), blackberry (Rubus caesius), reed grass (Calamagrostis arundinacea), ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris), and butterbur (Petasites albus); numerous islands and springs in these areas constitute the main habitat.[88] It often prefers reed beds on islands, riverbanks, levees, or floodplain embankments, as well as steppe gullies and shelterbelts; it also inhabits artificial forest plantations in steppe regions where natural ponds or watering points are present.[85] In mountainous areas, it is common for valleys to be greatly narrowed and surrounded by high mountains, up to about 600–800 m above sea level.[4] It avoids open ground, but in late summer and autumn it may enter maize and other cultivated areas.[11] It has been recorded along river valleys at elevations of up to 300 m along the Pshekha River in the western Krasnodar Territory, up to 450–550 m along the Belaya River, up to 700 m along the Kuban River, up to 950 m along the Podkumok River, and up to 1,000 m along the Chegem Gorge.[85] To the north, its distribution is limited by snow cover not exceeding an average depth of 10–20 cm; during particularly severe winters with heavy snowfall, local population crashes are common.[11][85]
1.1.3. Phasianus colchicus talischensis (South Caspian or Talysh black-necked pheasant)
Authority and original description: Lorenz, T.K. 1889.[95]
Type locality: Lenkoran (today in Azerbaijan, formerly in the Talysh Khanate).[95]
Protonym and synonyms:[96]
- Phasianus persicus talischensis — protonym
Local names: Talış qırqovulu (Azerbaijani: Talysh Pheasant), قرقاول تالشی (Persian: Talysh Pheasant), قرقاول گیلان (Persian: Gilan Pheasant), Талышский фазан (Russian: Talysh Pheasant)
Description:[95][11][8] This subspecies is similar to P. c. persicus. Males have the mid-breast and flanks purplish-carmine. Compared to P. c. colchicus, the chest feathers are more pointed apically and show a deep apical notch, with narrower black margins with purplish-blue gloss; compared to P. c. persicus, however, they are less pointed, and the notch is less pronounced, forming a clinal progression from P. c. colchicus through P. c. talischensis to P. c. persicus. The upper wing-coverts are often, but not always, darker than in P. c. colchicus, but consistently darker than in P. c. persicus, being brownish sand-coloured. The dark belly (which is often reddish-brown rather than blackish-brown) is bordered anteriorly by a brilliant purple-copper-red band. P. c. talischensis differs from P. c. colchicus and P. c. septentrionalis by its generally darker plumage and stronger purple (less greenish) gloss, with the lower back and upper tail-coverts uniformly purple without admixture of differently coloured feathers. It differs from P. c. persicus mainly in its consistently darker, sandy-brown upper wing-coverts. Females are usually darker than those of P. c. colchicus. The following collapsed table provides detailed plumage descriptions.
| Click [show] to view comprehensive plumage accounts | |
|---|---|
| Anatomical Feature | Detailed Description |
| Baseline Colouration and Pattern Scheme | The adult male represents somewhat of an intermediate form between P. c. colchicus and P. c. persicus.[11] The general colouration of the upperparts is safely separated from P. c. persicus by being distinctly darker and more rufescent-golden.[5][11] Conversely, the upper back closely resembles nominal P. c. colchicus, though the upper wing-coverts and tail are frequently darker.[8]A coppery-red sheen is noted to predominate across the interscapular region and lower chest,[6] which transitions into a coppery-orange or golden-organge tone on the crop and flanks.[10]This subspecies is safely distinguished from P. c. colchicus (including its variant lorenzi) by its narrower, sharper and more deeply notched chest feathers.[8] |
| Head and Neck | The centre of the crown is bronze-green, while the remaining parts of the head and ear tufts are dark green.[9] The throat is a blue-violet or dark metallic green carrying a metallic purple shimmer;[44][40][45] this purple colouration is particularly strong on the sides of the neck, setting them sharply apart from the pure metallic green of the nape.[44][9]There is never any trace of a white eyebrow line.[6] A white collar is typically entirely absent with no traces;[5][10][14] however, a small proportion of males may display a few random white-tipped feathers or even a very nearly complete white ring while remaining typical for the subspecies in all other morphological respects.[9][17] |
| Mantle, Back, and Scapulars | The upper back and mantle closely resemble nominal P. c. colchicus,[8] presenting a plumage that is intermediate between the nominate and P. c. persicus, but safely separated from P. c. persicus by its darker upperparts.[11] The mantle and sides of the upper back are purplish-orange[17], coppery-orange,[9] or golden-rufous,[40] with the front part of the back being darker with a more golden-orange rather than golden-yellow shade compared to P. c. persicus.[5][10] These foreback feathers feature narrow black margins[9][40] glossed with purple, green-blue, or violet.[9] A coppery-red sheen predominates on the interscapular and shoulder region,[6][40] often supplemented with a purple sheen.[40] The scapular regions display a highly distinct variegated, scaled appearance.[5][10] When the feathers are naturally arranged, their dark rufous or copper-red edges stand in sharp contrast to the inner matte cream, pale buff, or pale ochre centres.[5][9][10] These centres feature an area with black speckles surrounded by a U-shaped buff line, which is divided from the red margin by another black, U-shaped concentric line.[5][9][10] Compared to related forms, these pale scapular patches are noticeably narrower.[54] |
| Rump and Uppertail-Coverts | The lower back, middle of the rump, and upper tail coverts feature a primary ground colour of dark purple-red,[44] copper-red[5][10][40] or red-maroon.[9] The feathers are distinctly margined with coppery-maroon.[4][9] This region is heavily glossed with purple[45] or purplish-lake,[9] but it is distinctly darker with a more pronounced purplish tone compared to P. c. persicus.[10] Compared to P. c. persicus, the green colour and metallic gloss are much more strongly developed on the exposed sections of the forward rump feathers, however the upper tail coverts lack green gloss.[6] |
| Rectrices | The long, tapering central rectrices are brownish-olive down the middle, bordered with copper-red edges[45][40] and featuring a purple tint along their fanned outer margins.[45] Overall, the central tail feathers exhibit a lighter colouration than in P. c. persicus, but are frequently darker than in nominal P. c. colchicus including its variant lorenzi.[54][4][8] The transverse dark or black bars across the central tail feathers are narrow[4][6][5][9][10][17] and sparse or wide-set,[40] measuring roughly 1.5 to 2.5 mm on the basal half of the middle pair.[5][10] |
| Wing-Coverts and Remiges | The upper wing-coverts are characteristically dark, sandy brown,[4][5][9][17] sandy rufous,[4][9] reddish sandy-brown,[1][17] brown,[6] or dark chocolate to rufous-brown,[10][45] There is never any white on the shoulders or wing-coverts.[44] In terms of shade, they are darker than in nominal P. c. colchicus including var. lorenzi,[54][4][8] and significantly darker than in P. c. persicus.[54][11] |
| Flanks | The general flank colour is purplish-orange[17] or coppery-orange,[9] with black terminal margins that are narrower than in P. c. persicus (approaching the narrow borders of nominal P. c. colchicus).[54] These margins can carry a variable gloss of purple, green-blue, or violet.[9]In general tone, the flanks are lighter and more golden-orange compared to P. c. colchicus (including var. lorenzi) and P. c. septentrionalis, lacking their deep copper-red or purple shade,[10] while remaining darker than in P. c. persicus, showing a more pronounced golden-red, golden-orange or rufescent-golden cast.[5][10][40]Morphologically, the ends of these elongated flank feathers are rounded or wedge-shaped, sometimes featuring a slight terminal notch.[6] |
| Crop, Chest, and Breast | Like the flanks, the crop is lighter in colour compared to P. c. colchicus (including var. lorenzi) and P. c. septentrionalis, lacking their deep copper-red or purple tint,[10] or showing only a very faint purple shimmer.[8]The crop and breast feathers narrow noticeably toward the tip,[6][10][11] being more pointed and deeply emarginated at the apex compared to P. c. colchicus (including var. lorenzi) and septentrionalis,[44][4][5][9][43] though less pointed and more shallowly emarginated than in P. c. persicus.[54] The terminal part of the shaft is divided at the apex by a deep notch into two broad, spherically-pointed lobes.[44][6][10][11]The black apical margins of these feathers are extremely narrow, narrower than in P. c. colchicus,[54][43] — measuring 1 mm or slightly less[44][6][5][10][45] — with the black border extending further upward along the quill from the centre notch.[44] These narrow black margins are glossed with purple,[1][9] purplish-blue,[14] dark blue,[4][46] or greenish-black.[5] The front chest feathers possess a wide, wine-red basal band with a rusty tone.[46] A feather of the lower crop is approximately 11.5 mm wide between the side ends of the black margin.[44]Distinct from the narrow-bordered centre plumage, the feathers on the sides of the breast are bright brownish-red with a moderately wide black seam that is widest in the middle, often forming an irregular diamond shape.[44]The middle of the breast is a distinct purplish red-bronze,[4][9][17] shiny purple-copper-red,[10][40][43] or purplish carmine,[1] which contrasts with the rusty-red or bright brownish-red lower breast and abdomen.[13] |
| Belly and Undertail-Coverts | Unlike the typically blackish lower underparts of P. c. colchicus and P. c. septentrionalis, the lower breast and the abdomen are a distinct rusty-red,[13] brick-red,[7] matte coppery-red,[40] fox-red,[8] dark brown with a reddish tint,[40] or rusty-brown.[4][9] In this, it is approached by variant lorenzi of the nominate form. The sides of the belly are purplish red-bronze[4][9] or purplish carmine.[1] Notable individual variation exists, as occasional males may exhibit a blackish abdomen glossed with purplish-blue instead of the typical red tones.[7][43]Anteriorly, the colouration of the belly is bordered by a brilliant, shiny purple-coppery-red band formed by the tips of the overlapping breast feathers.[5][10][11][43]The under tail-coverts match the belly in being lighter and more rusty-brown compared to P. c. colchicus and P. c. septentrionalis.[4][9] |
| Female | The female is highly similar to the female of nominal P. c. colchicus,[1][8] though multiple authors note that she averages slightly,[11] somewhat,[8][14] or noticeably[10] darker brown overall than the nominal subspecies. |
Photographs: Photographs are available from Gilan.[97][98][99][100][101][102]
Measurements: Male wing length: Hartert, Delacour:[8][13] n = 2: 237–240 mm (mean 238.5 mm); Kayvanfar et al.:[103] n = 15: 222.0 ± 9 mm.
Distribution: Northern slopes of the Elburz Mountains and the Caspian lowlands of Iran (Gilan).[72][29] Until the 1950s, its distribution also included the Lenkoran Plain, the Salyan Plain (where it came into contact with P. c. colchicus), and the foothills of the Talysh Mountains in Azerbaijan. It was also introduced in the late 19th century on some islands of Kizyl-Agach Bay.[11] In Azerbaijan, by the 1970s, it survived only in the middle and lower zones of the Talysh Mountains and along the border with Iran.[104] Spring counts recorded 105 individuals in 1982, 25–31 individuals in 1993–1995, and 5–7 individuals in 2003–2005;[105] in 2023, the population was estimated at no more than 50 pairs.[106] In Iran, it remains present in the Talesh forests as far as Saravan and Deylaman, as well as in tea gardens and lowland areas such as the Jokundan wetland (near Saragah), the margins of the Anzali Lagoon, Bojaq (Buchag) Kiashahr National Park, the Astara Protected Region, and in Nahalestan.[73] In western Mazandaran, between Ramsar and Chalus, a transition zone between P. c. talischensis and P. c. persicus occurs.[73] P. c. talischensis is threatened by introduced ring-necked hunting pheasants,[72] and a recent dramatic decline has also been reported in Gilan Province of Iran, partly attributed to invasive raccoons.[107][108]
Habitat: Lowland forest (mainly small woodlands and marshy forest), dense reed beds, and blackberry thickets. It is absent from oak-hornbeam forests and foothill forests.[11] It prefers forests with a canopy cover of 5–25%, typically with a dense shrub layer. Habitats are often located near grain fields, wet rice fields, or grape plantations (providing food) and near plantation forests (providing cover).[109]
1.1.4. Phasianus colchicus persicus (Persian black-necked pheasant)
Authority and original description: Severtsov, N.A. 1875.[110]
Type locality: South shore of the Caspian Sea.[110]
Protonym and synonyms:[111]
- Phasianus persicus Severtsov, NA 1875 — protonym
Local names: قرقاول ایرانی (Persian: Persian Pheasant), قرقاول هیرکانی (Persian: Hyrcanian Pheasant), قرقاول خزری (Persian: Caspian Pheasant), قرقاول مازندرانی (Persian: Mazandaran Pheasant), قرقاولهای گلستان (Persian: Golestan Pheasant), Pars sülgüni (Turkmen: Persian Pheasant), Персидский фазан (Russian: Persian Pheasant)
Description:[44][11][8][46] Males differ from those of the remaining subspecies in this group in having the lesser and median wing-coverts greyish or buffy white instead of brown to buff. A pure white colour in the plumage is, however, absent or only very inconspicuous. The upper back, flanks, and upper chest have a much stronger golden-yellow ground colour than in P. c. colchicus and even more so than in P. c. septentrionalis, with black markings being larger and more abundant. The flank feathers exhibit a broad golden band and have broad black margins with a purplish-blue gloss. The front chest feathers are wine-red with a rusty tone and have a very narrow black edge with blue gloss.[46] The breast feathers are even more pointed than in P. c. talischensis, and deeply notched at the tip.[44] The abdomen is similar to that of P. c. talischensis, bordered anteriorly by a purplish-red band. Like P. c. talischensis, P. c. persicus differs from P. c. septentrionalis and P. c. colchicus in having the upper tail-coverts with a very uniform purple colouration without greenish reflections. A metallic green gloss on the tail is almost absent. Females are similar to those of P. c. talischensis. The following collapsed table provides detailed plumage descriptions.
| Click [show] to view comprehensive plumage accounts | |
|---|---|
| Anatomical Feature | Detailed Description |
| Baseline Colouration and Pattern Scheme | The male is paler overall, less rufous, and displays a significantly stronger, more brilliant golden-yellow,[5][9][10] golden-orange,[53][13][17] or golden[6][8][11][14] ground colour across the mantle, upper back, breast, and flanks compared to P. c. colchicus (including var. lorenzi), P. c. septentrionalis, and P. c. talischensis. A golden sheen or iridescence heavily predominates over the interscapular region, crop, chest, and flank feathers.[6][11] |
| Head and Neck | The head, neck, and throat are dark metallic green,[112][44] with the centre of the crown displaying a bronze-green tone.[45] The green metallic sheen of the crown transitions into blue-violet on the sides of the head, chin, throat, and in a ring encircling the neck.[40][45] The throat and sides of the neck exhibit noticeably less metallic purple shimmer than in P. c. colchicus and P. c. talischensis,[44] rendering the region overall much greener, like in P. c. septentrionalis.[43]There is never any trace of a white eyebrow.[6] A white collar is entirely absent,[112][5][113][10][14] or present at most as faint traces.[17] Any white in the neck plumage is typically inconspicuous, ranging from completely absent to minimal white marks on the hidden parts of the feathers that require thorough examination to detect,[46] though an occasional individual may show a few green feathers on the nape narrowly tipped with white subterminally.[14] |
| Mantle, Back, and Scapulars | The mantle and upper back feature a significantly stronger golden-yellow,[5][9][10] golden-orange,[53][13][17] or light golden ground colour and sheen compared to P. c. colchicus (including var. lorenzi), P. c. talischensis, and P. c. septentrionalis.[6][11][14][43] The upper body is paler overall than in those related forms, appearing exceptionally light and golden-toned, even more so than in P. c. septentrionalis,[8] though it has alternatively been characterised as golden-rufous with black feather edges.[40] The interscapulars and shoulders are copper-red,[5][10][40] Indian-red,[5] or dark rufous[10] with a purple sheen and with dark and light markings.[40] The scapular regions display a highly distinct scaly or variegated colouration.[5][113][10] Like in the remaining subspecies of the black-necked group, when naturally arranged, most scapular feathers expose an inner matte cream or pale ochre centre marked with black speckles or a dark stripe.[5][10] This pale pattern is framed by a black U-shaped line, creating a sharp contrast against the dark rufous, Indian-red, or copper-red outer margins.[5][10] |
| Rump and Uppertail-Coverts | The lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts are described as copper-red[53][4][5][9][113][10][40][43] or brick-red,[114] and may, depending on the angle of light, appear dark purple-red[44][45] or washed with purplish-lake.[114][1] This primary colouration is slightly lighter and more reddish-rufous than in P. c. colchicus and P. c. talischensis,[44][10] and less purplish-blue than in nominal P. c. colchicus;[8] however, it is darker coppery-red compared to eastern forms like P. c. zerafschanicus, P. c. zarudnyi, and P. c. principalis.[4][9]The margins of the feathers across the rump and upper tail-coverts are coppery-maroon,[9] and the lower back region can display a fine, shining coppery-purple hue.[115] Compared to P. c. talischensis, the metallic-green colour and gloss are virtually absent on the exposed portions of the anterior rump feathers,[6][11] giving the rump and upper tail coverts a rather homogeneous appearance. |
| Rectrices | The long, tapering rectrices are brownish-olive down the middle,[40][45] bordered along their outer margins by a purple tint, copper-red edges, or a fine, shining coppery-purple hue.[115][40][45] The transverse black markings or dark bars across the tail—particularly on the median rectrices—are sparse and narrow.[4][6][9][40][17] On the basal halves of the central pair of feathers, these dark bands measure roughly 1.5 to 2.5 mm or less,[5][10] making them much narrower than in nominal P. c. colchicus,[53] or scarcely half as wide.[1] |
| Wing Coverts and Remiges | The upper wing-coverts are characteristically light, shifting fluidly from white or nearly white,[1][53][4][13][17] buffy white,[5][9] or buff[13][14] to cooler shades of greyish-white,[8] greyish,[46] silvery-grey,[4] or whitish-grey.[6][10][11][40][43] This spectrum extends through brownish-white[8] and yellowish-white,[44][4] to warmer tones of light yellowish cinnamon,[8] sandy buff,[17] or pale dirty-ochre[10]—all variations consistently unified by a distinct isabelline, buff, or dun cast.[6][45][11][40][43] This distinctly paler, buffy or whitish-grey wing colouration immediately distinguishes P. c. persicus from the brownish coverts of P. c. colchicus, P. c. septentrionalis, and P. c. talischensis,[8][11][13][14] with the colouration tending to pure whitish in the eastern part of its range.[13]The pale colouration extends seamlessly along the quills, expanding onto the purple-tinted inner rear wing-coverts closest to the body.[44] On the ultimate outer coverts, the pale base gives way to a highly structured pattern, where the centre of each feather is occupied by a sharp, acute-angled triangle of a yellowish ground colour, finely detailed with brown and black markings[44] and sparse shiny copper-red streaks.[40] |
| Flanks | Compared to P. c. colchicus (including variant lorenzi), P. c. septentrionalis, and P. c. talischensis, the flanks have a much lighter, dominant golden-yellow,[5][9][10][14][43] golden-orange,[13][17] or golden-red ground colour[40] that completely lacks their deep copper-red or purple shade,[10] exhibiting instead a powerful golden iridescence or sheen.[6] [11]Morphologically, the lateral feathers feature broad anteapical bands that are much lighter and more golden than in P. c. colchicus and P. c. septentrionalis.[8] The black terminal margins of these elongated flank feathers are very broad, glossed with shiny purple-blue[8] or purplish-black,[53] making them significantly broader than the dark margins found in nominal P. c. colchicus.[53] |
| Crop, Chest, and Breast | The crop and breast plumage is less rufous and more golden-orange or golden-yellow than in P. c. colchicus (including variant lorenzi), P. c. septentrionalis, and P. c. talischensis,[53][8][9][13][14] completely lacking a copper-red or purple shade,[10] with the upper chest exhibiting a significantly lighter golden colour than in those same three western forms.[43] Gladkov characterises the crop and breast specifically as a shiny golden-orange.[40]The feathers narrow noticeably toward the tip, being lanceolate or somewhat pointed,[112][6][5][11][13] with an apical profile described as varying from slightly indented[13] to deeply emarginated.[6][9] At the apex, they are split by a deep notch into two broad, spherically-pointed lobes.[6][10]The black apical margins of these feathers are narrow, measuring up to 1 mm,[45] but typically restricted to 0.5 mm or less.[44][5][9][10] These narrow borders are velvety-black,[40] running very finely around the entire edge of the feather rather than just the tip,[112] and extending much higher up the quill from the apical notch where the pigmentation is strongest.[44] These margins carry a metallic gloss described variously as blackish-blue,[4][5][9][10] purplish-blue or purplish-black,[1][113] or black with a distinct blue tone.[46] The front chest feathers feature a wide wine-red basal band with a distinct rusty tone.[46]On the sides of the breast, the black seam is about as wide as in P. c. colchicus and P. c. talischensis, but the black terminal edge of the feather is cut straight rather than diamond-shaped, creating a flat triangular shape over a golden-yellow ground.[44]The middle of the breast is purplish coppery red or coppery red,[4][9][17] purplish carmine,[53][113] or purplish-lake.[1] |
| Belly and Undertail-Coverts | Anteriorly, the belly is bordered by a brilliant, shiny transition zone formed by the overlapping tips of the adjacent breast feathers, described as a purple-red or shiny purple-coppery-red band.[5][113][10] The sides of the belly are purplish carmine[1][53] or purplish coppery-red.[4][9][113][17]The centre of the lower body and abdomen is not blackish as typically seen in P. c. colchicus and P. c. septentrionalis; it is foxy brown,[8] dark brownish,[4][9][17] or matte copper-red,[40] which is somewhat similar to P. c. talischensis and variant lorenzi of P. c. colchicus but varies greatly individually.[8] However, this brownish to copper-red centre is distinctly darker when compared directly to the lighter bellies of eastern forms like P. c. zerafschanicus, P. c. zarudnyi, and P. c. principalis.[4][9] |
| Female | The female is closely similar to, or practically indistinguishable from, the female of nominal P. c. colchicus.[1][53][8] Multiple authorities note that she can be hard to separate with certainty because she is frequently only slightly paler or somewhat lighter in colour overall than the nominal female.[8][10][14] |
Photographs: Photographs are available from Mazandaran,[116][117] and Golestan.[118]
Measurements: Male wing length: Ogilvie-Grant:[2] 236 mm; Hartert, Delacour:[8][13] n = 5: 233–248 mm; Kayvanfar et al.:[103] n = 54: 230.9 ± 11 mm; Aliakbari et al.:[72] n = 22: 210–248 mm (mean 232 mm).
Distribution: Southwest Turkmenistan (Sünt-Hasardag Nature Reserve and a breeding centre in Kara Kala) and north-central Iran (Mazandaran, Golestan, and North Khorasan in the western Kopetdag Mountains).[72][29] It occurs in the lower reaches of the Gorganrud River, in the Chandyr and Sumbar river valleys, and very rarely in the lower Atrek valley.[119] To the east, it does not extend beyond the watershed between the Atrek and Hari-rud valleys.[9] The northern boundary of its distribution more or less coincides with the watershed between the Chandyr, Sumbar, and Atrek rivers and the rivers flowing northwards from Kopetdag; it reaches as far north as the Khodzakala valley.[120] In the west, it meets the distribution range of P. c. talischensis between Ramsar and Chalus. Until about 1920, it also occurred in the Ashgabat and Gökdepe regions of Turkmenistan, where it was extirpated by hunting.[119] Subsequently, P. c. principalis expanded its range northwards and now occupies these areas.[121][122] Radde and Walter reported that common pheasants were present in the gardens of Quchan in 1886, although it is unclear whether these belonged to P. c. persicus or P. c. principalis.[44]
Habitat: In Turkmenistan, it inhabits shrublands of the foothills and lower montane belt, remaining primarily in river valleys densely covered with reed beds and interspersed with clearings of tall grass.[119][11] In areas near the headwaters of tributaries north of the Atrek, it occurs in extensive reed-covered plains, with the surrounding reed-free landscape resembling steppes similar in character to the slopes of the adjacent mountains.[9] In Iran, it also inhabits lowland plains.
1.2. Chrysomelas–principalis group (White-winged pheasants)
This group comprises subspecies distributed mainly across Central Turkestan and the western Tarim Basin. In males, the white collar is absent, vestigial (represented by a few white spots or crescent-shaped markings on the sides of the neck), or narrow and incomplete, measuring no more than about 5 mm in width and broadly interrupted anteriorly (P. c. zerafschanicus). Ear tufts are well developed, except in P. c. zerafschanicus, where they are small. A characteristic feature of the group is the pattern of the upper wing coverts, which are white in their apical half and light brown in their basal half (the latter usually concealed beneath the white feather tips), with sparse longitudinal rufous-red or brownish-red streaks. The general plumage hue is bronze to brown. The back is golden-red to copper-red, with black feather edges showing a metallic blue or green sheen. The rump and upper tail-coverts are similar in colour to the back, but bear sparse black spots that gradually disappear towards the tail; these spots are poorly developed or absent in P. c. zerafschanicus.[40] The scapuars appaer relatively uniform in colour, with the creamy-white feather patterns largely concealed. The sides of the body are golden-red or golden-brown with broad glossy dark metallic feather margins. Two subgroups can be distinguished:[6] (a) P. c. principalis, P. c. zarudnyi, and P. c. zerafschanicus have most feathers of the centre of the crop and breast copper-red with a golden tint and with purple-red or shellac-red margins whereas the lateral breast feathers retain black metallic margins; the belly is rufous-brown; also called "red-bellied subgroup"; (b) P. c. chrysomelas, P. c. bianchii, and P. c. shawii have crop and breast feathers all margined with glossy greenish-black; the belly is blackish-brown; also called "black-and-golden subgroup".[46] The geographic ranges of these subspecies form a roughly cross-shaped pattern, with P. c. zarudnyi occupying the centre. Females of this group are paler than those of the Caucasian subspecies group. The upperparts are sandy-grey with a slight reddish sheen and dark, elongated spots. The underparts are pale ochre, lacking a distinct streaked pattern, with only sparse small spots on the crop and flanks.[40] Male wing length averages smallest in P. c. zerafschanicus (~230 mm), and largest in P. c. bianchii (~250 mm), with P. c. principalis, P. c. chrysomelas, and P. c. shawii averaging intermediate values (~241–243 mm), while P. c. zarudnyi is intermediate in wing length between the neighbouring subspecies.
1.2.1. Phasianus colchicus principalis (Prince of Wales's white-winged pheasant)
Authority and original description: Sclater, P.L. 1885.[115]
Type locality: Bala Murghab, Afghanistan.[115]
Protonym and synonyms:[123][11]
- Phasianus principalis Sclater, 1885 — protonym
- Phasianus komarowi Bogdanow, 1886 — junior synonym
- Phasianus principalis komarowi Buturlin, 1904 — junior synonym
- Phasianus principalis typicus Buturlin, 1904 — junior synonym
- Phasianus non-ultimus Zarudny, 1909 — junior synonym
Local names: قرقاول خراسانی (Persian: Khorasani Pheasant), قرقاول سرخسی (Persian: Fern Pheasant), قرقاول بال نقره ای (Persian: Silver-winged Pheasant), د ویلز شهزاده فیزانت (Persian: Prince of Wale's Pheasant), Murgap sülgüni (Turkmen: Murghab Pheasant), Мургабский фазан (Russian: Murghab Pheasant)
Description:[2][6][8][11][14][46] The male resembles that of P. c. persicus but differs in having almost pure white upper wing-coverts, a brighter golden upper back, and a generally redder, less purplish plumage. As in the colchicus-group, a white neck collar is absent, although traces of white feathers may occasionally be present in concealed parts of the neck plumage. The anterior back is predominantly orange or fiery golden, with a well-developed scaly pattern formed by broad (1.5 mm) dark feather margins, which in the interscapular region usually merge with the dark apical shaft wedges. The scapulars are broadly edged with golden, on most feathers, the central matt-black and creamy-white pattern is largely concealed by overlapping feathers, resulting in a more uniform appearance and the absence of the conspicuous variegation characteristic of the colchicus-group. The shoulder feathers terminate in a black spot, and their entire apical portion is bordered by a broad (1–3 mm) glossy black margin. The feathers of the crop and centre of upper chest are bright golden-orange with broad crimson-red margins, which may reach 3 mm in width. On the sides of the chest, the feathers have metallic purple-red, bronze, or green-black margins. Plumage colouration in this subspecies is almost identical to that of marginal populations of P. c. zarudnyi.[46] The flank feathers are broadly tipped with dark green or purplish-blue. The lower back is brownish-orange, while the rump and upper tail-coverts are bronze-red and usually lack the purple-blue gloss characteristic of P. c. persicus. The belly is rufous-brown. Females are generally much paler than those of P. c. colchicus and of P. c. persicus; the ground colour of the mantle is paler rufous, the overall body colouration pale sandy-buff, and they closely resemble females of P. c. chrysomelas. The following collapsed table provides detailed plumage descriptions.
| Click [show] to view comprehensive plumage accounts | |
|---|---|
| Anatomical Feature | Detailed Description |
| Baseline Colouration and Pattern Scheme | The dorsal plumage displays a bright and light golden-yellow to golden-rufous ground colour.[124][5][10] This base colouration is dominated by its golden tone,[11][43] which is brighter and lighter than in P. c. zarudnyi,[11] and invariably paler relative to P. c. chrysomelas.[124] The centre of the crop and breast has a strong purple-red (shellac-like) tint that does not reach to the hindneck- and mantle-area.[10] The brick-rufous rump stands out as a significantly lighter golden- or orange-red compared to the darker coppery-red base tone of P. c. persicus and more western forms.[4][9] The wing complex exhibits a pure white or nearly white plumage across the lesser and median wing-coverts.[8][11]The general pattern is defined by a sharply defined, scalloped appearance across the mantle and interscapular region, which is more prominent than in P. c. chrysomelas and P. c. zarudnyi. This scaling appears due to heavy, black, wedge-shaped apical spots and distal black feather margins that nearly or narrowly fuse with one another.[124][5] The scalloped appearance diminishes by spring due to feather wear along the margins.[124]{{pb}The black markings on the mantle and flanks carry a green or purplish-blue gloss.[124][6][5][10][40]In contrast to the mantle, the scapulars present a uniform, non-variegated surface layout that entirely hides its underlying white and black concentric markings when the plumage rests naturally smooth.[5][10]Historically, populations from the western part of the range were separated as komarowi based on a greenish rather than a purplish-blue gloss on the blackish tips of the feathers,[4][5][9] but this character is highly individual and unstable within single populations across the entire range,[7][8] and can even change depending on the direction of light on a single individual,[124][6] leading modern authorities to treat it as a junior synonym of P. c. principalis.[7][8] |
| Head and Neck | The crown is described as a rich bottle-green[52] or a solid green.[13] The overall tract (crown, occiput, and nape) is a metallic dark green that displays dark violet iridescence on the very tips of the feathers.[124] The posterior sections of the crown and the occiput frequently exhibit a distinct greenish-grey or violet-grey iridescence.[124] Taxonomically, it is more heavily glossed with green on the crown than the western Caucasian and Persian forms P. c. septentrionalis, P. c. colchicus, P. c. talischensis, and P. c. persicus.[14] The structural ear tufts are well developed and present.[40] The tuft of small feathers on the cheek below and behind the eyes varies in colour individually from dark bluish-green to dark blackish-blue.[124]The head and neck of the adult male are characterised by a highly metallic, saturated green base colouration.[52][115] The lower neck is metallic dark green, showing a very weak bronze-violet iridescence dorsally and laterally—a trait noted to be even weaker than that found in the neighbouring subspecies P. c. zarudnyi.[124] The sides of the upper neck flash with a brilliant blue and violet-blue sheen.[124] The fore part of the neck is a rich purple, showing bronze reflections on the chin and upper throat.[52] Under shifting light angles, the throat displays a purple-brownish-red or deep purple-maroon hue,[44][13] a copper-red sheen,[43] or ranges from copper-brown with purple feather edges to black-brown with blue-green or green-blue margins.[8] Age appears to play a significant role in this region: the chin, throat, and upper foreneck are typically bluish-green or greenish-blue in younger birds, but a reddish-brown colouration with a violet iridescence and dark green or blue-green terminal margins develops as the bird matures, gradually replacing the dark central parts of the feathers.[124] Laterally, the throat is separated from the pure metallic green of the nape by a dark purple-blue-green band—or rather transitions through it—before being cleanly bordered with green where it meets the crop.[44] The throat region is more heavily glossed with purple compared to the more western Caucasian and Persian forms (P. c. septentrionalis, P. c. colchicus, P. c. talischensis, and P. c. persicus).[14]A white eyebrow stripe or superciliary line is entirely absent; there is never any trace of a white eyebrow on this subspecies.[6] The feathers corresponding to the collar area are frequently bisected by a concealed transverse white bar.[124] This white colouration is highly inconspicuous[46] and often completely absent, or it manifests as a sequence of irregular white spots and transverse mottling that remains entirely hidden unless the neck plumage is thoroughly disassembled.[124][11] From the outside, a true white collar is typically absent.[115][11] It is exceptionally rare to see external traces of a white neck ring.[8][13][40] When it does become visible externally, it is restricted to a narrow, highly limited white line or an incomplete series of isolated white spots visible only on the dorsal and lateral sides of the neck,[124][4][46] which measures at most 5 mm in width.[5][10] |
| Mantle, Back, and Scapulars | The mantle and interscapular region display a bright ground colour characterised as a pale golden-yellow,[5] nearly straw-golden,[10] golden-red,[40] or golden-rufous.[124] This dominant tone covers the entire tract up to the uppermost part of the back,[5][43] with a mantle that is significantly more golden than in the Caucasian and Persian forms.[14] The hindneck area completely or almost completely lacks the purple- or shellac-red tint that is present on the crop,[10] though a localised crimson-red wash on the lower hindneck can be variable—noted as either present or absent depending on the specific individual specimen.[11]The general plumage pattern is defined by a sharply scalloped appearance across the mantle and interscapular region driven by black feather edges and dark terminal markings.[124][11] In terms of iridescence, the dark markings carry a highly variable metallic sheen that shifts fluidly between green, blue, and violet individually or depending on the direction of light (a variability that historically fueled the separation of the synonymised variant komarowi).[124][6][5][7][8][10]The dark markings are described as heavy, wedge-shaped apical spots and distal black feather edges that mostly fuse or merge with one another;[124][11] these wide outer edges measure up to 1.5 mm and typically merge directly with the central dark spot at the tip of the feather within the interscapular area.[11] Alternatively, these black markings are described as quite, or nearly, interrupted near the end of the feather, uniting only very narrowly with the apical wedges,[5] with such structural margin interruptions occurring specifically on the feathers of the anterior portion of the tract.[124] Seasonally, the scalloped appearance of these regions diminishes by spring due to feather wear along the margins.[124]The ground colour of the scapular tract is a golden-rufous[124] or rich golden-orange,[52] matching the intensity of the mantle[124] and remaining bright and almost straw-golden.[10] This ground colour is nearly identical to that of P. c. zerafschanicus and is invariably paler relative to P. c. chrysomelas.[124] When the plumage is undisturbed and rests naturally smooth, the complex internal markings typical of the genus—consisting of a central matte-black and cream-white/pale-ochre concentric pattern[10][11]—are completely or almost completely hidden from external view under overlapping feathers.[5][10][11] Only occasionally a small part of the matte rufous or yellow inner field is exposed which lacks sharp contrast against the border.[10]Most[10] or all[6] of the scapular feathers are bordered rather broadly at their tips with a black margin[4][6][9][113][10] measuring roughly 1.5 to 3 mm in width.[10] These dark outer borders accompany a heavy, triangular or elongated central terminal patch at the tip of the feather shaft.[52][6][45][43] These broad apical spots and relatively wide distal margins develop most strongly on the feathers in the anterior portion of the scapular tract, giving that local interface a sharply scalloped, scaly appearance.[124]The scapular feathers exhibit a faint violet iridescence that operates in complete uniform harmony with the sheen of the mantle.[124] This structural colouration yields a distinct, prominent greenish cast across the shoulders whenever the specimen is positioned with its dorsum facing directly toward a light source.[124] The colouration of the dark markings, borders, and apical patches flashes with a highly reflective, dark metallic sheen that varies individually or co-occurs as black with a bluish or greenish sheen,[6] dark greenish-blue,[124] violet-blue,[124] purplish-black,[52] blackish-blue,[124][4][9] dark blue-green,[124] or dark purplish-green.[1] |
| Rump and Uppertail-Coverts | The lower back and rump exhibit a base colour that is characterised as a bright golden-rufous,[124] brick-red,[5] brick-rufous,[10] browhisn-red,[115] or brownish-orange[8] hue. The lower back features little to no admixture of green and ochre, excluding an occasional oily-greenish gloss.[5][10] Clinally, the rump stands out as more golden- or orange-red, contrasting with the darker coppery-red base tone of P. c. persicus and more western forms[4] and usually completely lacking the coppery-purple or purple-lake gloss found in these forms.[8][9]The feathers of the lower back are noted by several authorities to carry dark markings.[124][10] Hartert describes these as green-black ends,[8] while Buturlin and Dementyev define them as large, black-green, wedge-shaped markings at the tips, accompanied by similar - though sometimes broader - terminal borders.[10] Zarudnyi observes that in some specimens, these markings are broad, resulting in a scaled pattern across the lower back feathers.[124] Conversely, other specimens display a reduction in patterning where the dark margins disappear in the rump region,[124] or manifest as indistinct or blurred glossy brown markings[10] which can be faint or entirely absent even on the lower back feathers.[124]{{pb}The lower back and rump exhibit a general violet iridescence, displaying a more pronounced greenish cast over this violet iridescence compared to the concolourous interscapular tract,[124] though it has alternatively been characterised as carrying a blue metallic sheen.[40]The upper tail-coverts display a base colouration described as a golden-reddish-rufous,[124] rich coppery-red,[52] orange-red,[1] or a brownish-orange hue.[8] Morphologically, the feathers are elongated.[10] The individual margins of these feathers are partly decomposed and hair-like,[4][10][8] with these disintegrated hair-like edges being a bright copper-red or orange-rufous.[10]The upper tail-coverts are frequently uniform near the base of the tail.[10] However, dark green spots or green-black terminal edges are very frequently present, manifesting specifically closer to the structural bases of the coverts.[124][8]The upper tail-coverts exhibit a metallic iridescence that glosses either violet or greenish, generally more intense than on the mantle.[124] The upper tail-coverts usually lack a noticeable purple sheen[45] or a purplish-lake gloss,[1] though a weak purple shimmer may occasionally appear on the upper tail-coverts of old males in their spring plumage.[44] |
| Rectrices | The long, tapering rectrices display a ground colour described as coppery-red,[52] rufous-brown,[124] or brownish-red,[115] with the middle of the tail feathers being a distinct reddish-brown that completely lacks a trace of an olive tinge or yellow.[8] When the specimen is viewed from behind—with either the head or the tail facing the light source—the central rectrices exhibit broad, violet margins along the vanes;[124] these violet iridescent margins shift to green or violet-green when viewed with the dorsum toward the light source.[124]The subsequent tail feathers possess these iridescent margins only on their outer vanes, while the short, outermost rectrices lack this iridescence entirely.[124]The transverse black bars on the tail are generally narrow,[4][6][9][17] measuring between 1.5 to 2.5 mm or less in width on the basal halves of the middle pair of rectrices.[5][10] On the central pair of rectrices, these black bars transition into a brownish-rufous colour toward the margins of the vanes.[124] On all subsequent rectrices, these brownish-rufous extensions of the black bars develop exclusively on the outer vanes, remaining entirely absent on the short, outermost rectrices.[124] Taxonomically, the tail is characterised as redder than in P. c. colchicus, with the bars being narrower and further apart,[53] standing out as quite distinct from the fine, shining coppery-purple outer edges seen in P. c. persicus.[115] |
| Wing-Coverts and Remiges | The upper wing-coverts are exceptionally pale, presenting an overall look that is white,[6][9][1][43] pure white,[52][44] or nearly so.[17] The lesser coverts are solidly white.[124][44] At first glance, this subspecies is distinguished from nominal P. c. colchicus by the light colour of the upper wing-coverts, which carry an exceptionally faint grey or cream tint, or a light greyish or ochreous wash, but are never brownish.[10][8] Radde and Walter specifiy that the shoulder, upper, and front under-wing covert feathers are pure white.[44]On the folded wing, the median coverts are white but marked with distinct reddish-brown spots that develop along the margins of the feather webs.[124] The inner coverts are primarily reddish-brown but feature a large, conspicuous white or brownish-white patch extending longitudinally directly along the feather shaft.[124] Radde and Walter describe this as a pure white longitudinal band running through the middle of the first rear wing-coverts along the quills between purple-red borders.[44] The last rear wing-coverts resemble those of P. c. persicus, but possess a more whitish ground colour in the central triangle framed by lighter purple feather seams.[44] Gladkov notes a hidden bi-tonal structure where the coverts are white in their apical half but light brown in their basal half—remaining completely hidden under the overlapping white tips—and feature sparse longitudinal rusty-red or rusty-brown stripes.[40]The general remiges are brown[40] or greyish-brown,[124][52] crossed by pale, warm buff[52] or rufous-yellowish transverse bars.[124] These pale bars terminate with concolourous apices.[124] The first primary quill is barred across both webs, whereas the subsequent primaries are barred with warm buff mainly on their inner webs.[52] The secondaries are marbled with buff.[52] On the inner remiges, these pale transverse bars are arcuate (bow-shaped), partially fusing with one another and terminating before reaching the outer feather margins, while the outer webs of these feathers are rufous.[124]The innermost remiges (tertials) feature white or otherwise pale shafts.[124] Their structural centres are dark brown or blackish-brown, framed by rich reddish-brown margins,[124] with the innermost secondaries being washed or overall margined with coppery red.[52]The inner folded wing area responds dynamically to light: the reddish-brown colouration of the inner portion of the folded wing exhibits an intense green, violet, or violet-green iridescence when the specimen is positioned with its dorsum facing directly toward a light source.[124] Under all other viewing and lighting angles, this structural iridescence reverts and appears purely violet.[124] |
| Flanks | The ground colour of the elongated feathers covering the abdominal flanks and the posterior pectoral flanks matches the bright dorsal tones, exhibiting a pale golden-yellow,[5] rich golden straw-yellow,[5] bright, almost straw-golden,[10] or rich golden-yellow ground colour.[52] On their exposed portions, these feathers are of an identical or paler rufous-golden ground tone compared to P. c. chrysomelas.[124] This light ground colour provides a sharp contrast against the solid purple- or shellac-red margins that border the centre of the adjacent crop and breast feathers,[10] as well as against the broad dark green or black-green markings.[40][45]Morphologically, the ends of these elongated flank feathers are finished with a profile that can be rounded, wedge-shaped, or feature a single slight notch.[6]The terminal transverse markings or apical spots are comparatively larger and wider than those observed in P. c. zerafschanicus,[124] and are significantly wider than the dark stripes found in nominal P. c. colchicus and other western subspecies.[43] These are described as broad blue-black fringes accompanied by a broad golden band positioned right in front of them,[8] or as wide, shiny dark green to purplish-black tips.[52][1][40] The colouration of these markings includes crimson-violet (considered the primary ground colour of the marking itself), blackish-blue, greenish-blue, and violet-blue.[124] These highly reflective hues sometimes co-occur not only on the same specimen but on the exact same feather, though one shade may occasionally predominate; rarely are all markings uniformly crimson-violet, but conversely, this colour is never entirely replaced by the other blue or green shades.[124]While a blue or purplish-blue gloss generally prevails,[5][10][113] a greenish sheen is frequently present in a large proportion of individuals.[7][8][9] Bianchi notes that this green vs. blue gloss discrepancy is entirely an optical phenomenon dictated by the viewing technique: when a specimen is evaluated with the light source coming from a window to the researcher's left, the researcher in the centre, and the bird held to the right, a green sheen becomes uniformly visible even on typical P. c. principalis, thus invalidating the unstable diagnostic character historically used to split the western population as komarowi.[6] |
| Crop, Chest, ans Breast | The ground colour of the crop and front chest is a bright golden-orange[8][40] or copper-red.[10][40] Feathers of this region are blackish at the base (excluding the downy proximal portion), transversely ferruginous across their midsections, and broadly golden-crimson-violet transversely across their distal ends.[124] Hartert describes the individual feathers as broad, bright golden-orange at the tip, separated from the reddish-brown middle section by a very thin violet line, and fringed with brown-red.[8] The middle and lower breast are golden-crimson-violet, varying individually from paler to deeper tones, though uniformly paler across all specimens compared to P. c. zerafschanicus.[124] Dresser characterises this tract as richly tinted with peach-carmine,[53] or displaying rich carmine-purple broad tips.[52]General colouration of the crop is brighter and more copper-red compared to P. c. septentrionalis,[10] and darker or more intense coppery-red compared to P. c. persicus.[5][9]The feathers of the crop and front chest are notably broad[8][44] and exhibit a comparatively shallow apical emargination relative to P. c. persicus.[124][5] The crop feathers are not narrowed toward the tip, being merely slightly rounded at the apex[13] with a small or faint indentation forming two broad lobes.[6][10] Above this apical notch, there is a prominent absence of any black central stripe or black apical shaft-streaks.[4][6][9][10]The margins of the distal feather tips in the centre of the crop and breast are purple-violet,[124] lilac-red, or purple-red, appearing almost shellac-like.[6][10] These non-black borders are conspicuously wide, measuring 2 to 2.5 mm[5][6][10] and reaching up to 3 mm[10][13] or 3.5 mm in width, extending upward in a heart shape from the notch along the quill.[44]In sharp contrast to this purple-red centre, true black or metallic green-black margins develop only on the sides of the crop, chest, and breast.[4][6][9][17] As these margins move laterally toward the outermost flanks, they develop a deeper colouration—varying from blue-green, dark or blackish-blue, to violet-blue—which entirely or partially displaces the purple-violet tone.[124][11] Radde and Walter note that the black terminal seam on the feathers of the sides of the breast is broader than in P. c. colchicus, P. c. talischensis, and P. c. persicus, separating from the shiny golden-yellow by a sharp, straight line.[44]The centre of the crop and breast exhibits a highly intense violet metallic iridescence.[124] Under shifting angles, the chest and breast display a rich purple-red bronze lustre without any trace of a green gloss.[4][9] On the medial breast, muted, wedge-shaped subterminal spots develop very rarely, and then only at the apices of the outermost feathers.[124] Narrow, dark blue-green margins bordering the crimson-violet tips of the outermost feathers are likewise observed only in rare cases,[124] with the lower breast feathers featuring broad margins of a lighter shade than the upper breast plumage.[52] |
| Belly and Undertail-Coverts | The centre of the belly is characterised as rufous,[10][45] light chestnut-red,[4][9] light chestnut,[17] warm brown,[52] brown,[13] or a matte reddish-brown tone.[40] This presents a distinct subspecific departure from the typically darker underparts of more western forms.The anterior part of the belly is cleanly bordered or semi-encircled by the overlapping, glossy purple-red or shellac-red tips of the adjacent breast and flank feathers.[10] This front boundary carries a strong golden-red (copper-red) colour where the margins of the lower breast feathers continue over the middle of the abdomen, showing a more yellowish tinge toward the centre of each feather,[115] with the feathers bordering the abdomen described as a resplendent coppery-red tinged with carmine-purple.[52] Under this layout, the black central patch typical of P. c. shawii is hardly apparent at all in this subspecies.[115]Further down, the downy feathers of the tibiotarsal region and the ventral surface of the posterior abdomen are blackish with broad rufous-brown terminal margins, causing these areas to appear uniformly rufous-brownish or nearly so.[124] Laterally, the sides of the posterior abdomen closely approach the colouration of the adjacent under tail-coverts.[124]The under tail-coverts are reddish-brown[8] or rufous-brownish-red,[124] varying individually from paler to deeper tones.[124] These plumes are further described as brown tinged with coppery-red,[52] or finished with pale purple or bluish brassy feather edges.[8]Structurally, the feathers have lustrous, glistening apices[124] and respond dynamically to directional light. When a specimen is positioned and viewed with its venter facing directly toward the light source, the metallic iridescence on the lustrous feather apices shifts to register a delicate violet-greenish tint.[124] |
| Female | The general colour of the body is characterised as very pale with a light sandy ground colour,[44] very pale sandy buff,[9] or pale clay-buff.[52][53] Comparatively, the female is much paler than that of nominate P. c. colchicus[52][53][9][10] and P. c. persicus,[9] being generally lighter in colouration than the standard Caucasian female.[11][40][45] Taxonomically, this pale tone is exceptionally close and very similar to the female of P. c. chrysomelas.[1][9]However, in contrast to the above, other authors state that females of this subspecies are often barely different from those of P. c. persicus or the colchicus group,[8][14][45] though they can still be distinguished by a lighter overall colouration,[8][45] and across the lower body, the plumage is slightly paler, similar to P. c. septentrionalis.[8]The upperparts of the body are described as sandy-grey with a slight reddish sheen, displaying dark, elongated spots.[40] These dark markings are notably fewer in number relative to P. c. colchicus.[52][53] A localised, slight wine-reddish tinge is present on the upperparts between the shoulders and the upper breast.[44]The underparts are pale ochre without a streaky pattern,[40] and any dark markings across the ventral floor are strictly restricted to sparse, small spots visible only on the crop and sides.[40] |
Photographs: Photographs are available from Tandoureh National Park in Iran.[125][126]
Measurements: Male wing length: Ogilvie-Grant:[2] 239 mm; Hartert, Delacour:[8][13] n = 17: 234–248 mm; Dementyev:[11] n = 9: 238–250 mm (mean 244 mm); Vaurie:[14] n = 10: 235–253 mm (mean 242.5 mm); Kayvanfar et al.:[103] n = 35: 245.9 ± 23 mm.
Distribution: Southeastern Turkmenistan (including Merv Oasis), extreme northeastern Iran (Khorasan, from Quchan County east to Sarakhs County)[44][127][72][25][29] and northern Afghanistan (Murghab and Tedzhen/Hari Rud river valleys). It also occurs along streams descending from Dargaz and Kalat.[44] To the north, its range extends to Ashgabat and Gökdepe.[121][122] Until about 1920, P. c. persicus occupied the Ashgabat and Gökdepe region of Turkmenistan, while P. c. principalis extended northward only as far as Babadurmaz.[119] Following the extirpation of P. c. persicus through hunting, P. c. principalis expanded northward into these areas.[121] To the northeast, the range of P. c. principalis reaches Repetek. Around 1890, this subspecies was still common in the Kashafrud valley from Mashhad to Quchan, in Lotfabad, and along the Hari Rud as far as Herat and, less frequently, beyond. It also occurred in the upper Murghab valley, where it was numerous between Bala Murghab and the Afghan border. In 1945, it remained abundant in the Hari Rud valley (Kushan), the lower Kushk valley (Kushk district), and the Murghab valley (Murichaq).[128] By 1959, the subspecies was probably extinct in Afghanistan as a result of overhunting and habitat destruction.[129]
Habitat: Grassy and shrub-covered habitats associated with reed beds and situated near cultivated fields; river valleys densely overgrown with forest and tamarisk, together with adjacent plains covered by shrubs and camel thorn.[103] This subspecies is primarily a bird of the plains. In the foothills of the Kopet Dagh, it occurs mainly in stands of Tamarix ramosissima, T. chinensis and Populus euphratica. In the Hari Rud valley, it formerly inhabited reed swamps along watercourses dominated by tamarisk, interspersed with groves of Populus and occasional apricot orchards.[129]
1.2.2. Phasianus colchicus zarudnyi (Amu-Darya white-winged pheasant)
Authority and original description: Buturlin, S.A. 1904.[130]
Type locality: Amu Daria from Khiva to Chardjui.[130]
Protonym and synonyms:[131][11][4]
- Phasianus medius Buturlin, 1886 — protonym
- Phasianus principalis zarudnyi Buturlin, 1904 — nomen emend.
- Phasianus colchicus gordius Alferaki & Bianchi, 1907 — junior synonym
- Phasianus colchicus tschardjuensis Buturlin, 1908 — junior synonym
Local names: Amyderýa sülgüni (Turkmen: Amu Darya Pheasant), Амударё қирғовули (Uzbek: Amu Darya Pheasant), Аму-Дарьинский фазан (Russian: Amu Darya Pheasant)
Description:[6][5][8][11][14] The male is highly variable and generally resembles that of P. c. principalis, although birds from the central part of the range approach P. c. zerafschanicus. It is usually paler and brighter than the male of P. c. principalis, although some individuals may be indistinguishable from that subspecies or even darker. The white collar is highly variable, usually appearing as two crescent-shaped lateral bands, sometimes reduced to a few concealed white feathers, and only rarely absent altogether. The black feather margins on the back are sometimes completely absent and sometimes strongly developed, but they do not merge with the dark terminal spot; in most individuals, such dark margins are absent on the shoulder feathers. The crimson colouration of the neck occurs both in birds with well-developed scaly patterning and in birds in which this pattern is barely discernible; in many specimens, it is weakly developed and may occasionally even be absent. The crimson- to purple-red margins of the crop and breast feathers are usually daker than in P. c. principalis. The flank feather tips are greenish, and the throat feathers have greenish rather than purple margins. The crimson-red margins of the anterior chest feathers contrast sharply with the remainder of the feather, which is pale straw-golden in summer and yellow- or reddish-golden in winter. These margins are paler than in P. c. principalis. Some individuals have broad crimson margins at the feathers of the underparts but only narrow, almost imperceptible dark margins at the feathers of the back. The belly is rufous. Geographical variation is also pronounced. Birds from the central part of the range (the Amudarya Valley between Chardzhou and Deinau = Dänew) resemble P. c. zerafschanicus: the anterior chest feathers are predominantly yellow-red with a relatively narrow wine-red or purple margin, and a white collar is usually well developed, appearing as distinct or interrupted crescent-shaped markings on the sides of the neck. Birds from peripheral populations (particularly in the Dargan-Ata and Kerki regions) are darker and more closely resemble P. c. principalis: the anterior chest feathers have a brownish-red band with a rusty tint and a relatively broad purple or purple-violet margin, while the white collar is more often inconspicuous or absent, although it may occasionally be almost complete. Females of P. c. zarudnyi are slightly darker and more heavily marked than those of the neighbouring subspecies. Because of this extensive individual and geographical variation, Dementyev regarded P. c. zarudnyi as a hybrid form derived from the four adjacent subspecies P. c. principalis, P. c. zerafschanicus, P. c. chrysomelas, and P. c. bianchii.[119] One hypothesis proposes that P. c. chrysomelas and P. c. bianchii, now separated geographically, formerly occupied a continuous range along the Amu Darya. According to this hypothesis, subsequent expansion of P. c. principalis into this region, combined with intermittent contact with P. c. zerafschanicus during periods when the Zerafshan River flooded towards the Amu-Darya, produced the highly variable phenotype characteristic of P. c. zarudnyi.[124] The following collapsed table provides detailed plumage descriptions.
| Click [show] to view comprehensive plumage accounts | |
|---|---|
| Anatomical Feature | Detailed Description |
| Individual variation | Taxonomically positioned as a highly variable intermediate link within the white-winged pheasant assemblage, P. c. zarudnyi displays a complex clinal character scheme that phenotypically bridges its geographical neighbours, P. c. chrysomelas, P. c. bianchii, P. c. principalis, and P. c. zerafschanicus.[124][9] The entire subspecies is marked by pronounced individual variability and extensive macro-regional micro-differentiation.[14][43] This high phenotypic instability historically led ornithologists to classify its localised populations as separate subspecific subsets, encompassing the localised variants gordius and tschardjuensis.[5][9][8] Comprehensive population studies across the Amu Darya Valley reveal that these micro-border traits are highly unstable individual variations, confirming that both gordius and tschardjuensis represent variants of a single, fluidly intergrading population, which co-occur, together with all possible transitions, in the entire range between Türkmenabat and Kelif within the same population.[132][7][9] |
| Evolutionary hypothesis | Historically, this entire polymorphic lineage can be considered the stable evolutionary product of deep primary hybridization between the red-bellied P. c. zerafschanicus stock and an ancestral black-gold branch resembling modern P. c. bianchii.[124][11][46] In prehistoric times, this geographic variance manifested as a smooth, continuous clinal gradient driven by the ancestral dispersal of P. c. zerafschanicus populations moving up and down the ancient Amudarya River system.[46] This clinal migration resulted in a progressive phenotypic shift: as populations radiated further from the central core, the genetic contribution of the black-gold race steadily accumulated, forcing a gradual darkening of the plumage (transforming yellow-red panels to brown-red, and wine-red borders to purple-violet), a sharp shrinkage of the light feather bases, a widening of the dark distal margins, and a systematic reduction of the white collar.[46] In the modern era, the historical entry of human settlers into the valley fractured the continuous tugai river forests, separating the pheasant into disjunct, isolated pockets.[46] This localised habitat fragmentation permanently disrupted the prehistoric fluid cline, transforming P. c. zarudnyi into the highly polymorphic subspecies observed today.[46] |
| Hybrid zones | This dynamic variation remains anchored by three narrow, active secondary contact zones at the outer thresholds of its range where restricted gene flow continues. Along its northern and western limits, zarudnyi establishes a narrow zone of genetic overlap with P. c. chrysomelas around the Tyuyamuyun Reservoir and the Khiva Oasis, resulting in mixed hybrid populations that display an atypical mix of dark green chrysomelas-type tail characters and brownish belly plates bordered with anomalous copper-red or violet sheens.[10][132] Along its eastern boundary, it maintains secondary contact with P. c. zerafschanicus directly along the artificial path of the Amu-Bokhara Canal.[46] Finally, along its southern and southeastern boundaries near Kelif, Termez, and the upper Amu Darya valley, P. c. zarudnyi directly intergrades with the green-chested P. c. bianchii.[9][10] This hybrid transition zone also yields the specialised intermediate variant jabae (today considered a variant of P. c. bianchii), a clinal form that merges the solid dark green underside and green-rimmed scapular panels of bianchii with the foxy-red abdominal centres and deep purplish chest borders characteristic of the gordius and tschardjuensis variants of P. c. zarudnyi.[132][8] |
| Baseline Colouration and Pattern Scheme | The core baseline phenotype of the adult male is defined by an intense, golden-yellow or golden-rufous colouration across the mantle and back,[5] changing to a distinct rufous background with a prominent copper-red tint over the tail, lower back, and rump panels.[10] The crop and front chest show a rich copper-red, shellac-red, or a dark purplish red-bronze tint with golden hues.[4][9][10][40] Birds populating the central territories of the modern range (the Amudarya Valley between Türkmenabat/Chardzhou and Dänew/Deinau) strongly retain ancestral P. c. zerafschanicus characters, exhibiting lighter baseline configurations marked by a well-expressed white collar forming crescent-shaped lines on the sides of the neck, and a yellow-red front chest decorated with narrow wine-red or purple margins.[46] As the populations range outward into the peripheral zones (the regions of Darganata and Kerki), the white collar rapidly reduces to an inconspicuous or entirely concealed state, while the plumage undergoes a notable saturation, shifting to a darker, more intense scheme defined by a rusty brownish-red chest feather band and broad, deep purple-violet feather borders.[46] Representatives of the peripheral zones are: the gordius variant, which is characterised by an extensive structural purpling where the broad, purple-red edges of the central chest supersurfaces extend upwards to suffuse the upper back and neck;[5][8][10] and the tschardjuensis variant, which is distinguished by its darker, deeper base tones, including a dark purplish coppery-red tail ground colour and heavily marginated glossy black scapular tips.[5][10] |
| Head and Neck | The crown, occiput, and nape are metallic dark green, carrying dark violet iridescence on the feather tips.[124] The posterior sections of the crown and occiput frequently throw off a greenish-grey or violet-grey iridescence.[124] Below and behind the eyes, the tuft of small feathers on the cheek is either dark bluish-green or dark blackish-blue.[124] Distinct ear tufts are present on the head.[40] The sides of the upper neck are rich glossy dark green with a bluish or violet-blue sheen of varying intensity, which can range from faint to pronounced within the same population, either identical to P. c. chrysomelas or resembling P. c. principalis and P. c. zerafschanicus, but with a greater development of green colouration.[124] The lower neck is metallic dark green, adorned dorsally and laterally with a bronze-violet iridescence that is weaker than that found in P. c. chrysomelas[124] and can be entirely absent.[132] In variants like gordius and tschardjuensis, the neck typically shows a more prominent bluish and purplish-violet colour.[5][10][113]The chin, throat, and upper foreneck are either dark green[124][13] with a very faint bronze-violet iridescence[124] or bluish-green to greenish-blue, and then frequently reddish-brown with a violet iridescence[124] and dark green or blue-green terminal margins (in contrast to the purplish edges in P. c. principalis).[124][7][8][9][10] Apparently, the reddish-brown colouration develops with the age of the bird, gradually replacing the black colouration on the central parts of the throat feathers as the male matures.[124]There is never any trace of a white eyebrow present on this subspecies.[6] The expression of the white collar changes dynamically depending on the geographic population and exhibits high individual variability.[9][43] Birds in the central populations have a well-expressed white collar that forms distinct, visible white crescent- or sickle-shaped lines on the sides of the neck,[46] closely resembling P. c. chrysomelas[124] or forming two distinct, visible stripes.[11][43] In peripheral populations, the white collar is often highly inconspicuous; it is rare that no white colour is found in the neck plumage at all, though white marks are typically found only on the hidden or internal parts of the feathers upon thorough examination,[46][40] though more individuals can display an irregular white extension on the nape compared to P. c. principalis.[14]More broadly across the population spectrum, the white collar can appear as an extremely narrow band that is broadly interrupted in both the front and the back,[4][9][17][113] or it can be reduced to slight traces or irregular lateral outlines that are no more than 5 mm wide.[5][6][7][13] It is also frequently completely absent with no external signs of a white ring, which is typically the case for the gordius and tschardjuensis variants.[5][10][113] |
| Mantle, Back, and Scapulars | The uppermost part of the back and the lower hindneck (just below the blue-green part of the neck) show in typical P. c. zarudnyi a golden-rufous, golden-yellow, or nearly straw-golden ground colour,[124][5][10] which lacks or almost completely lacks the strong purple- or shellac-red tint that dominates the crop.[5][10] In these specimens, the crimson colour of the lower hindneck is only very slightly developed or disappears completely.[11] Conversely, in the variants gordius and tschardjuensis, the ground colour is an intense, fiery- or orange-golden to reddish-golden that is darker and brighter than in P. c. principalis, P. c. zerafschanicus, and typical P. c. zarudnyi.[5][10] In these variants, the foremost part of the back is heavily suffused and flooded with a violet-purple, shellac-red colour spreading upward from the crop, extending backward nearly to the start of the scapulars or the middle of the back.[5][10][8] Overall, the colouration of the back is usually brighter and lighter compared to P. c. principalis, though it can occasionally be darker.[11][43]The mantle exhibits a well-defined scaly or scalloped appearance due to black margins and terminal markings that carry a predominantly dark green metallic gloss.[124][5][10] A true blue or violet-blue colouration—frequently observed in P. c. principalis—is typically absent.[124] Instead, the green gloss prevails over the dark markings,[5][10] though the plumage darkens and takes on a slight blue cast or metallic sheen in spring or fresh plumage.[124][40] Scaling is well-defined, matching or exceeding that of P. c. chrysomelas, but it is less developed overall than in P. c. principalis[124][43] and diminishes by spring due to seasonal feather wear along the margins.[124] The development of these black terminal markings is highly variable: In typical P. c. zarudnyi, the black terminal borders on the feathers of the anterior back can sometimes be completely absent, but more often are well-developed, however in this case do not connect (or barely connect) with the dark terminal shaft streaks or wedges;[10][11] in the variants gordius and tschardjuensis, these markings take the form of very wide, metallic-glossy black terminal shaft-wedges and matching outer borders that are broadly confluent and well-connected to one another.[5][10]Extreme individual variation occurs throughout the range. Some individuals present wide crimson borders on the underparts but possess narrow, almost imperceptible dark edges on the back feathers; furthermore, the crimson colour of the neck can be found in birds exhibiting both well-developed and nearly imperceptible scaliness.[11]The ground colour of the scapular region is a golden-rufous, resembling P. c. principalis or appearing slightly darker, but not as deep as P. c. chrysomelas.[124] For P. c. zarudnyi proper, this base is light, presenting an almost straw-golden tone,[10] whereas the variants gordius and tschardjuensis display an orange-, fiery-, or reddish-golden ground colour that is darker and brighter than in P. c. principalis, P. c. zerafschanicus, and typical P. c. zarudnyi.[5][10] Iridescence is similar to P. c. principalis, exhibiting a faint violet iridescence uniform with the mantle, but the green hue visible when the specimen is viewed with its dorsum toward the light source is more distinct.[124] When the feathers are arranged smoothly, the inner cream, buffish, or cream-white and matte-black central pattern is completely or almost completely hidden, leaving only the wide, glossy edges visible; this inner pattern is easily revealed with slight feather movement.[5][10]The markings in typical individuals (and variant gordius) are a bluish-dark green or a dark green identical to P. c. chrysomelas, becoming blacker and partially bluer by spring.[124] These markings form broad, triangular subterminal spots on the feather tips.[124][6][8][113] Crucially, the dark, broad terminal edges characteristic of P. c. principalis (typically 2 to 3 mm wide) are absent on most cases.[4][9][8][11][43][45] Instead, the distal margins are very narrow, appearing only as a fine terminal line or an indistinct border, particularly in the anterior portion of the tract.[124][8][7] These narrow dark edges are slightly better expressed only on the scapulars adjacent to the white wing-coverts.[6] Because they lack broad borders, the scapulars never form the sharp, scaly pattern seen in P. c. principalis, instead resembling P. c. chrysomelas and P. c. zerafschanicus.[124]However, extensive individual variation exists throughout the Amu-Darya valley. In variant tschardjuensis, the entire terminal part of the scapular feathers is outlined by a wide (1 to 3 mm) metallic glossy black border, giving them a distinct scaly appearance.[5][10][8][113] Series reviews demonstrate that these traits lack strict geographical isolation, as both forms occur alongside all possible intermediate variations within the populations between Chardzhou (Türkmenabat) and Kelif.[132] |
| Rump and Uppertail-Coverts | The lower back and rump feature a ground colour of golden-rufous,[124] described across authorities as a copper-red, rusty, rufous, or golden-red tone.[5][10][113] The variants gordius and tschardjuensis are both characterised by a coppery-red ground colour, which develops a dark purplish hue specifically in tschardjuensis.[5][10] The rump is noted to be lighter and more golden than in P. c. persicus,[4][9] showing a prominent copper-red tint.[10]The markings on the lower back and rump are dark green, matching the colouration of P. c. chrysomelas.[124] However, the actual distribution of patterns differs; distal margins are largely absent or highly restricted on the lower back, resulting in virtually no scaled pattern across this region.[124] Alternatively, these markings are noted to appear as sparse black spots that gradually disappear toward the tail.[40] The lower back and rump exhibit a pronounced greenish iridescence when the specimen is viewed with its dorsum toward the light source[124] or carry a blue metallic sheen.[40] Conversely, other accounts state there is little if any admixture of green or ochre across the lower back, excluding an occasional oily-greenish gloss.[5][10]The hairlike uppertail-coverts share the general ground colour of the rump and back,[40] ranging from golden-reddish-rufous to copper-red or pure rufous.[124][10][45] The markings on the coverts conform to those of P. c. chrysomelas[124] and feature sparse black spots that gradually disappear closer to the tail.[40] The fields are deeper in colour tone than those found in P. c. principalis and display a more pronounced greenish iridescence when viewed with the dorsum toward the light source.[124] Alternatively, they display a blue metallic sheen[40] or are described as completely rufous without a noticeable purple sheen.[45] |
| Rectrices | In all tail characters, P. c. zarudnyi occupies an intermediate position between P. c. chrysomelas and P. c. principalis.[124] The rectrices are a deep rufous-brown, showing a deeper tone than P. c. principalis but remaining lighter than the dark tail of P. c. chrysomelas.[124] On the central pair of rectrices, the transverse black bars transition into a brownish-rufous shade toward the outer margins of the vanes.[124] On all subsequent lateral rectrices, these brownish-rufous extensions of the black bars develop exclusively on the outer webs, disappearing completely on the short, outermost rectrices.[124] The defining structural markings across the rectrices consist of transverse black bars that are generally narrow,[4][6][9][17] particularly across the basal half of the tail feathers, typically measuring about 2 mm in width[5] and ranging between 1.5 mm and 2.5 mm.[10] In the vast majority of specimens, the terminal transverse bars on the central rectrices are broader than those found in P. c. principalis, but not as broad as in P. c. chrysomelas.[124] As in P. c. principalis, the margins of the tail plumage respond dynamically to changing light angles. When the specimen is viewed from behind—with either the head or the tail facing the direct light source—the central pair of rectrices exhibits broad, vivid violet margins along the vanes.[124] The subsequent lateral feathers possess these iridescent margins exclusively on their outer webs, while the short, outermost rectrices lack any trace of iridescence.[124] When the specimen is rotated so that its dorsum faces directly toward the light source, this violet overlay shifts into an extensive pure green or slightly violet-green iridescence.[124] This green tint is purer and more widespread than the reflective cast of P. c. principalis, but remains less pure and extensive than that observed in P. c. chrysomelas.[124] |
| Wing-Coverts and Remiges | The primary baseline colouration of the lesser and median wing-coverts is described as nearly white,[124][6][10][17] though they can sometimes carry a greyish or buffish tinge,[5] or feature a light greyish or ochreous wash,[10] appearing yellowish-white or silvery grey.[4][9] The median coverts are white but are marked with reddish-brown spots that run directly along the margins of the feather vanes.[124] The inner coverts are primarily reddish-brown but are broken up by a large white or brownish-white patch that extends longitudinally along the feather shaft.[124] While the exposed apical half of the upper wing-coverts appears white, the hidden basal half of the feathers is light brown with sparse, longitudinal stripes of a rusty-red or rusty-brown hue.[40]The specialised structural and iridescent traits of the remiges vary significantly between the inner and outer sections of the tract. The overall flight feathers are a basic brownish colour, crossed by pale, rufous-yellowish transverse bars that terminate in concolourous feather apices.[124] On the inner remiges, these light bars take on a distinct arcuate, bow-shaped form, partially fusing with one another and ending before they reach the margins of the feather webs, while the outer vanes of these feathers are entirely rufous.[124] Looking specifically at the innermost remiges, the tertials feature white or otherwise pale shafts, dark brownish or blackish-brown central disks, and distinct reddish-brown margins.[124] This strong reddish-brown colouration on the inner portion of the folded wing produces a shifting, variable iridescence; depending on the individual specimen, the sheen matches either P. c. chrysomelas (intense green) or P. c. principalis (green, violet, or violet-green) when the bird is held with its dorsum facing directly toward the light source.[124] |
| Flanks | The base colouration of the body sides varies noticeably. For P. c. zarudnyi proper, the ground colour is light, presenting an almost straw-golden tone.[10] The variants gordius and tschardjuensis are defined by a bright reddish-golden or light rufescent golden ground colour that is darker and brighter compared to P. c. principalis, P. c. zerafschanicus, and P. c. zarudnyi.[5][10] More broadly, the sides of the body are described generally as golden-red or golden-brown.[40] When evaluating the elongated feathers covering the abdominal flanks and the posterior pectoral flanks, their exposed portions are identical to P. c. chrysomelas (i.e., rufous-golden with a dark green—occasionally with a bluish tint—transverse apical spot) or even paler.[124] The distal ends of the elongated feathers on the sides of the body are rounded, wedge-shaped, or formed with a slight notch.[6] The patterning across the flanks is dominated by dark, glossy markings and distinct margins. These broad, black-green transverse streaks on the sides of the body contrast sharply with the adjacent plumage of the crop.[45] Generally, the flanks are noted as being spotted with glossy black,[5] shiny dark green,[40] blackish-green,[4][9][113][17] or with a distinct greenish gloss.[7][8][10] This dominant green gloss on the black markings of the flanks prevails specifically in comparison to P. c. zerafshanicus.[5] In variant gordius, an admixture of a bluish colour is observed.[113] Superimposed on the green and black markings are highly localised purple and red tones. At the feather apices, a transverse spot is present that is either dark green closer to the mantle or crimson-violet closer to the abdomen and medial breast.[124] This apical colouration is either indistinguishable from the markings of P. c. chrysomelas or displays a blue cast—as seen infrequently in P. c. principalis—but it remains closer to P. c. chrysomelas in all cases.[124] All or nearly all feathers of the central crop and breast have purple- or shellac-red edges, and this same edging carries over onto some feathers of the flanks, though on the sides of the breast, all or some of these edges are black.[10] Finally, while the flank feathers of variant tschardjuensis are typically tipped with glossy black, individual feathers across its tract can express prominent dark purplish-red, violet-purple, or shellac-coloured terminal spots.[5][10] |
| Crop, Chest, and Brest | The crop and front chest conform closely to P. c. principalis—sharing a rufous-golden ground colour and a comparatively shallower apical emargination relative to P. c. persicus—though the iridescence on the crop is frequently weaker.[124] The borders of the breast feathers are very slightly indented.[13] However, moving down to the medial breast, these margins deepen and display a distinct violet-green or pure green iridescence.[124] The centre of the crop takes on a distinctly scaly appearance due to specialised wide distal margins.[5][10] The wide coppery-purple edges to the chest feathers are, as a rule, a shade darker than those found in P. c. principalis.[7][8] The crop and front chest are primarily a rich copper-red or a dark purplish red-bronze,[4][9][10] which exhibits a violet or purple-violet iridescence that ranges from faint to pronounced[124][4][9] and a strong golden tint.[40] The underlying parts of the feathers are light-straw-golden in summer specimens and change to a yellow- or reddish-golden hue in winter specimens.[11] The baseline pigments vary based on the specific variants; the general ground colouration of the variants gordius and tschardjuensis is described as an intense, bright reddish-golden.[132][10] In old individuals of variant tschardjuensis, the saturated shellac-red colour on the crop can spread so extensively that it completely covers the pre-terminal golden field of the feathers.[10]The feathers across the middle of the crop and chest are conspicuously—and very broadly—margined with a lilac-red, purple-red, or shellac-like crimson-red border, completely lacking a central black terminal shaft line or wedge above the apical notch.[6][10] These margins are notably wide compared to P. c. zerafshanicus, typically measuring around 2.5 mm to 3 mm broad.[5][9][10] They run about 3 mm broad in variant tschardjuensis[5][10] and reach 3 to 4 mm wide (or wider) in variant gordius,[5][10] where the purplish colouring is so heavily developed it extends to the uppermost part of the back, superseding the golden ground colour.[5][8]Regional population gradients show extensive variability. In birds from the central population tract (Türkmenabat/Chardzhou and Dänew/Deinau), the front chest feathers are mostly yellow-red with a relatively narrow wine-red or purple edge.[46] Marginal populations at Darganata and Kerki display darker plumage where the feathers carry a brownish-red band with a rusty tone and a wide purple-violet edge.[46] On average, the crimson edges are narrower than those of other Turkmen subspecies—measuring about 2 mm (ranging from 1.5 to 4 mm)[11]—and are lighter than in P. c. principalis, contrasting sharply with the adjacent light golden parts of the feather.[43] Crucially, the uniform crimson and purple fields of the central chest stand out in sharp contrast against the lateral sections and flanks. Closer to the lateral areas of the breast, the broad purple-violet margins develop a deeper colouration—varying from blue-green, dark or blackish-blue, to violet-blue—which entirely or partially displaces the purple tone on the outermost flanks, occasionally bordered by dark green terminal edges.[124] This aligns with the dark green or blackish-green feather tips and broad transverse streaks noted by other authorities.[4][6][45]While the middle chest and breast feathers are purple-margined and completely lack black terminal shaft lines,[5][10] the feathers located on the outer sides of the chest and breast are more or less edged with black.[4][9][17] These lateral sections feature wide, metallic violet-black, blackish-green, or green-black terminal borders[124][4][6][8] that carry a slight greenish or faint greenish-blue gloss.[4][9][113] A restricted violet-blue colouration is occasionally observable within these tips, though it remains highly limited in its structural development and distribution.[124] The underlying ground colour of the breast is described as a purplish coppery red, coppery red, or light rufescent golden—which is notably darker than in P. c. principalis and P. c. zerafschanicus.[4][5][17] Across the middle and lower breast, the feathers are widely tipped (approx. 2 to 4 mm) with dark purplish-red bronze or shellac-like crimson margins.[4][9][10][11] This region transitions into the front part of the belly, forming a solid golden-crimson-violet expanse bounded by the glossy purple-red tips of the lower breast feathers.[124][10][40] The intensity of this breast colouration varies individually from paler to deeper tones, but it remains uniformly paler across all specimens when compared directly to P. c. zerafschanicus.[124] In some individuals, a distinct dark green cast or a slight greenish tint can modify the iridescent overlay.[124][4][9][113] Frequently, on the outermost feathers of this region, muted, wedge-shaped subterminal spots develop at the apices.[124] Structurally, the bases of these breast feathers are black, and this black pigmentation is not as extensively displaced by the ferruginous central zones of the feathers as is observed in P. c. principalis.[124] Finally, narrow, dark blue-green margins are typically visible bordering the crimson-violet tips of the outermost breast feathers, with the blue-green colouration frequently shifting into a pure green hue.[124] |
| Belly and Undertail-Coverts | The specialised colouration of the lower underparts transitions smoothly from the vibrant mid-breast panels. The upper abdomen mirrors the higher chest panels, presenting a copper-red tone with a distinct golden tint and wide, similarly coloured, but darker feather edges on a copper-red base.[40] The anterior part of the belly is bordered by a continuous band formed by the glossy purple-red tips of the adjacent breast and flank feathers.[10] The sides of the belly are characterised as a coppery-red,[17] glossy purplish,[5] or purplish coppery-red shade.[4][9] Moving toward the centre of the abdomen, the ground colour shifts to a light chestnut-red or a light chestnut tone,[4][9][17] a matte reddish-brown,[40] or a rufous tone.[10][45] Variant tschardjuensis exhibits a rusty brown or matte brownish-rusty tone.[5][10]The downy feathers covering the tibiotarsal region and the ventral surface of the posterior abdomen are blackish, featuring terminal margins that vary highly between individual specimens and match either P. c. chrysomelas, P. c. principalis, or P. c. zerafschanicus.[124] Along these posterior fields, the lateral sides of the lower abdomen closely approach and blend into the colouration of the undertail-coverts.[124] The undertail-coverts themselves are a rufous-brownish-red hue, which varies individually from paler to deeper tones across different specimens.[124] These coverts are finished with lustrous feather apices that provide a multi-dimensional metallic sheen.[124] When a specimen is held and viewed with its venter positioned directly toward the light source, this apical iridescence shifts dynamically, appearing distinctly greenish in some individuals and changing to a violet-greenish cast in others.[124] |
| Female | The plumage characters of the female are very similar to those of the colchicus group, though they are generally distinguished by a lighter overall colouration,[45][40] although this lighter differentiation is not always completely constant or distinct in every individual specimen.[45] The upperparts are a sandy-grey, displaying a slight reddish sheen and marked with dark, elongated spots.[40] The underparts are a pale ochre shade that lacks a streaky pattern, instead being decorated only with sparse, small spots restricted to the crop and the sides.[40] |
Photographs: Photographs are available from Amu Darya Nature Reserve in Turkmenistan.[133]
Measurements: Male wing length: Dementyev:[11] n = 8: 227–244 mm (mean 234 mm).
Distribution:[134] Originally distributed in the central Amu-Darya valley along the eastern Turkmenistan–Uzbekistan border, extending north to Turtkul (where its range nearly met the southernmost populations of P. c. chrysomelas) and south to Kerki and Köýtendag (the easternmost locality of P. c. bianchii). At present, the northern limit of its range is the Tuyamuyun reservoir, which forms a natural barrier between P. c. zarudnyi and P. c. chrysomelas, while the southern limit lies near Kelif. In Uzbekistan, the subspecies is restricted to the Kyzylkum Tugai and Sand Reserve in the Bukhara region on the right bank of the Amu Darya, whose buffer zone includes the Darganata tugai forest on the left bank.
Habitat:[134][11] In the Amu Darya floodplain, the pheasant inhabits tugai forests of varying age and density, developed floodplain habitats, and most islands are overgrown with herbaceous and woody vegetation. In the surrounding desert, its distribution is largely confined to wetlands. It occupies a wide range of mature riparian tugai habitats, from tall rugged poplar-oleaster forests with dense undergrowth to open shrub-herb thickets of chingil, liquorice, bulrush, and elephant grass. Pheasants are also common on vegetated islands, particularly those dominated by herbaceous cover. In spring, most birds concentrate in moist tugai habitats along riverbanks, whereas in autumn and winter they occur mainly on islands, in adjacent agricultural land, or occasionally at the margins of the desert.
1.2.3. Phasianus colchicus zerafschanicus (Zerafshan white-winged pheasant)
Authority and original description: Tarnovski, G.V. 1891.[135]
Type locality: Katla Kurgan, Samarkand (southern Uzbekistan).[135]
Protonym and synonyms:[136]
- Phasianus zerafschanicus sive klossowskii Tarnovski, G.V. 1891 — protonym
- Phasianus tarnovksii Seebohm, H. 1892 — junior synonym
Local names: Зарафшон қирғовули (Uzbek: Zerafshan Pheasant), Зарафшонӣ тазарв (Tajik: Zerafshan Pheasant), Зеравшанский фазан (Russian: Zerafshan Pheasant)
Description:[6][10][8][11][13][14][46] The male resembles that of P. c. zarudnyi in its generally pale, bright, golden colouration. The dorsal plumage is almost as variable as in P. c. zarudnyi, although some individuals are even paler and brighter. It differs from the other subspecies of its group by its well-developed white collar, which is usually narrow, broadly interrupted anteriorly, or reduced to crescent-shaped lateral bands. The black apical margins of the feathers of the anterior back are absent or poorly developed. The scapulars have black tips but lack black margins. The crop, breast, and upper underparts are paler than in the black-and-golden subspecies P. c. bianchii and P. c. chrysomelas. The throat is usually purple-red. The feathers on the crop and anterior chest have a broad yellow-red to golden-red basal zone with narrow, indented wine-red to purplish margins; in some individuals a narrow black shaft stripe or marginal border is also present. The belly is rufous. The female is similar to that of P. c. zarudnyi. The following collapsed table provides detailed plumage descriptions.
| Click [show] to view comprehensive plumage accounts | |
|---|---|
| Anatomical Feature | Detailed Description |
| Baseline Colouration and Pattern Scheme | The plumage of the adult male exhibits considerable individual variability, with the dorsal side of the body being almost as variable as that of P. c. zarudnyi, though some individuals are brighter and lighter in colour.[10][43] The upperparts display a pale, bright, golden-yellow to golden-rufous background[124][10][14] that lacks a distinct scaly pattern due to the general absence or poor development of dark terminal margins across the mantle and scapulars.[124][5][10]Taxonomically, the subspecies is distinguished from related forms by its better-developed white collar in all individuals,[14] which encircles the back and sides of the neck but is interrupted at the front.[124][8][40] The throat region is predominantly purple-red or reddish-brown,[124][10][40] leading down to a rich, coppery-red or golden-crimson breast and a warm rufous or light chestnut abdomen.[124][4][10]Historically, this taxon was documented under the junior synonym klossowskii by Zarudnyi in 1896. |
| Head and Neck | The crown, occiput, and nape are metallic dark green, featuring a dark violet iridescence on the feather tips[124] that transitions into a purple sheen on the sides of the head and around the neck.[40] The posterior crown and occiput frequently exhibit a distinct greenish-grey or violet-grey iridescence,[124] and small ear tufts are present.[40] The tuft of small feathers on the cheek below and behind the eyes is dark blackish-blue.[124]The lower neck is metallic dark green, virtually lacking any bronze-violet iridescence,[124] while the sides of the upper neck flash with a brilliant blue and violet-blue sheen.[124]The throat region is highly diagnostic, being characterised as purple,[13] purple-red,[10][137] or red-brown,[8] displaying a rich purple-red sheen across the chin and throat.[40] Taxonomically, it differs from P. c. zarudnyi, P. c. principalis, P. c. bianchii, and P. c. chrysomelas by being significantly more reddish-purple and less purplish-blue on the centre of the throat.[14]Under close examination, the chin, throat, and upper foreneck exhibit an age-progressive transition: they are occasionally bluish-green in some individuals, but typically develop a deep reddish-brown ground colouration with a violet iridescence and dark green or blue-green terminal margins as the bird matures, gradually replacing the black central zones of the youth plumage.[124] While the throat in adult birds is usually completely red-brown, it can occasionally retain these green feather margins.[8]There is never any trace of a white eyebrow line on this subspecies.[6] The white collar is a primary diagnostic marker for the subspecies, being better developed than in related forms,[137] including P. c. zarudnyi and P. c. principalis,[8][11][14] as well as P. c. bianchii and P. c. chrysomelas.[11][14] It almost continuously encircles the back and the lateral sides of the neck,[5][6][10][8][43][45] but remains interrupted at the front,[124][4][9][8][13][40] sometimes widely so.[46] Although alternatively characterised as a wide collar by Delacour,[13] the consensus among most authorities defines it as narrow—measuring under 10 mm,[6] generally around 5 mm or less in width—yet it is highly distinct and noticeable.[4][5][9][10][11][8][113][40][45][17] Less frequently, it may be restricted to crescent-shaped lateral bands,[46] or be slightly interrupted at the back,[8] with rare individuals displaying only external white spots.[46] |
| Mantle, Back, Interscapulars, and Scapulars | The mantle, interscapular region, and scapular tract share a bright, pale ground colour characterised as a golden-yellow, almost straw-golden, or golden-rufous background,[124][5][10][14] alternatively described as a bronze-red of varying intensity.[40] This dominant tone covers the entire anterior part of the back, completely lacking the dark purplish-green outer edging found in western subspecies and showing little to no admixture of the purple- or shellac-red tint that defines the crop.[1][10] Distinct from more heavily marked forms, the black terminal borders on the feathers of the upper and anterior back are typically absent or poorly developed; when faint margins are present, they flash with a predominantly blue metallic gloss.[5][10][11][137][40] Consequently, the mantle lacks any distinct or sharply defined scaly pattern.[124] Where markings are discernable, they are noted as small, variable, and brownish, featuring a dark green, dark blue, or dark greenish-blue iridescence with a violet sheen that is weaker than in P. c. persicus.[124]When the plumage is undisturbed and rests naturally smooth, the typical concentric internal pattern—consisting of a dull-black and cream-white central layout—is entirely or almost completely hidden under overlapping feathers.[5][10] Only the wide, glossy copper-red or golden-yellow feather margins are visible externally, though a small portion of the dull rufous or yellow inner field may occasionally be exposed without creating a sharp visual contrast with the edge.[10]The shoulder feathers exhibit a very small, lustrous apical spot or a blackish-blue tip positioned at the end of the feather shaft.[124][4][5][8][9][113][10][45] Aside from these small tips, the scapular feathers lack distinct black margins or lateral borders, with any minimal boundaries being replaced by very narrow, inconspicuous, and dull violet edges.[4][5][124][9][113][10] Under specific optical angles, these scapular markings carry a lustrous black, blackish-blue, or green-glossed iridescence with a violet sheen that is more pronounced than that of the mantle, though the tract maintains a uniform, non-scaly appearance due to the general absence of broad dark frames.[124] Seasonally, Carruthers notes that during spring, the upperparts become highly pale and washed-out, with the margins of the feathers weathering to a pale buff instead of retaining their rich, golden copper colour.[138] |
| Rump and Uppertail-Coverts | The lower back and rump are characterised by a bright background described variously as brick-red,[11][137][40] brick-rufous,[10] golden-rufous,[124] rufous brick-red,[5] or golden-red to orange-red,[4][1][113] falling broadly into a bronze-red, maroon, or rusty-orange category.[4][17] Comparatively, this tract is more golden or orange-red than in P. c. persicus,[9] showing little if any admixture of green.[5]Patterning is minimal, with no trace of a scaled appearance; any dark markings are restricted to small, wedge-shaped apical spots flashing an extensive green hue,[124] though the underlying black and rufous-white central fields remain visible in places across the lower back.[124] Under shifting light, the lower back and rump share the violet iridescence of the interscapular tract, which can turn into a distinct greenish cast.[124]The upper tail-coverts are golden-reddish-rufous,[124] orange-red,[1] or plain brick-red,[40] with their individual decomposed hair-like margins[6] being described as copper-red or orange-rufous.[10] These plumes are mostly uniform and unmarked, though an occasional individual exceptionally exhibits muted, brownish-violet spots on a few feathers near the structural base.[124]In terms of iridescence, the upper tail-coverts display a gloss flashing either violet or greenish that is generally more intense than on the mantle,[124] though they completely lack a noticeable purple surface sheen.[45] |
| Rectrices | The rectrices are characteristically rufous-brown with black transverse bars.[124] Across the central pair of feathers, these black bars transition into a brownish-rufous colour toward the margins of the vanes, whereas on all subsequent rectrices, these lighter extensions develop exclusively on the outer vanes and are entirely absent on the short, outermost feathers.[124]Shifting light angles dictate the iridescent borders of the tail: when viewed from behind with either the head or tail facing the illumination, the central rectrices exhibit broad, violet margins along the vanes.[124] This iridescence shifts to green or violet-green when the bird is positioned with its dorsum toward the light source.[124] The subsequent tail feathers possess these reflective margins only on their outer vanes, while the outermost rectrices lack iridescence entirely.[124]The dark bars on the basal half of the central rectrices are narrow,[4][6][9][10][17] measuring roughly 1.5 to 2.5 mm or less in width.[5][10] However, Zarudny notes a distinct variation closer to the tips: in the vast majority of individuals, the terminal black transverse bars on the central feathers measure three to six times broader than the narrow bands found in P. c. principalis.[124] |
| Wing-Coverts and Remiges | The upper wing-coverts are characteristically pale, presenting a baseline that is white,[6][1][8] or nearly so,[17] alternatively varying across a spectrum of yellowish-white, or silvery-grey.[4][9] The lesser coverts are white.[124] More specifically, the small and median wing-coverts can exhibit a light greyish, buffish, or ochreous wash,[5][10] or show a pattern where they are white in their apical halves and marked with sparse, copper-red longitudinal streaks.[40] On the folded wing, the median coverts are white, detailed with reddish-brown spots along the margins of the vanes.[124] The inner coverts are reddish-brown but feature a large white or brownish-white patch extending along the shaft.[124]The remiges are brownish with pale, rufous-yellowish transverse bars and concolourous apices.[124] On the inner remiges, these bars are arcuate (bow-shaped), partially fusing with one another and terminating before the feather margins, while their outer vanes are rufous.[124]The innermost remiges (tertials) feature white or otherwise pale shafts, brownish or blackish-brown centres, and reddish-brown margins.[124] The reddish-brown colouration of the inner portion of the folded wing responds dynamically to light, exhibiting a green, violet, or violet-green iridescence when the specimen is viewed with its dorsum toward the light source,[124] but appearing violet under all other lighting angles.[124] |
| Flanks | The ground colour of the elongated feathers covering the abdominal and posterior pectoral flanks is a golden-yellow, almost straw-golden,[10] nearly golden straw-yellow,[5] or golden-orange cast,[40] alternatively characterised as an identical or paler rufous-golden tone compared to P. c. chrysomelas.[124]The terminal transverse markings form a distinct pattern across the flank tract. Some feathers exhibit purple- or shellac-red borders that transition into black frames on the sides of the breast,[10] while broad, black-green transverse streaks contrast sharply with the plumage of the crop.[45] These terminal markings are comparatively smaller and narrower than those in P. c. principalis,[124][13] showing slightly narrower blue-black ends compared to both P. c. zarudnyi and P. c. principalis.[8]The colouration of the markings includes crimson-violet (considered the primary ground colour of the marking),[124] brownish,[13] blue-black,[8] black-green,[40] blackish-blue,[124] greenish-blue,[124] and violet-blue.[124] Alternatively, the flanks are described as simply spotted with black and purplish-blue.[4][9][17][113] Several of these iridescent hues can co-occur on the exact same feather, though one shade may occasionally predominate.[124] Ultimately, a dark blue or greenish-blue gloss is noted as the prevailing tone over the dark flank markings.[124][5][10] |
| Crop, Chest, and Breast | The ground colour of the crop and front chest is a bright golden-orange,[40] yellow-red,[46] or golden-rufous tone,[124] appearing lighter and paler than in P. c. zarudnyi and P. c. principalis.[8] Morphologically, the breast feathers are characteristically narrow and indented,[13] while the crop feathers feature apical emarginations that are deeper than in P. c. principalis yet shallower relative to P. c. persicus.[124] Under close examination, the centre of the crop and breast appears scale-like because the feathers completely lack a broad black-blue frame; instead, they are finished with exceptionally narrow terminal edges described as lilac-red, purple-red, or crimson-red, appearing almost shellac-like or wine-red.[5][6][10][46][45]These borders are exceptionally narrow, measuring only 1 to 1.5 mm wide on the crop feathers specifically,[4][5][9][11][137] though they can reach up to 2 to 3 mm across the general breast plumage.[10] Ogilvie-Grant defines them simply as narrow, heart-shaped purplish margins.[1] Vaurie reinforces that this subspecies is distinguished from P. c. zarudnyi and P. c. principalis by these much narrower borders and tips that lean toward a paler, more brownish-purple or copper-brown hue.[8][14]A primary characteristic of the crop feathers is the presence of dark terminal shaft-markings: positioned directly at the tip of the shaft or above the apical notch is a narrow, blackish-blue apical shaft-streak, short blue-black line, or small black triangular spot,[4][5][6][9][10][8][113] though this marking is occasionally absent or replaced by an expanded black central band or sparse black borders.[10][46] In sharp contrast to the purple-red centre plumage, true black, metallic violet-, or green-black borders develop exclusively on the sides of the crop, chest, and breast.[4][6][9][17] As these margins move laterally toward the outer areas, they develop a deeper colouration—varying from blue-green, dark or blackish-blue, to violet-blue—which entirely or partially displaces the purple-violet tone.[124]The middle and lower breast, along with the middle front belly, are golden-crimson-violet,[124] purplish coppery-red,[4][17] or purplish carmine,[1] varying individually from paler to deeper tones, though uniformly deeper than in P. c. zarudnyi and P. c. principalis.[124] The lower breast and sides of the abdomen can also appear pinkish-purple.[13] Feathers in this region are blackish at the base (excluding the downy proximal portion), transversely ferruginous across their midsections, and broadly golden-crimson-violet transversely across their distal ends, with a violet-rufous-golden colouration developing between the ferruginous centres and the feather tips closer to the lateral margins.[124] These golden-crimson-violet feather tips are smaller than those in P. c. principalis.[124]Closer to the lateral margins of this region, muted, wedge-shaped subterminal spots develop almost invariably at the apices of the outermost feathers, and narrow, dark blue-green margins bordering the crimson-violet tips of the outermost feathers are visible in most specimens.[124] Seasonally, Carruthers notes that during spring, these birds lose most of the vinous tinge across the breast and abdomen.[138] |
| Belly and Undertail-Coverts | The centre of the belly and abdomen is characterised as rufous,[10][45] light chestnut-red,[4][9] light chestnut,[17] or bright rusty,[13] with its anterior part bordered by the glossy purple-red tips of the adjacent feathers of the breast and flanks.[10]The sides of the belly and lower breast display a purplish coppery-red,[4][9][17] coppery-red,[17] purplish carmine,[1] or pinkish-purple tone.[13]Further down, the downy feathers of the tibiotarsal region and the ventral surface of the posterior abdomen are blackish with broad rufous-brown terminal margins, causing these areas to appear rufous-brownish or nearly so.[124] Laterally, the sides of the posterior abdomen closely approach the colouration of the under tail-coverts.[124]The under tail-coverts are a bright rusty[13] or rufous-brownish-red, varying individually from paler to deeper tones.[124] These plumes feature lustrous feather apices; when the specimen is viewed with its venter toward the light source, this iridescence is violet-greenish.[124]Seasonally, Carruthers notes that during spring, these birds lose most of the vinous tinge on the breast and abdomen.[138] |
| Female | The female is similar to those of P. c. principalis and P. c. zarudnyi,[40] and is also similar to females of the colchicus group, from which she is distinguished (though not always) by a lighter colouration.[45] |
Photographs: Photographs are available from Zarafshan National Park in Uzbekistan.[139][140][141][142][143][144]
Measurements: Male wing length: Salikhbaev & Bogdanov:[137] 220–241 mm.
Distribution:[11][134][43] Originally occurred in southern Uzbekistan throughout the Zarafshan River valley from Farab via Bukhara to Samarkand and Penjikent, and further east to Dashty-Kozy. In the Kashkadarya region, it occurred along the Guzardarya and Kyzyldarya rivers and in the vicinity of Karshi, Shakhrisabz, Kitab, Chirakchi. The northern boundary separating it from P. c. turcestanicus is formed by the watershed between the Zerafshan and the Syr-Daria rivers; to the south, the Hissar Mountains separate it from P. c. bianchii; to the west, its range nearly meets that of P. c. zarudnyi, as during periods of high water the Zerafshan may flood almost to the Amu Daria. Currently, the distribution is highly fragmented. The largest population occurs in the Zarafshan Nature Reserve near Samarkand in the Jambay district. The pheasant has also been recorded in the Katta-Kurgan area along the irrigation canals bordered by reedbeds and around collecting reservoirs, as well as in the Kermine area in agricultural gardens. One of the southernmost strongholds is in the vicinity of Shafirkan, where the population remains relatively numerous. The subspecies is listed in the Red Book of Uzbekistan.[145]
Habitat:[11][137][134] It nests in thickets of reeds and cattails along the shores of lakes and rivers and in tugai forests; it also frequents gardens, groves, grain and alfalfa fields, as well as wastelands and fallow lands overgrown with weeds. Along the banks of Ak Darya and Kara Darya in the middle reaches of Zerafshan, it inhabits tugai dominated by oleaster and, to a lesser extent, willows and other trees with a dense understorey of liquorice and other tall grasses, as well as dense grass thickets interspersed with tamarisk shrubs along the boundary between the floodplain and the desert. It often occurs away from woody vegetation in wheat and cotton fields, particularly where extensive dense reedbeds are present nearby. In spring, pheasants occupy relatively open tugai forests of poplar, willow, oleaster, and sea-buckthorn. During the breeding season, they concentrate in dense tugai vegetation dominated by tall herbs, elephant grass, and tamarisk. In the Kashgar Darya valley and the lower Zerafshan, where riparian forests are largely absent, they inhabit reed and cattail thickets. In the Shafirkan region, pheasants frequently use agricultural land in spring, occurring in vineyards, along cotton-field margins, and beside herb-covered irrigation ditches. During winter, they are found exclusively in dense tugai forests within the Zarafshan floodplain. Near Khodzha-Davlyat station and in the Shafirkan area, they also occur in thickets of saxaul, saltwort, and liquorice. Around Shakhrisabz, Kitab, and Guzar, pheasants inhabit cultivated oases characterised by a dense network of tree plantings, village gardens, and agricultural fields, especially alfalfa and cereal crops. In these habitats, the presence of permanent water bodies such as rivers, lakes, canals, or springs is essential. Along the Tanhas River in the Shakhrisabz district, the subspecies ascends mountain gorges along the channels to about 1,500 m above sea level and may occur in remote village gardens.
1.2.4. Phasianus colchicus chrysomelas (Khivan white-winged pheasant)
Authority and original description: Severtsov, N.A. 1875.[146]
Type locality: Lower Amu Daria, Russian Turkestan (present-day Uzbekistan/Turkmenistan).[146]
Protonym and synonyms:[147]
- Phasianus chrysomelas Severtsov, 1875 — protonym
Local names: Hywa sülgün (Turkmen: Khiva Pheasant), Хива қирғовули (Uzbek: Khiva Pheasant), Хивинский фазан (Russian: Khiva Pheasant)
Description:[6][10][8][11][14][46] This subspecies is very similar to P. c. bianchii. The male has white upper wing-coverts, as in the other subspecies of this group. The white collar is usually narrow and always widely open anteriorly (and not infrequently also posteriorly), though it is occasionally completely absent. The upperparts are dark bronze-red rather than yellowish-orange, with coppery and golden reflections. The dorsal plumage shows a distinct scaly pattern formed by broad metallic green feather margins, although the green colouration of the lower back is very poorly developed and often virtually absent. The underparts are generally similar to those of P. c. bianchii, but the crop and chest are lighter, with the coppery-red to golden ground colour predominating over the glossy metallic green-black feather margins, which are narrower than in P. c. bianchii. Like P. c. bianchii and P. c. shawii, this subspecies belongs to the black-and-golden subgroup, in which the crop and breast feathers are broadly margined with glossy metallic green-black, unlike the red-bellied P. c. principalis, P. c. zarudnyi, and P. c. zerafschanicus. The female resembles that of P. c. bianchii, but has smaller and more distinct blackish markings and is slightly darker than the female of P. c. principalis. The following collapsed table provides detailed plumage descriptions.
| Click [show] to view comprehensive plumage accounts | |
|---|---|
| Anatomical Feature | Detailed Description |
| Baseline Colouration and Pattern Scheme | The plumage of the adult male is characterised by an intense reddish-orange or copper-red base colouration across the upper body, flashing with a brilliant metallic golden sheen, while the underparts, excluding the belly, are a dark reddish-gold.[112][10] Belonging to the heavy black-edged "black-and-golden" branch of the white-winged clade, the subspecies is distinct because its wider coppery-red panels show through the margins, creating a less developed black or black-green appearance below compared to more heavily marked forms.[10][11]Taxonomically, the white collar is irregular and highly variable, ranging from complete absence to a narrow, imperfect semi-ring that is consistently interrupted at the front, often also at the back.[124][8][14][40]Early descriptions occasionally incorporated stray individuals or hybrids of P. c. zarudnyi from overlapping zones.[10][132] |
| Head and Neck | The crown, occiput, and nape are predominantly dark metallic violet, with the green centres of the feathers visible only occasionally, while the posterior crown and occiput frequently exhibit a greenish-grey or violet-grey iridescence.[124] Ear tufts are present.[40] The tuft of small feathers on the cheek below and behind the eyes is dark bluish-green.[124]The neck and head are dark metallic green,[112][9][10] with the sides of the upper neck displaying a faint bluish tint,[124] or with bluish tinges appearing in places.[10] The lower neck is metallic dark green, featuring an intense bronze-violet iridescence dorsally and laterally.[124]The throat region is dark green,[124][4][9][10][113][13] transitioning more towards blue further down the neck.[8] It is characterised by green metallically glossy terminal spots,[132] a very faint bronze-violet iridescence,[124] or a steely-blue appearance.[112] There is never any trace of a white eyebrow.[6] The white collar is highly variable and irregular, and always incomplete. It can range from no white colour at all in neck plumage to an unequal white collar, interrupted in front.[46] There may be only traces present,[4][9][113] usually visible only when examining the neck feathers.[40] When developed, it forms a narrow (< 5 mm) band or half-collar that is more pronounced on the lateral or posterior sides of the neck,[124][8] being consistently incomplete, interrupted, or broken at the front,[8][46][14][13] and often also interrupted on the hind neck[13] Vaurie deviates from other accounts in noting that a white collar is present in all individuals, although irregular in width and always interrupted in front and sometimes on the back.[14]Structurally, this imperfect collar is formed by numerous green feathers exhibiting either white tips, white transverse bars, or both, with some feathers being entirely or predominantly white distal to their black bases.[124][112] These form white external spots or white crescent-shaped lines on the sides of the neck.[46] |
| Mantle, Back, Interscapulars, and Scapulars | The mantle and interscapular region feature a dark golden-rufous,[124] predominant golden,[10] golden,[5] or copper-red to bronze-red base colouration,[11][137][43][40] which is considerably darker, more richly coloured, and less yellowish-orange compared to P. c. bianchii.[11][137][14][43] This tract displays an intense green iridescence uniform with that of the scapular region.[124] The feathers have wide black borders with a rich and bright metallic green gloss.[1][4][9][113][137][13] Alternatively, these edges show a blue metallic sheen,[40] or a violet gloss in some aberrant specimens.[5]These margins are cleaner green and usually more broadly bordered compared to P. c. principalis and P. c. zarudnyi,[8] being so extensively developed on the upper back that the black or green colour equals or exceeds the golden ground colour, (in extreme cases completely replacing it) especially in comparison to P. c. shawi.[5][9][10] Consequently, the mantle exhibits a distinctly scaled appearance due to the wedge-shaped apical spots and distal margins fusing continuously across almost the entire feather surface,[124] though this scaly pattern diminishes by spring due to feather wear along the margins.[124]The scapulars share the dark golden-rufous ground colour,[124] presenting wide, shiny copper-red or golden-yellow feather edges.[10] They carry a highly pronounced green iridescence that shifts to violet when the specimen is viewed from behind with the head facing the light source.[124] The dark green markings are narrow,[124] appearing as apical edges and spots.[5] When the plumage is undisturbed and the feathers lie properly, their matte-black and cream-white central pattern remains completely or almost completely hidden, leaving only the bright edges or a non-contrasting portion of the matte-rufous or yellow inner field visible.[5][10]In the anterior section of the scapular tract, numerous feathers bear highly restricted dark green distal margins;[124] while these borders can occasionally be broad and form conspicuous frames across most feathers, they never reach the extent observed in P. c. principalis, ensuring the scaly pattern of the scapular tract is never as prominent[124] or is alternatively characterised as not developed on the back generally.[43] |
| Rump and Uppertail-Coverts | The lower back and rump feature a dark golden-rufous,[124] rufous,[10] copper-red,[5][10][40] red,[112] or rusty[5] ground colour, which is deeper in tone than the interscapular tract[124] and somewhat darker than in P. c. principalis and P. c. zarudnyi.[8] They exhibit an intense green iridescence—stronger than on the interscapular tract—that shifts to violet when the specimen is viewed from behind with its head facing the light source.[124] Descriptions of this sheen vary across authorities, who describe it as a prominent metallic green gloss,[8] a green sheen,[45] a greenish tinge,[113] an occasional oily-greenish gloss over a ground colour with no or almost no mix of green,[10] little if any admixture of green,[5] a very poorly developed green colour,[11][137] a metallic coppery-purple sheen,[112] or a blue metallic sheen.[40]Plumage patterning is heavily developed. Each feather of the lower back and rump bears a large, dark green,[124] black-green,[10] or black[112] triangular, wedge-shaped apical spot[10][9][137][112][113] at the end of the shaft.[9][137][112][113] These markings fuse with distinct distal margins[124] or broader terminal borders,[10] producing a well-defined scaled[124] or transversely barred pattern[112] that is less pronounced than in P. c. principalis.[124] These sparse dark spots gradually disappear towards the tail.[40]The upper tail-coverts are dark golden-brownish-rufous,[124] copper-red,[10] or the same colour as the back,[40] with the hair-like upper tail-coverts[6] bordered with copper-red or orange-rufous.[10] They carry a highly intense green iridescence that exhibits the same light-responsive shift to violet when viewed from behind with the head facing the light source.[124] Dull, dark green spots are present near the base of the upper tail-coverts.[124] |
| Rectrices | The rectrices are rufous-brown with black transverse bars, presenting a deeper tone than in P. c. principalis.[124] On the central rectrices, these black bars transition into brownish-rufous toward the margins of the vanes.[124] On the subsequent rectrices, these brownish-rufous extensions develop exclusively on the outer vanes, being entirely absent on the short, outermost rectrices.[124]When the specimen is viewed from behind—with either the head or the tail facing the light source—the central rectrices exhibit broad, violet margins along the vanes; the subsequent feathers possess these iridescent margins only on the outer vanes, while the outermost rectrices lack iridescence entirely.[124] When viewed with the dorsum toward the light source, the violet iridescence shifts to an extensive pure green or slightly violet-green.[124] Under identical lighting conditions, the iridescence matches P. c. principalis, but the green hue is purer and incomparably more extensive.[124]The dark transverse bars on the tail feathers are narrow,[4][6][9][137][17] much narrower compared to P. c. shawi.[1][4][9][17] Specifically, the dark bars on the basal half of the middle rectrices measure about 1.5 to 2.5 mm, typically below 2 mm in width,[5][9][10] In the vast majority of specimens, the terminal transverse bars on the central rectrices are broader than in P. c. principalis, while all other characters conform to that subspecies.[124] |
| Wing-Coverts and Remiges | The lesser and median upper wing-coverts are white,[124][1][6][10] pure or almost pure white,[137] or nearly white,[113][5][17] sometimes exhibiting a light greyish or buffish tinge,[5] described as yellowish white or silvery grey,[4] or silvery-white.[112] These wing-coverts match the white upper coverts found in P. c. principalis and P. c. zarudnyi,[8] displaying a clearer white coloration compared to P. c. shawi.[4][9]Structurally, the upper wing-coverts are white in the apical half, light brown in the basal half (hidden under the white tips of the feathers) and with sparse longitudinal rusty-red or rusty-brown stripes.[40] On the folded wing, the median coverts are white with reddish-brown spots along the margins of the vanes,[124] while the inner coverts are reddish-brown with a large white or brownish-white patch extending along the shaft.[124]The remiges are brownish with pale, rufous-yellowish transverse bars and concolourous apices.[124] On the inner remiges, these bars are arcuate (bow-shaped), partially fusing with one another and terminating before the feather margins; their outer vanes are rufous.[124]The innermost remiges (tertials) feature white or otherwise pale shafts, brownish or blackish-brown centres, and reddish-brown margins.[124] The reddish-brown colouration of the inner portion of the folded wing exhibits intense green iridescence when the specimen is viewed with its dorsum toward the light source.[124] |
| Flanks | The sides of the body are golden-red or golden-brown,[40] while the exposed portions of the elongated feathers covering the abdominal flanks and the posterior pectoral flanks are rufous-golden.[124] This ground colour appears on the flank feathers as wide golden subapical bands.[8]Structurally, the long flank feathers are simply if at all emarginated[5][9] or feature a single notch dividing the tip into 2 lobes,[10] with these ends being occupied by a broad black spot[4][5][9][113][137][17] that carries a rich green gloss.[1][4][8][9][113][10][40][13] These blackish-green apical edges contrast with the purple edges seen in P. c. principalis, P. c. zarudnyi, and P. c. zerafschanicus.[45]The dark green transverse apical spots on the flank feathers occasionally show a bluish tint.[124] Seebohm notes that response to light is highly dynamic: the markings appear almost peacock-blue if the bird is placed between the observer and the light source, shifting to a brilliant emerald-green if the observer stands between the light and the specimen.[114] |
| Crop, Chest, and Breast | The crop and front chest feature a rufous-golden,[124] coppery-red,[8] orange,[112] or brown-golden[40] ground-colour, conforming to P. c. principalis, but with a less intense violet iridescence and the shallow apical emarginations of the feather apices equal to or less pronounced.[124]In contrast to P. c. principalis, all feathers across this region are broadly edged with black having a rich dark green gloss.[112][1][124][4][8][9][113][10][45][13] Thus, the crop and chest region appears covered with wide transverse brown-golden and black-green stripes.[40] The blackish-green coloration contrasts with the purple-violet margins found in the "red-bellied group" P. c. principalis, P. c. zarudnyi, and P. c. zerafschanicus.[124][45] This black-green colour locally almost covers the ground colour;[112][13] however, in P. c. chrysomelas such a dominance of the black-green colour is restricted to the crop area, whereas in P. c. bianchii it extends to the entire front part of the chest.[46] In general, the chest and breast are lighter than in P. c. bianchii,[4][9][10][137][17] because the coppery-red or brownish-red subterminal pre-apical part of the feathers is wider and the dark green or black margins are narrower,[4][5][6][9][10][11][137][46][14][43] allowing the coppery- or brownish red colour to peek through or predominate over the black.[5][6][10][11][14][43]In aberrant individuals, appearing according to Zarudny in a zone of overlap (and possibly hybridisation) with P. c. zarudnyi,[132] the terminal markings are violet, casting a violet gloss over the entire bird.[5][6]As with the crop, the black borders of the breast feathers are narrower and form a more regular pattern than in P. c. bianchii, so that the copper-red colour predominates over the black across the breast area.[4][5][9][10][11][137][14]The middle of the breast and sides of the belly are dark green.[1][4][113][17] The feathers are essentially black with broad, deep green distal ends, so that these regions appear black or blackish-brown with green feather tips.[124] Closer to the lateral margins of the middle and lower breast and front belly region, a ferruginous coloration develops within the medial portions of the feathers, expanding laterally at the outermost margins to form a wide band that bisects the black centre of the feather.[124] Compared to P. c. principalis, the rufous pigmentation expands at the expense of the black, constricting it from all directions away from the shaft.[124] Along the margins of this region, particularly anteriorly, the black pigmentation is absent proximal to the green feather tips; these green tips narrow and occasionally disappear almost completely on a few feathers due to displacement by a crimson-violet coloration that develops transversely across the distal ends immediately prior to their ferruginous centres.[124] |
| Belly and Undertail-Coverts | The centre of the belly is matte, brownish black [4][8][9][40] blackish-brown,[5][10][13] or dusky-brown,[6] being less blackish and more blackish-brown than in P. c. bianchii.[45] In typical specimens, it is bordered in its anterior part by the shiny black-green tips of the adjacent breast and flank feathers.[6][5][132][10]In aberrant individuals, appearing according to Zarudny in a zone of overlap (and possibly hybridisation[10]) with P. c. zarudnyi,[132] a brownish or chocolate-brown belly edged above with violet or coppery red may be present.[6][5][10]The downy feathers of the tibiotarsal region and the ventral surface of the posterior abdomen are blackish with narrow rufous-brown terminal margins, causing these areas to appear predominantly blackish.[124] The lateral sides of the posterior abdomen closely approach the coloration of the undertail-coverts.[124]The undertail-coverts are rufous-brownish-red, varying individually from paler to deeper tones, with lustrous feather apices.[124] When the specimen is viewed with its venter toward the light source, this iridescence is greenish.[124] |
| Female | The upperparts of the female are sandy-gray with a slight reddish sheen and dark, elongated spots.[40] The underparts are pale ochre without a streaky pattern, with sparse small spots on the crop and sides.[40]The female is similar to those of P. c. bianchii and P. c. principalis,[14] or sometimes very slightly or a little darker than P. c. principalis.[14][13] She is also very similar to females P. c. colchicus and is distinguished, though not always, by a lighter coloration,[45][40] She also resembles the female of P. c. shawi, but is like P. c. principalis in having the black spots on the under plumage,[9] specifically on the middle of the chest and breast-feathers,[1] more strongly marked.[1][9] In proportions and general colouring, the female is exceedingly like the female of P. c. mongolicus.[49] A more constant difference is noticed in the black markings of the hind neck; each feather on this part is marked with a single black horse-shoe of variable shape, whereas the female of P. c. mongolicus has two large transverse oval spots.[49] |
Photographs: Photographs are available from the Badai-Tugai Nature Reserve in Uzbekistan,[148][149] from the Lower Amu Darya Biosphere Reserve,[150] and from other regions in the Republic of Karakalpakstan.[151]
Measurements: Male wing length: Ogilvie-Grant:[2] 236 mm; Hartert:[8] 236–247 mm; Dementyev:[11] n = 2: 235–250 (mean 242.5 mm); Salikhbaev & Bogdanov:[137] n = 13: 235–250 mm.
Distribution:[134] Lower reaches and delta of the Amu Darya, including Khiva oasis, in western Uzbekistan and northern Turkmenistan. The subspecies does not extend to the Syr Darya. Historically, its range extended from Turtkul across the Khiva oasis and the Amu Darya delta to the southeastern shore of the Aral Sea, where it occurred both on islands and along the coastline. It was recorded from Kungrad and Nukus, throughout much of the Khorezm region (including the Kosh-Kupyr, Yangi-Aryk, and Khiva districts), in the Tashauz region, in the Khodzheli and Shumanai districts, and in the Baday-tugai Nature Reserve. In the northwest, the distribution boundary nearly reached the southern escarpment of the Ustyurt Plateau (Sudochye Lake). At present, its habitat has been severely degraded by the burning and uprooting of about 90% of the original tugai forest and by the desertification of the Aral Sea. The current distribution is poorly known. The Lower Amu Darya State Biosphere Reserve was established in Uzbekistan in 2011, which extends the Badai-Tugai Nature Reserve northward to the Nazarkhan Tugai and southward to Beruniy, and which today hosts some of the remaining populations of this subspecies.[152] Recent observations suggest that the subspecies has followed the shifting course of the Amu Darya westward into the Sarygamysh Depression and possibly beyond.
Habitat:[134] The Khiva pheasant primarily inhabits Asiatic poplar tugai forests of the lower Amu Darya, usually with varying admixture of oleaster and willow, as well as shrub thickets of tamarisk, salt-tree, dogbane, liquorice, and karelinia. It also occupies reed beds along the lake shores, floodplains, and coastal areas, and is frequently found in cultivated fields where suitable nesting and cover habitat are available. During spring, summer, and autumn, it prefers mixed shrub and subshrub tugai, as well as oleaster-salt-tree tugai, where food resources are abundant. In winter, it occurs mainly in poplar-oleaster and oleaster-salt-tree tugai. Nests are typically placed in tamarisk thickets, dense young stands of oleaster and poplar, and in thickets of karelinia and camel thorn.
1.2.5. Phasianus colchicus bianchii (Bianchi's white-winged pheasant)
Authority and original description: Buturlin, S.A. 1904.[153]
Type locality: Upper Amu Darya Valley (southern Uzbekistan).[153]
Protonym and synonyms:[154][11]
- Phasianus chrysomelas bianchii Buturlin, 1904 — protonym
- Phasianus jabae Zarudny, 1909 — junior synonym
- Phasianus colchicus michailowski Zarudny, 1909 — junior synonym
Local names: Тожикистон қирғовули (Uzbek: Tajik Pheasant), Тоҷикистонӣ тазарв (Tajik: Tajik Pheasant), Таджикский фазан (Russian: Tajik Pheasant)
.jpg)
Description:[6][10][8][11][14][46] The males have white upper wing-coverts, as in the other subspecies of this group, and lack an externally visible white collar, although a few concealed white feathers may occasionally be present. The upperparts are duller and browner, less reddish, than in P. c. principalis, but darker than in P. c. zarudnyi. The dorsal plumage shows a well-developed scaly pattern formed by dark metallic green feather margins merging with the terminal markings. The underparts are darker than in both P. c. principalis and P. c. zarudnyi, with blackish markings merging on the breast. The general colouration is similar to that of P. c. chrysomelas. The crop and anterior chest appear almost entirely glossy metallic bluish- to blackish-green because the very broad glossy green-black distal margins of the feathers merge to conceal virtually all of the coppery-red ground colour. These margins are broader than in P. c. chrysomelas, so that the green gloss predominates over the coppery-red ground colour, often appearing dark golden. The flank feathers have very broad glossy black-green terminal markings. Like P. c. chrysomelas and P. c. shawii, this subspecies belongs to the black-and-golden subgroup, in which the crop and breast feathers are broadly margined with glossy greenish-black, unlike the red-bellied P. c. principalis, P. c. zarudnyi, and P. c. zerafschanicus. The female is very pale, with relatively few dark markings, and resembles that of P. c. principalis. The following collapsed table provides detailed plumage descriptions.
| Click [show] to view comprehensive plumage accounts | |
|---|---|
| Anatomical Feature | Detailed Description |
| Baseline Colouration and Pattern Scheme | The male of this subspecies belongs to the "black-and-golden" branch of the group of white-winged pheasants, displaying a highly melanistic, dark green character on the underparts, heavily contrasting with the golden-red or copper-red hues of the upper mantle and rump.[4][5][10][40]The overall pattern is defined by exceptionally wide, glossy black-green feather margins that form a prominent, dense scale-like overlay, which almost entirely obscures the lighter base pigment on the crop, breast, and mantle.[5][43][14]Taxonomically, two variant forms were described. The form jabae represents a hybrid that occurs where this subspecies intergrades with the purple-breasted gordius (a variant of P. c. zarudnyi) in the geographic overlap zones near Kelif and Termez.[8][10] The dark variant michailowski is variously interpreted either as a valid, distinct subspecies characterised by its unique black undertail coverts and hyper-reduced gold flank lines,[8] or merely as an extreme individual dark variant within typical populations, separated only by the complete closure of the golden chest markings and wider black-green margins on the lower back.[10] |
| Head and Neck | The head and neck, including the throat, are glossy dark green with bluish tinges in places.[10] The crown is intensely coloured bronze-violet.[155] Ear tufts are present.[40]Never is there any trace of a white eyebrow.[6] The white collar is completely absent or present only as slight traces,[4][8][9][13][40] and only rarely white marks can be seen from external examination and present on the feather tips.[46] When traces occur, they are confined to a few white marks on the nape,[14][46] or in most cases are indistinguishable externally, appearing only under thorough examination.[40][46]The throat region is uniformly dark green.[4][9][10]In the hybrid form jabae, the neck colour is purplish violet, with the head and neck resembling those of the variant gordius of P. c. zarudnyi.[113] Furthermore, the chin, breast, and belly of jabae display solid dark green margins with a significantly more developed bluish sheen than typical forms; the width of these margins is incomparably narrower than in typical P. c. bianchii, matching the narrower width seen in the variant gordius of P. c. zarudnyi.[132][8] |
| Mantle, Back, and Scapulars | The forepart of the back and mantle possess a predominant golden or copper-red ground colour,[5][10][40] which is darker, more orange-red or brownish red, and less golden than in P. c. principalis or P. c. zarudnyi.[8][14][43] The upperparts otherwise closely resemble P. c. chrysomelas, though they are slightly more brownish and feature spots and borders that are glossy greenish-blue rather than green.[8][13]The feathers of the upper back and mantle are very widely edged with black that carries a rich green gloss, forming a well-developed scaly pattern where the dark feather edges merge with the terminal spots.[4][5][9][43] This glossy black-green colouration is so extensive that it roughly equals the ground colour, usually exceeds it, and can sometimes completely overshadow the gold or copper base.[5][10] These dark borders are more strongly glossed than in P. c. zarudnyi and P. c. principalis, with metallic reflections varying from bluish to blackish-green instead of purplish or purplish-brown.[14]When undisturbed, the scapulars appear quite evenly coloured or uniformly copper-red to golden-yellow, as their wide, shiny edges completely or almost completely hide the matte-black and cream-white or buffish central pattern.[5][10] Any visible part of the matte-rufous or yellow inner field does not sharply contrast with the border, which is marked only by a more-or-less developed black apical edge or spot.[5][10] These wide, dark green apical borders give the scapular region a striking, scale-like appearance.[132][113]The individual dark variant michailowski is distinguished by having even broader, more disintegrated feather edges and larger terminal spots across the mantle, scapulars, and anterior rump than typical P. c. bianchii.[132][8] Conversely, the hybrid form jabae is differentiated by dark green margins and spots that display a distinct bluish admixture or tint across the back and scapular regions;[132][8][113] on the scapulars, these markings and spots also blend together less perfectly than in typical forms or the variant gordius of P. c. zarudnyi.[132] |
| Rump and Uppertail-Coverts | The base colouration of the lower back, rump, and upper tail coverts is copper-red, maroon, or rusty-orange, with little to no admixture of ochre.[5][10] These upper tail coverts possess a strong green metallic sheen,[6][45][40] with their edges being copper-red or orange-rufous and their apices marked by triangular green spots.[4][10][113] The rump feathers share this base colour and green metallic sheen, featuring sparse black spots that gradually disappear towards the tail.[40] These markings manifest as large, black-green, wedge-shaped or triangular spots at the end of the feather shafts, accompanied by more or less noticeable terminal borders.[4][9][10][113] Compared to P. c. chrysomelas, the lower back shows minimally wider green margins.[8]The individual dark variant michailowski is differentiated by having very large terminal spots and exceptionally broad, disintegrated margins on the feathers of the rump and upper tail coverts.[132][8] These black-green edges on the lower back feathers are highly developed and measure up to 2 mm in width, whereas typical P. c. bianchii possesses small spots and narrow, faintly indicated margins.[132][10] |
| Rectrices | The black transverse bars on the central pair of rectrices are narrow, measuring only about 1.5 to 2.5 mm in width on their basal halves.[5][10] These black tail-bars are much narrower than those found in P. c. shawii.[4][6][9] |
| Wing-Coverts and Remiges | The lesser and median upper wing coverts are predominantly white,[6][10] though they can sometimes carry a greyish or buffish tinge,[5] rendering them silver-white or yellowish-white.[4] Overall, they appear clearer white than those of P. c. shawii.[4][9] Structurally, these upper wing coverts are white on their apical halves, whilst their basal halves are light brown—which remains hidden beneath the white feather tips—and feature sparse longitudinal rusty-red or rusty-brown stripes.[40] |
| Flanks | The sides of the body are golden-red or golden-brown,[40] closely resembling P. c. chrysomelas but featuring markings glossed greenish-blue rather than green.[13] The flank feathers are broadly tipped with black that carries a rich green or blackish-green gloss, rather than the purple edges seen in P. c. principalis, P. c. zarudnyi, and P. c. zerafschanicus.[4][9][45][11] Compared to P. c. chrysomelas, this dark green terminal band is somewhat wider, the brownish-gold anteapical band is narrower, and the basal brown part is darker.[8] These black-green stripes on the body sides are few and very wide,[43] and the end of the elongated feathers features a single slight notch.[6][10] This single notch divides the tip of the long flank feathers into two lobes, with the entire end of the feather occupied by a metallically shiny, blackish-green spot, in contrast to P. c. shawii.[5][10]The individual dark variant michailowski is differentiated by body sides that feature a highly reduced, narrow gold stripe, behind which the remaining part of the feather is solid blackish-green, whereas typical P. c. bianchii retains a wide, distinct rust-red or golden subapical band field.[8] |
| Crop, Chest, and Breast | The crop, chest, and breast are considerably darker than in P. c. chrysomelas, P. c. zarudnyi, and P. c. principalis, appearing predominantly blackish green or shiny dark green due to the exceptionally broad and extensive dark terminal borders on the feathers.[4][9][11][14][43] These metallic margins carry a rich green or blackish-green gloss rather than the purplish or purplish-brown reflections seen in P. c. zarudnyi, P. c. principalis, and P. c. zerafschanicus, with the borders on the middle and sides of the crop and chest being concolorous.[4][6][45][14] The copper-red, dark-gold, or orange-golden base of the feathers is so heavily obscured by these wide margins that it disappears completely on the crop, remaining visible only as narrow, translucent transverse stripes or a scaly pattern on the breast.[6][10][8][113][40] The feathers of the chest and mid-breast feature these wide, shiny black or distinct purple-red, shellac-like edges, which almost completely hide the red portion of the feathers.[5][10][13] The chest feathers explicitly display a two-coloured pattern consisting of a narrow brownish-red basal band and a wide black edge, ensuring the green colouration strongly predominates over the golden and rust-coloured tones on the breast.[132][46] Concurrently, the middle of the breast and the sides of the belly are dark green.[4][17] In the dark variant michailowski, the golden colour is completely closed on the crop rather than almost completely closed,[10] and the entire underparts are darker green, with the golden tones almost disappearing entirely.[113] Almost the entire chest and breast are dark green; a dark gold colour shines through only as a narrow stripe at the sides of the breast, behind which the remainder of the feather is solid black, completely lacking the extensive, non-metallic pale chestnut-coloured or dark rusty-red transverse field seen in typical bianchii.[132][8] Furthermore, the green feather tips on the sides of the lower breast and belly are so broad that they leave narrow golden borders only 3 to 5 mm wide, while the uniform black feather bases approach the light, non-metallic parts by a tiny margin, whereas in typical bianchii the black colouration is broadly interrupted along the shaft and falls far short of those parts.[132]In the hybrid form jabae, the chin, breast, and belly share a uniform dark green colouration rather than purple, but their dark green margins feature a significantly more developed bluish sheen than in typical forms.[132][8] In contrast to typical bianchii—where the green margins are so highly developed that they occupy the crop almost exclusively—the width of these borders in jabae is incomparably narrower, matching the lesser width characteristic of gordius, and the markings on the middle of the crop and breast do not show the sharp contrast against the sides that is typical of gordius.[132][8][113] |
| Belly and Undertail-Coverts | The sides of the belly are dark green,[4][9][17] featuring wide green feather edges with a distinct bluish tint.[113] In contrast, the centre of the belly is a characteristic matte brownish-black or blackish-brown,[4][9][10][40] darker than in P. c. chrysomelas.[45] This dark central region is bordered along its anterior part by the shiny black-green tips of the adjacent breast and flank feathers.[10]Typical undertail coverts are rust-coloured with a blackish base and a distinct terminal spot.[132]In the dark variant michailowski, the belly region is structurally similar to typical bianchii, but the green feather tips on these parts are so exceedingly broad that they leave only narrow golden borders measuring 3 to 5 mm in width; the uniform black feather bases approach the light, non-metallic zones by a tiny margin rather than being broadly interrupted along the shaft.[132] The undertail coverts of michailowski are dark and mostly black,[132][8][113] where the black elements show only a minor presence of rust colour restricted to the central parts of the feathers.[132]In the hybrid form jabae (and intermediate individuals from the Kelif and Termez-Karki regions), the belly is not black-brown but brownish, and its front border is violet, copper-red, or a broad purple field instead of bluish-green.[132][10] The feathers within these fields are distinguished by a green or bluish-green shimmer on their disintegrated purple tips.[132] The middle of the belly is explicitly rust-coloured as in gordius.[132][8] The feather edges on the crop, breast, and belly remain less wide than in typical bianchii, though they carry a partial bluish sheen.[132][113] Furthermore, the feathered parts of the tarsi in jabae are brownish-black with rust-coloured feather margins, distinguishing them from the dull or matte black tarsi of typical bianchii and the rusty-brownish, irregularly spotted tarsi of gordius.[132] |
| Female | Like in the other white-winged subspecies, the upperparts of the females are characteristically sandy-grey with a slight reddish sheen and feature dark, elongated spots; the underparts are pale ochre and lack a streaky pattern, being marked only by sparse, small spots restricted to the crop and body sides.[40] The female is lighter in colouration than the nominal P. c. colchicus and those of the Caucasian group,[10][45][40] whilst showing a close similarity to the female of P. c. principalis.[14] |
Photographs: Photographs are available from Surkhandarya Region in Uzbekistan,[156] and from Tigrovaya Balka Nature Reserve in Tajikistan.[157][158]
Measurements: Male wing length: Dementyev:[11] n = 20: 240–260 mm (mean 249.7 mm).
Distribution:[43] Upper Amu Darya basin in southern Uzbekistan, southwestern Tajikistan, and extreme northern Afghanistan. To the north, east, and south, the range is bounded by the Hissar, Alai, Pamir, and Hindu Kush mountain ranges, respectively. Its downstream limit along the Amu Darya is uncertain, as is its exact relationship with P. c. zarudnyi.[159] Historically, it occurred along the Panj River from Termez to Chubek, and along its right-bank tributaries (including the Surkhandarya River) northwards to Denau. From there, the range entered into the Hissar Valley, reaching Dushanbe and Yangi Bazaar; along the Kafirnigan north of the 38th parallel; along the Vakhsh to slightly north of Bokhtar, where the river emerges from the mountains; and in the valleys of lower Qizilsu and Yakhsu rivers. Downstream along the Amu Darya, it apparently did not occur beyond Termez.[11] Today, the subspecies is restricted to (a) small populations in the Tigrovaya Balka Nature Reserve and on remnant riparian woodland islands from the lower Vakhsh River to Kyzylkala; (b) areas around Tursunzade, Shahrinav, Hissar, Rudaki, and Vakhsh districts, as well as tugai islands along the lower courses of the Shirkent, Karatag, Khanaka, Dushanbinka and Kafarnigan rivers; and (c) the right bank of the Panj river along the Tajikistan–Afghanistan border between Hamadoni and Farkhor districts, together with tugai islands in the lower Qizilsu valley.[159] In Afghanistan, it formerly occurred at Chashma-i-Sher, Dahana, and Pul-i-Khumri, and near Kunduz and Balkh, but by 1959 it appeared to be extinct throughout the country.[129] The subspecies is globally threatened by hunting and habitat destruction.
Habitat: Tugai habitats dominated by woody vegetation of varying density, ranging from impenetrable thickets to more open areas with grassy clearings. It occurs in pure poplar stands on elevated parts of river valleys, in tugai dominated by grasses, thickets of tamarisk, sea-buckthorn, reeds, and weeds, and in small riparian tugai patches that are inaccessible from either the riverbank or the river itself.[11] In the Vakhsh Valley, it inhabits stands of narrow-leaved oleaster (Elaeagnus angustifolia) and poplar (Populus pruinosa). In the Hissar Valley, it occurs not only on tugai islands along rivers but also in cultivated fields, orchards, undisturbed cemeteries, and even in green spaces near human settlements and airports. In the Panj Valley, it is found on tugai islands dominated by narrow-leaved oleaster and also in the vicinity of alfalfa and cotton fields.[159]
1.2.6. Phasianus colchicus shawii (Yarkand white-winged pheasant)
Authority and original description: Elliot, D.G. 1870.[160]
Type locality: Yarkand (Xinjiang, western China).[160]
Protonym and synonyms:[161]
- Phasianus shawii Elliot, 1870 — protonym
- Phasianus insignis Elliot, 1870 — junior synonym
- Phasianus shawi chrysomeloides Lorenz, 1909 — junior synonym
Local names: 雉鸡莎车亚种 (Chinese: Shache subspecies of Common Pheasant)
Description:[160][1][8][9][13][14] The males have a bronze-green to brownish-green crown and occiput, changing to purple or green in different lights; the face and throat are dark green, while the neck varies from greenish-blue to blue with purple iridescence. There are no whitish supraorbital lines, and the white collar is absent or represented only by an incomplete narrow ring. The lesser and median wing-coverts are white or whitish-buff, the greater coverts broadly edged with chestnut. The upper back is metallic golden to golden-bronze; its feathers have narrow blackish-green margins and broad glossy green wedge-shaped terminal markings. The lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts are orange-bronze to chestnut, with greenish and purplish reflections; the feathers of the lower back and rump bear a subterminal green spot on either side of the shaft. The breast feathers are slightly indented, the crop feathers more strongly scalloped, with a deeper median indentation. The crop is dark glossy green; the upper breast is metallic golden to golden-chestnut, the feathers edged with dark green or blackish-green; the middle breast is coppery red, and the lower breast and sides of the belly are dark glossy green. The flanks are golden-orange, and the elongated flank feathers have slightly indented or trilobed tips with broad iridescent terminal markings that appear violet, blue, or purplish-green according to the angle of light. The abdomen is brownish-black, surrounded by a glossy green band. The central tail-feathers are yellowish-ochre to rufous-brown, heavily barred with black, the dark bars on the basal half usually 3–4 mm wide. There is clinal variation in the dark margins of the flank and lateral breast feathers: these are narrow in the eastern part of the range, in the Aksu and Khotan Darya valleys, but broad in the west, in the Kashgar Darya valley ("insignis").[155] P. c. shawii resembles P. c. bianchii in the upperparts and flanks, but tends to have richer golden-orange flanks. It also resembles P. c. chrysomelas, but the upper back feathers have much narrower blackish-green margins and broad glossy green wedge-shaped terminal spots. It differs from P. c. tarimensis in having whitish wing-coverts and reddish to orange-bronze rump and upper tail-coverts. The female is very pale; the ground colour of the mantle is pale rufous-buff, and the remainder of the plumage is light buff. It has fewer dark markings than the female of P. c. bianchii. The following collapsed table provides detailed plumage descriptions.
| Click [show] to view comprehensive plumage accounts | |
|---|---|
| Anatomical Feature | Detailed Description |
| Baseline Colouration and Pattern Scheme | The male of this subspecies belongs to the "black-and-golden" branch of the white-winged pheasant group, characterised by a fiery golden-red, deep rich chestnut, or metallic golden-chestnut ground colour on the mantle and breast that heavily dominates over its narrow dark elements.[160][1][5] Unlike more melanistic races, the overall plumage pattern is defined by exceptionally narrow, sometimes barely visible blackish-green or purplish-green feather margins on the upperparts and underparts, which allows the light base pigment to heavily prevail.[5][8][14]Structurally, it is said to possess long flank feathers that are doubly emarginated with two notches to produce three distinct apical lobes.[6][5]Taxonomically, the name insignis was described for birds exhibiting much wider black margins on the plumage (with chrysomeloides serving as a redundant synonym for the same appearance).[8] Rather than representing a distinct geographic subspecies, this dark variation occurs individually within typical populations of P. c. shawii.[8]Geographically, populations follow a clinal gradient where typical, lighter individuals occur in the eastern parts of the range along the Aksu-Darya and Khotan-Darya rivers, whereas the darker, more heavily bordered individuals corresponding to variant insignis dominate further west near Maral-bash.[155][10] This dark variant is distinguished by a greener general sheen almost entirely lacking the violet reflections of the typical form, as well as a more rounded crop feather structure.[155][10] |
| Head and Neck | The head and neck, including the throat, are dark green with a bright, metallic green gloss, which can change to blue, purple, or violet depending on the light.[160][4][9] On the crown and occiput, the plumage is grey-green with a very faint violet shimmer,[155] though changing to brown, purple, or green under different illumination.[160]Never is there any trace of a white eyebrow.[6]The white collar is completely absent, or present only as a vestigial, slight trace on the nape in an occasional specimen.[160][4][9][14][12]{{pb}The variant insignis is differentiated by a crown that is intensely coloured bronze-violet, closely matching that of P. c. bianchii.[155] The throat from the lower bill downward in this variant is a glossy yellowish-green rather than the bluish-green seen in typical P. c. shawii.[155] Furthermore, the sides of the neck in insignis are a glossy green almost entirely lacking the violet shimmer that characterises typical populations, and the feathers of the neck are black at the base and deep chestnut in the centre with broad, brilliant green tips.[160][155] |
| Mantle, Back, and Scapulars | The forepart of the back and mantle possess a predominant golden or metallic golden-brown ground colour,[160][5] which is significantly lighter than in P. c. chrysomelas and ensures that the golden ground colour strongly dominates over the black elements on the back.[5][9] The feathers of the upper back and mantle are very narrowly margined or edged on their sides with black that carries a purplish-green gloss,[1][4][9] these margins are narrower than those of P. c. chrysomelas[1][5][9] and P. c. bianchii,[5] sometimes remaining barely visible.[8]Structurally, the feathers of the uppermost back are black at the base for about two-thirds of their length, featuring a white shaft and adjacent white central area, a dull chestnut band between the black and the metallic edging, and a deep indigo or metallic blue apical spot at the tip.[160]When undisturbed, the scapulars appear quite uniformly or evenly coloured, varying from copper-red to golden-yellow, as their wide, shiny edges completely or almost completely hide the matte-black and cream-white central pattern along with any non-contrasting matte-rufous or yellow inner field.[5][10] The visible portions of the chestnut scapulars feature small spots of metallic blue at the tip, a grey base, a white shaft and centre, and a bar of black situated between the white area and the brown edging, with those feathers closest to the back being conspicuously barred with white and black.[160]The variant insignis is distinguished by having the back and scapulars very broadly coloured golden-chestnut, with the feathers marked by a single black band or a triangular black bar on each side starting from the white shaft about a third of its length from the tip.[160] This variant is further differentiated by a conspicuous, brilliant or shiny green triangular spot at the tip of each feather, replacing the darker indigo or metallic blue apical spots seen in typical P. c. shawii.[160] |
| Rump and Uppertail-Coverts | The base colouration of the lower back, rump, and upper tail coverts is orange-red, copper-red, or deep chestnut-red, showing little to no admixture of ochre.[5][10][12][162] These intensely rufous feathers lack a purplish-lake gloss,[1] instead exhibiting an orange-bronze tone[9] with greenish reflections that range from a slight tinge[53] to a strongly iridescent green sheen,[8] particularly on the forward part of the rump.[6] The feathers of the lower back and rump carry a subterminal green spot on each side of the shaft,[1][4][9] whilst the lowest back can appear slightly variegated with white and black along with a few indigo spots under certain lighting.[160] The very long feathers of the rump hide the upper tail coverts,[160] which themselves are reddish,[14] uniform deep chestnut,[160] or orange-rufous on their edges.[10]The variant insignis is differentiated by a lower back and rump of a deep, rich chestnut-red that is completely uniform, lacking the greenish or indigo subterminal spots and light variegation found in typical P. c. shawii.[160] |
| Rectrices | The upper surface of the tail is distinctly more yellowish-ochre and less reddish than in P. c. principalis, P. c. zarudnyi, P. c. zerafschanicus, P. c. chrysomelas, and P. c. bianchii.[13][14] The central tail feathers are rufous-brown or yellowish-ochre and are heavily cross-barred with black; on their basal halves, these dark bars are ordinarily short, wide, and measure about 3 to 4 mm in width, making them much broader than those of P. c. chrysomelas and P. c. bianchii.[4][6][5][9][10][14] These short black bars are situated next to the shaft but do not sit on the same line across both webs, instead being continued across the web by a joining bar of chestnut.[160] The outer webs of the lateral tail feathers are similar, whilst their inner webs are light brown, mottled with black, and regularly barred with the same colour, showing a white and black variegation on the underside.[160]The variant insignis is differentiated by a reddish-brown tail that is barred equally and at regular intervals with black for about half the width of the web, whilst the outer half is barred with chestnut.[160] On the outer tail feathers of this variant, the inner webs are greyish-brown rather than light brown and are regularly variegated or barred with black.[160] Furthermore, the entire underside of the tail feathers in insignis is chestnut and features broad, distinct black bars, replacing the black and white mottled underside seen in typical P. c. shawii.[160] |
| Wing-Coverts and Remiges | The lesser and median upper wing coverts are predominantly white or nearly white,[6][10][17][162] though they are frequently variable, carrying a light greyish, ash-grey, or buffish-ochre wash that renders them somewhat yellowish compared to P. c. chrysomelas and P. c. bianchii.[1][4][5][9][14] Structurally, the shoulder feathers are white with a few feathers variegated with black principally in their centres.[160] Most of the upper wing coverts possess chestnut-red margins, with some of the greater coverts being long and very broadly margined with chestnut.[160][12]On the remiges, the flight feathers are pale brown; the primaries are barred with white on the inner web whilst being washed and variegated with white on the outer web.[160] The secondaries are pale brown, having their outer webs slightly washed with rufous on the edge, their inner elements margined with white or rufous, and their centres mottled with fulvous and black.[160]The wing coverts of the variant insignis are white, but are differentiated by being margined at their lower half with fulvous, with the innermost coverts margined with chestnut and the outer ones variegated with black and brown.[160] Furthermore, the flight feathers of insignis are pale brown but are explicitly barred with yellowish-white instead of the pure white markings seen in typical P. c. shawii.[160] |
| Flanks | The flanks are golden-orange, golden-brown, or splendidly golden,[160][13][12] with the flank feathers being narrowly to moderately tipped with black or metallically shiny black carrying a prominent purplish-green, purplish-blue, or cherry-blue gloss.[1][4][9][10] These dark terminal markings are much narrower and bluer than those of P. c. chrysomelas and P. c. bianchii, appearing more greenish only when held away from the light,[8] whilst they are blacker and less purple in tinge compared to P. c. principalis.[53] Structurally, the ends of the elongated or long flank feathers on the body sides are uniquely doubly emarginated with two notches, forming three clear structural apical lobes.[6][5] The central lobe alone is occupied by a brilliant dark blue or black terminal spot[160][10] that only slightly extends onto both neighbouring lobes,[10] in contrast to the single-notched feathers of P. c. chrysomelas and P. c. bianchii.[6][5][10]The variant insignis is differentiated by having much wider, broader terminal edges and significantly larger terminal spots on the flank feathers than typical P. c. shawii, approaching the heavy patterning seen in P. c. bianchii.[155][8][10] Furthermore, these large, triangular spots on the tips of the bright golden flanks in insignis display a brilliant, shining green sheen rather than the narrower purplish-blue or cherry-blue tones characteristic of typical populations.[160][10] |
| Crop, Chest, and Breast | The crop, chest, and breast are defined by a fiery golden-red,[5] deep rich chestnut, or metallic golden-chestnut ground colour[160] with a rich, purplish-blue cast,[14] entirely lacking the peach-carmine tinge seen in P. c. principalis.[53] The feathers of these parts are margined or tipped with dark green,[1] greenish-black,[4][12] or metallically shiny black carrying a predominant purplish-green, indigo,[160] or cherry-blue gloss.[10] These dark terminal borders are significantly narrower than those of P. c. chrysomelas and P. c. bianchii,[1][5][8] as well as most other races in the white-winged group, allowing the fiery base colour to heavily prevail over the black element.[5][14] Structurally, the crop feathers are more pointed,[10] more scalloped, or well-indented at the centre and less rounded,[14] somewhat approaching P. c. bianchii in their contrast,[155] whilst mirroring the exact shape seen in P. c. tarimensis.[14] The feathers on the lower part of the breast are broader, rather lighter than those on the crop, and likewise bordered with blue,[160] showing slightly indented margins.[13] Collectively, the middle of the breast and the sides of the belly are dark green,[1][4][13] with the middle breast featuring coppery-red elements with greenish-black borders measuring 2 to 3 mm in width,[13] whilst the mid-crop and mid-breast can appear scaly due to occasional wide, purple-red or shellac-like edges.[10]The variant insignis is differentiated by feathers on the crop, chest, and breast that feature much broader, wider blackish-green terminal edges than typical P. c. shawii.[155][8][10] These broad tips carry a brilliant shining green sheen rather than the narrower purplish-blue, indigo, or cherry-blue tones of typical populations.[160][10] Furthermore, the crop feathers of insignis are structurally less pointed and more rounded,[155][10] deviating from the typical form and somewhat approaching the rounded feather structure characteristic of P. c. bianchii.[155] |
| Belly and Undertail-Coverts | The sides of the belly are dark green,[1][4][13] whilst the centre of the abdomen is a dull or matte blackish-brown or brownish-black.[160][4][10] Similar to P. c. tarimensis, this dark central region of the belly is surrounded and bordered along its anterior part by a prominent band of glossy green or shiny black tips from the adjacent breast and flank feathers.[10][14] The typical undertail coverts are red.[160]The variant insignis is differentiated by having a solid black centre of the abdomen and black thighs.[160] Furthermore, the undertail coverts of insignis are chestnut rather than red, and their tips are explicitly washed or marked with a slight, shining green gloss.[160] |
| Female | The female is much paler in colour than the nominal P. c. colchicus and is notably paler than the females of P. c. principalis, P. c. zarudnyi, P. c. zerafschanicus, P. c. chrysomelas, and P. c. bianchii.[1][8][10][14] It closely resembles the female of P. c. tarimensis, showing an identical tone on the underside to P. c. principalis but remaining even lighter on the upper side than the latter subspecies.[8][14] The feathers of the mantle lack any chestnut colouration, possessing a pale rufous-buff ground colour, whilst the general ground colour of the remainder of the plumage is a light or whitish buff.[9][1]The female of the variant insignis is differentiated by a general buff plumage that is uniquely suffused or tinged with a rosy hue throughout.[160] The back feathers of this variant are margined with ashy brown, featuring a yellowish or yellowish-buff band before the tip that is repeated two or three times, which serves to interrupt the black running along the shaft; the middle part of these feathers is barred with rufous and black.[160] Furthermore, the flight feathers of insignis are pale brown cross-barred with brownish-black, the tail is rosy-brown irregularly cross-barred with black, the breast is dark buff, and the rosy-buff flanks are conspicuously marked with broad black bands or spots.[160] |
Photographs: Photographs are available from Kashgar City,[163][164][165][166][167][168][169][170][171][172] from Hotan Darya,[173] from Duolang Reservoir near Aksu Darya,[174] and from Aksu City.[175]
Measurements: Male wing length: Elliot:[160] 229 mm; Ogilvie-Grant:[2] 244 mm; Vaurie:[14] n = 10: 233–250 mm (mean 241 mm).
Distribution:[4][9] Western Tarim Basin in western China, including the valleys of the Hotan Daria, Yarkand Daria and the Kashgar Daria, the upper reaches of the Tarim River and the lower parts of the Aksu Valley. It occurs in Hotan Prefecture (Minfeng, Lop, Hotan, Moyu, Pishan, Yecheng), Kashgar Prefecture (Kashgar, Shache, Maigaiti, Yarkand River basin, Jiashi, Bachu), in Tumshuk City, in Kizilsu Prefecture (Akqi), and Aksu Prefecture (Aksu, Awat, Aral, Tarim River Basin, Wensu, Shaya, Xinhe, and Kuqa).[176] To the southwest it extends to the road between Sanju (Pishan County) and Kashgar; to the north it reaches areas north of the Tarim River as far as Qiuci (= Kuqa) and the foothills of the Tien Shan in Wensu County. In the west, it enters the valleys at the foot of the Alay and Pamir mountains. It integrades with the sandy-winged P. c. tarimensis along the Tarim River between the Aksu-Hotan-Tarim confluence in the west and Xayar County. It is separated from P. c. mongolicus by the Tian Shan and from P. c. bianchii by the Pamir and Alay mountains.
Habitat:[8][9] Dry reed beds and riparian habitats with tall grasses; it keeps mainly to the lowlands and lower mountain slopes, only rarely ascending to higher elevations. Pevtsov described in 1889 the primeval forest between the main branch of the Yarkand Darya and one of its side channels, where P. c. shawii was abundant. The entire area was covered with sparse desert poplar forest, composed chiefly of Populus euphratica and Populus pruinosa with occasional oleaster (Elaeagnus) trees. Shrubs were scarce, and the ground was covered with fallen leaves and branches mixed with loess dust.[177]
Note: Genetic studies clearly show that this subspecies belongs to the principalis-chrysomelas group.[28]
1.3. Mongolicus group (Kyrgyz pheasants)
This group comprises subspecies distributed primarily across northeastern Turkestan and adjacent Xinjiang. Despite its name, P. c. mongolicus does not occur in Mongolia. In the males, a characteristic broad white neck-ring (7–10 mm wide) is always present, usually interrupted in front but sometimes complete and only narrowed anteriorly. Ear tufts are inconspicuous and often absent. The upper wing-coverts are white with sparse copper-red longitudinal streaks. The upper tail-coverts are rusty to chestnut, occasionally with an oily-greenish sheen. The general plumage hue is coppery, with a pronounced greenish or purplish gloss on the crop, chest, shoulders, and interscapular region. The feathers of the middle of the crop and chest are usually more or less uniformly golden-copper red in their exposed portions, lacking black margins or showing only very narrow ones; when present, these margins do not exceed 1 mm in width. The black apical shaft wedges of the upper-back feathers are very narrow. The shoulder region is rather uniformly coloured, with the creamy-white feather patterns mostly concealed. Females of this group are pale and resemble those of the Amu Darya pheasants, but differ in having rounded dark spots on the foreback.[40] The subspecies of this group represent the largest forms of P. colchicus (exceeded only by P. c. hagenbecki), with male wing lengths averaging about 255 mm and occasionally exceeding 270 mm; birds from the Syr Darya basin average about 8–12 mm shorter in wing length than those occurring farther east.[178]
1.3.1. Phasianus colchicus turcestanicus (Syr Darya pheasant)
Authority and original description: Lorenz, T. K. 1896.[179]
Type locality: Syr Daria River, Turkestan.[179]
Protonym and synonyms:[180]
- Phasianus mongolicus turcestanicus — protonym
- Phasianus mongolicus triznae Zarudny, N. A. 1909 — junior synonym
- Phasianus mongolicus kvaskovskii Zarudny, N. A. 1909 — junior synonym
- Phasianus mongolicus bergii Zarudny, N. A. 1914 — junior synonym
Local names: Сирдарё қирғовули (Uzbek: Syr Darya Pheasant), Сирдарёӣ тазарв (Tajik: Syr Darya Pheasant), Сырдария қырғауылы (Kazakh: Syr Darya Pheasant), Сырдарья кыргоолу (Kyrgyz: Syr Darya Pheasant), Сыр-Дарьинский фазан (Russian: Syr Darya Pheasant).
Description:[10] This subspecies is very similar to P. c. mongolicus. The head is less bronze-green, and the plumage overall shows less green and more blue and violet gloss on the crop, chest, shoulders, and interscapular region. The crown is green with weak purple sheen.[179] The white collar is usually broader than in P. c. mongolicus, narrowing anteriorly and only slightly interrupted in front, or occasionally complete. The back, especially the upper back, is intensely coppery-red with a weak green sheen. The rump and upper tail-coverts are more intensely red than in P. c. mongolicus, with variably developed bluish-grey and greenish-grey feather tips. The forebreast is less prominently brownish-red, more purple-violet. The feathers of the upper breast have a purplish hue and usually lack black terminal margins, or these are only weakly developed. The flanks bear spots with a blue-violet or green sheen. The belly is black-brown to black. Birds from the steep mountain thickets of the eastern Ferghana Valley ("triznae") tend to have darker underparts, with the black of the belly extending farther onto the chest, increased black on the crop and chest feathers, and flank spots showing a green sheen without blue-violet tones. They also tend to have more strongly developed bluish-grey or greenish-grey feather tips on the rump and upper tail-coverts. The former form "bergii" (now extinct and formerly occurring on the former Aral Sea islands of Uzung-Kair and Uyaly) was distinguished by well-developed broad black margins on the crop and chest feathers, which showed a dark-green or blue gloss, and by more deeply notched forebreast feathers. It thus appeared intermediate between P. c. chrysomelas and P. c. turcestanicus.[181] The female does not differ from that of P. c. mongolicus. The following collapsed table provides detailed plumage descriptions.
| Click [show] to view comprehensive plumage accounts | |
|---|---|
| Anatomical Feature | Detailed Description |
| Baseline Colouration and Pattern Scheme | The male of this subspecies belongs to the group of white-winged pheasants and is characterised by a well-developed, wide white collar[179][4] and a predominant copper-red, dark reddish-brown, or chestnut ground colour on the mantle and upperparts.[179][5][10][40]The overall pattern is defined by fine, velvety black terminal shaft-streaks on the dorsal feathers,[10][40] minimal development of black terminal margins on the crop and breast,[5] and an intense purple, bluish, or cherry-red metallic gloss that overspreads the chest, flanks, and mantle.[4][5][10]Taxonomically, this subspecies incorporates the variants bergii from some Aral Sea islands and triznae from the Chatkal mountain system bordering the Ferghana Valley from the East. The morphologically distinct island population bergii was historically subject to highly harsh, fluctuating ecological parameters that induced frequent intergradation with mainland delta river populations, thereby characteristically neutralising its subspecific distinction over time.[11] Following the catastrophic drying out of the Aral Sea and the complete disappearance of its island ecosystems, the unique bergii population has effectively disappeared.[11]The variant bergii was characterised by its exceptionally dark underparts,[113] featuring dark green or bluish-green feather margins on the crop, breast, and flanks that are two to three times as broad as in the typical form.[8][10] The variant triznae is characterised by a darker underside due to the forward extension of the black belly colouration,[10] a green flank gloss, and unique bluish-grey tips on the lower back and rump plumage.[113][10] |
| Head and Neck | The crown, nape, and hindneck possess a prevailing green metallic sheen or gloss[4][9][113][13] with a weak bronze-purple shimmer,[179] with the crown being less bronze-green than in P. c. mongolicus.[43] The forehead and sides of the neck display a predominantly dark bluish-green or greenish-blue gloss,[179][4][9][113] which turns to yellowish-green closely above the white collar,[179] or transitions to purple-red on the sides of the head.[40] The area from the base of the bill, extending beneath the bare orbital skin to the ear, is bluish-green,[179] and ear tufts are usually absent.[40]The throat is coppery maroon,[4][9] maroon-purple,[13] reddish-brown,[179] or copper-red,[10] and does not differ from the colouration of the crop, thereby contrasting noticeably with the sides of the neck and hindneck.[45] This coppery-maroon throat region is divided from the cheeks by a streak of bluish green,[4][9] and the tips of the throat feathers carry a prevailing greenish-blue gloss.[4][9] More precisely, the throat can be reddish-brown, being margined with bluish green in the middle and purple at the sides.[179]Never is there any trace of a white eyebrow.[6]A well-developed, wide white collar is present,[179][113] typically measuring about 10 mm in width.[5][6][10][45] Opinions vary on its completeness; it is described as wide and complete or nearly complete,[4][9] very broad,[179] closed at the front or only slightly broken,[5][6][10] and usually broader and less broadly interrupted at the base of the throat than in P. c. mongolicus.[8][14][17] Conversely, other accounts note it is narrower[46] or less developed than in P. c. mongolicus[43] and typically incomplete or interrupted at the front of the throat for a short distance.[45][11][137][40] |
| Mantle, Back, and Scapulars | The forepart of the back and mantle possess a predominant copper-red,[5][137][40] dark reddish-brown,[179] or chestnut ground colour,[5] which is darker overall than in P. c. mongolicus (incl. variant semitorquatus),[8][10] while differing from P. c. zerafschanicus, P. c. chrysomelas, and P. c. bianchii by this intense copper-red hue.[137] The upperparts are strongly glossed with green on the back and rump,[45][13] though they average less bronzy green than in P. c. mongolicus,[14] with the green tint or sheen being less developed.[43] Instead, the chest and mantle carry a prevailing bluish,[4][9][10] purple-violet,[6] or cherry-red gloss.[10] The black terminal shaft-streaks, wedges, or spots on the back feathers are very narrow and fine,[5][10][40] with narrow black edges that are more velvety than in P. c. mongolicus,[40] whilst the black marks within the feather notches carry a glossy bluish-green sheen.[179]The scapulars are entirely purple[113] or display a strong purple,[179] bluish, and cherry-red gloss.[10] When undisturbed and properly arranged, the scapulars appear evenly coloured or quite uniform, as their wide, glossy copper-red or golden-yellow edges completely or almost completely hide the dull matte-black and cream-white median pattern.[5][10] Any visible part of the dull rufous or yellow inner field does not sharply contrast with the marginal border,[10] which features only a more-or-less developed black apical edge or spot.[5][10] |
| Rump and Uppertail-Coverts | The base colouration of the lower back, rump, and upper tail coverts is copper-red, maroon, or rusty-orange,[4][9] being more intensely red[43] and averaging somewhat darker[8] and more purplish than in P. c. mongolicus.[14] The rump has little to no admixture of ochre,[5][10] whilst the dorsal plumage displays a strongly developed green,[45][13] oily-green,[4][9] or weak greenish sheen,[46] which can present as a dark bluish-green tone with a faint purple shimmer.[179]The edges of the upper tail coverts are copper-red or orange-rufous,[10] with these hair-like coverts carrying a strong green gloss.[6] Typically, the feathers of the lower back lack, or almost completely lack, any greenish-grey or bluish-grey mix at their tips.[10] The variant triznae deviates significantly by having a distinct greenish-grey or bluish-grey mix at the tips of the lower back feathers,[10] and its shorter upper tail coverts are characterised by strongly developed bluish-grey tips.[113][10] |
| Rectrices | The tail is chestnut, bordered by purplish-red fringes,[13] and features narrow black transverse bars[4][9] that measure only about 1.5 to 2.5 mm in width on the basal halves of the central pair of rectrices,[5][10] The transverse black markings on these central tail feathers remain consistently narrow across typical populations.[6] |
| Wing-Coverts and Remiges | The lesser and median upper wing coverts are white,[6] presenting variations that range from yellowish-white to silvery-grey,[4][9] or sometimes carrying a light greyish, buffish, or ochre wash.[5][10] These upper coverts are additionally marked with sparse copper-red longitudinal streaks.[40]The remiges and overall wing pattern resemble those of the P. c. principalis-P. c. chrysomelas group, but the characteristic red markings are darker and distinctly glossed with green.[13] |
| Flanks | The sides of the body and flanks display a bright coppery-red,[13] dark reddish, or orange-golden ground colour,[10] with the sides of the breast and flanks being strongly purple.[179] The black terminal or apical spots and borders on these flank feathers carry a prevailing purplish and greenish-blue gloss,[4][9] or a purple-violet sheen,[6] showing a bluish and violet gloss that prevails in comparison to P. c. mongolicus.[5] These dark terminal markings can also carry a cherry-red gloss,[10] presenting as small dark blue bars and borders[13] or as glossy bluish-green and purple-blue marks,[179] whilst the apex spots themselves remain purple and greenish-blue.[113]Both variant forms deviate noticeably in their flank colouration and pattern. In the variant triznae, the dark apical spots on the flanks lose the typical purple or cherry-red tones, featuring instead a predominant green or dark green gloss.[10][113] The variant bergii similarly displays black spots with a dark green or bluish-green gloss rather than cherry-red,[10] but is distinguished by having darker, broader, and more deeply indented margins on the feathers of the body sides and flanks,[13] with these dark edges sometimes being two to three times as broad as in typical P. c. turcestanicus.[8] |
| Crop, Chest, and Breast | The crop and breast are reddish-brown,[179] golden-copper-red,[10] or purplish-red,[13] displaying a predominant bluish and purplish gloss[4][9] or a purple-violet sheen[6] over the coppery panels. This coloration is darker and has a more pronounced purple tint than the bronze-green of P. c. mongolicus (incl. variant semitorquatus).[5][10][45][137] Conversely, the middle of the breast and chest is described as predominantly green,[4][9][113] blackish-green,[179] or carrying a green sheen.[10]The feathers on the front of the chest feature three distinct colour bands: a brownish-red basal area, a narrower purple-violet band, and a narrow black edge, with the brownish-red tones being less developed and the purple tones more expressed than in P. c. mongolicus.[46] Structurally, the breast feathers are broad, square, and not indented,[13] with their exposed parts usually being more or less uniform golden-copper-red and either completely lacking black terminal margins or having weakly developed ones.[5][43]Occasionally borders are present but do not exceed 1 mm in width, or they are barely noticeable and do not even reach 0.5 mm in width,[10] and are described as narrow and velvety.[40] The typical form is also characterised by the dull black coloration of the belly extending upward only to the middle of the rear part of the breast.[10]Both variant forms exhibit clear modifications in these regions. In the variant triznae, the narrow black feather edges on the crop and breast become almost completely invisible,[40] but the dull black coloration from the belly extends much further upward, reaching into the middle of the front part of the breast.[10] The variant bergii deviates markedly by having well-developed, wide black terminal edges on the feathers of the crop, breast, and lower parts, which resemble the pattern of P. c. chrysomelas[46] and make the underparts appear very dark.[113] These margins measure about 1 mm in width, carry a dark green or bluish-green tinge rather than a cherry-red gloss,[10] and are often two to three times as broad on the breast as in typical P. c. turcestanicus, appearing concurrently with deeper notches at the tips of the crop feathers.[8][13] |
| Belly and Undertail-Coverts | The sides of the belly are dark green,[4][9] whilst the centre of the belly is characteristically blackish-brown[4][9][10] or dull black, surrounded by green and purple tones.[13] The anterior part of this region is defined by a black border carrying a predominant bluish and cherry-red sheen or gloss.[10]Both variant forms exhibit unique modifications to the belly plumage. In the variant bergii, the lower parts are made exceptionally dark due to much wider dark margins on the tips of the feathers on the sides of the belly, as well as on the crop and breast, compared to typical P. c. turcestanicus.[113] In the variant triznae, the entire underside is noticeably darker than in typical P. c. turcestanicus,[113] with the middle of the belly being completely black;[113][10] furthermore, this solid black coloration extends much further forward onto the chest.[10] |
| Female | The plumage is distinguished by a great deal of pinkish-lilac suffusion[13] or a slight tinge of the same hue on the hindneck and upper mantle in some individuals.[14] The female is characteristically large and pale,[13] being noticeably paler than the female of nominal P. c. colchicus,[10] whilst remaining highly similar to females of the other red-rumped groups,[45] including P. c. mongolicus as well as the P. c. chrysomelas-P. c. principalis group.[14] |
Photographs: Photographs are available from the Turkistan Region of Kazakhstan,[182][183] and from northern Uzbekistan.[184][185][186][187][188]
Measurements: Male wing length: Dementyev:[11] n = 24: 240–263 mm (mean 253 mm); Tyurekhodzhaev (from birds around Zholek near Baygekum):[178] 220–260 mm (mean 244 mm); Turmanov (from birds on the right bank of the Syr Darya west of Shieli):[189] n = 12: 236–248 mm (mean 241 mm).
Distribution:[11][134][190][191][192] Along valley of the Syr-Darya, from Kazakhstan southeast to the westernmost margins of the Fergana Basin (where it has been almost extirpated from the valley floor); in the eastern mountain slopes of the Ferghana Basin (form "triznae"), where it inhabits the mountain slopes of the Tien Shan to the south of Terskey-Ala-Tau in Uzbekistan and adjacent Kyrgyzstan (Abdusamat Nature Reserve). In the Jalalabad Region, it is distributed sporadically throughout its entire extent, particularly on the southeastern slopes of the Chatkal Range, in Arslanbob, and also in the Kara Darya basin. It formerly occurred near Gülchö in the Osh region; birds reported from the upper Kyzyl-Su River in the Alai Valley[11] most likely belonged to P. c. bianchii (it is unclear whether they still occur there). Along the Syr Darya, a belt inhabited by pheasants extends along both banks of the river without penetrating far into the adjacent deserts. Its distribution also includes the middle and lower reaches of the principal tributaries of the Syr Darya, the Chirchik and Angren rivers. It formerly nested in the Arys River valley and has been observed in the foothills of the Talas-Alatau (Zhabagly),[193] in the lower Iyyrsu River valley (a headwater of Mashat River) in the Mashattau Mountains, and near the Chokpak pass.[194] At the beginning of the 21st century, pheasants spread to the Aksu-Dzhabagly area both from the Talas Valley across the Chokpak saddle (P. c. mongolicus) and from the Arys Valley (P. c. turcestanicus); in the Syr Darya Karatau they appeared in 2004 at the Boralday and Koshkar-ata rivers, in 2005 in the Aulie tract, in 2007 in Karabastau, and in 2010 near Kentau; breeding in Kokbulak was first recorded in 2007; the subspecific identity of birds throughout this area remains uncertain.[192] In the Inner Tien Shan, it nests in Sary-Chelek and in the Naryn and Atbashi valleys. P. c. mongolicus was artificially introduced into the mid-montane regions of the Chirchik River basin and the Kurama range between 1973 and 1976, while additional introductions from the Kochkor Valley into the Naryn-Atbashi valleys had already taken place during the first half of the 20th century.[192] More recently, pheasants have colonised the Aidar-Arnasai lake system in the southeastern Kyzylkum Desert. The now-extinct population of the former northeastern Aral Sea islands Uzun-Kair and Uyaly may have represented a distinct subspecies "bergii".[181] The range of the Syr Daria Pheasant is bounded in the southeast by parts of the Tian-Shan and Alai Mountains, and in the south by the Alai and Gissar Mountains, which separate it from P. c. shawi, P. c. bianchii and P. c. zerafshanicus. The subspecies extends south to approximately Bekabad and Zarbdor and to the foothills of the Tien Shan in the southern Ferghana Valley. To the west, the Kyzylkum Desert separates it from P. c. chrysomelas, although their ranges may formerly have met along the eastern shores of the Aral Sea. In the northeast, the Karatau, Kyrgyz, and Terskey ranges separate it from the closely related P. c. mongolicus.
Habitat:[11][134][191] Two principal habitat types are occupied. Firstly, in the river valleys, it inhabits reed beds, shrub thickets, and tugai vegetation, generally close to water; extensive closed-canopy tugai forests are used less frequently. In the Angren River floodplain, tugai consists of dense willow thickets with abundant tamarisk, salt-tree, and rosehip shrubs, providing food resources through rosehips, oleaster, and sea-buckthorn. In the Syr Darya Valley, pheasants most frequently occur in areas rich in lakes and streams, where the terrain is highly heterogeneous owing to differences in soil moisture; they are also commonly encountered on the margins of the Kyzylkum Desert, inhabiting deep depressions among undulating dunes overgrown with grasses and shrubs.[191] In the Syr Darya floodplain, tugai vegetation is dominated by poplar stands in which various species of poplar mixed with oleaster predominate; these are typically bordered by liquorice-saltwort plant communities. Habitat structure ranges from dense, virtually impenetrable thickets with little herbaceous growth to sparse woodland interspersed with meadow vegetation. Around Lake Aydarkul, newly developing tugai consists primarily of reed beds associated with stands of karelinia and wild lettuce. Turanga occurs as scattered groups among the woody vegetation but does not form continuous stands. In dune depressions approximately one kilometre from the lakeshore, dense thickets of tamarisk, wild lettuce, and karelinia develop, and pheasants occur there year-round. Secondly, the montane form ("triznae") inhabits steep mountain thickets of wild rose, barberry, hawthorn, and other shrubs, as well as riparian scrub and shrubby walnut forests, up to about 1,500 m above sea level. It occasionally ascends to higher elevations, having been recorded at Lake Sary-Chilek (1,873 m) and at Gulcha pass (3,416 m). In the Sary-Chelek Mountains, it nests only in apple forests and open juniper woodlands.[192]
1.3.2. Phasianus colchicus mongolicus (Kyrgyz pheasant)
Authority and original description: Brandt, J. F. 1844.[51]
Type locality: Altai region.[51]
Protonym and synonyms:[195]
- Phasianus mongolicus Brandt, 1844 — protonym
- Phasianus brandti Rothschild, 1901 — junior synonym
- Phasianus semitorquatus Severtsov, 1875 — junior synonym
Local names: Жетісу қырғауылы (Kazakh: Semirechye Pheasant), Жети–Суу кыргоолу (Kyrgyz: Semirechye Pheasant), Семиреченск қирғовули (Uzbek: Semirechye Pheasant), Семиреченский фазан (Russian: Semirechye Pheasant), 雉鸡准葛尔亚种 (Chinese: Junggar subspecies of Common Pheasant)
Description:[9][11] The male differs from the subspecies to the west and south in that the coppery-red ground colour predominates on the anterior part of the back. The crown and occiput are dark metallic green, in some lights strongly tinged with purple. A fairly broad white collar is present, but it narrows sharply on the front of the neck and is usually widely interrupted there. Towards the eastern part of the range, the collar tends to become narrower on average. The upper wing-coverts are white. Compared with P. c. persicus, mantle, chest, and breast are bronzy orange-red, showing a purple-carmine gloss in certain light and a green gloss in others; the breast and flanks are tipped with blackish green, while the centre of the breast and the sides of the abdomen are dark green. The crop and breast are reddish-brown, the feathers having broad dark metallic-green margins; in different light, however, they appear fiery golden-brown-red, with narrow black terminal edges; the feathers of the sides are lighter, more golden, and have broad black terminal margins with a green gloss. A broad zone at the front of the belly usually shows a predominance of green iridescence, although in some individuals it is more rufous. The upper tail-coverts are glossy green and may appear purple from certain angles. Compared with P. c. turcestanicus, this subspecies has a narrower white collar that is more widely open in front, and generally exhibits more green and less blue-violet gloss, particularly on the upper back, crop, and forechest. The rump and upper tail-coverts are less intensely red, and the head is more bronze-green. The female resembles that of P. c. chrysomelas, but differs in having a black spot near the tip of each upper mantle feather and a black median bar instead of a broad black submarginal border. The following collapsed table provides detailed plumage descriptions.
| Click [show] to view comprehensive plumage accounts | |
|---|---|
| Anatomical Feature | Detailed Description |
| Baseline Colouration and Pattern Scheme | The male of this subspecies is among the largest representatives of the species.[12] It belongs to the group of white-winged pheasants and is characterised by a broad white collar and upperparts that are predominantly copper-red or chestnut,[4] displaying an intense metallic green gloss that approaches bronze.[5][10][11] The metallic sheen is characteristically dual, appearing partly green and partly purple depending on the light angle.[112][9] The underparts are characterised by an absence or weak expression of dark borders on the crop and breast.[43]Taxonomically, the subspecies encompasses the variant semitorquatus, a form originally described from the central Tian Shan whose morphological distinctness has split historical opinions. Some authorities treated it as a valid taxon,[10] whilst others noted that these variations are entirely indistinguishable.[6] Hartert found these differences noticeable, however was uncertain about its subspecific status.[8] It is also possible that this variant is part of an East-West cline, being more frequent in the East.The plumage of the variant semitorquatus deviates from typical populations by having the metallic gloss uniformly green across the whole body, breast, and mantle rather than mixed with purple,[112] and its white collar noticeably narrower and more widely interrupted across the foreneck or only indicated.[53][8] |
| Head and Neck | The crown, nape, and hindneck exhibit a prevailing metallic gloss or silk-like sheen of purple and bronze,[49][179][4][9][113] though some accounts describe these parts as pure dark metallic green or bronze-green,[51][8][40] with the crown being distinctly more bronze-green than in P. c. turcestanicus.[43] The crown and nape feathers are highly frayed at their tips and are marked before the apex with a white longitudinal band adjacent to the white shaft.[51] Ear tufts are usually entirely absent.[40] The forehead features a prevailing dark yellowish-green metallic gloss,[179][4][9][113] whilst the area extending from the base of the bill below the bare orbital skin to the ear is reddish-brown, with only the feather ends carrying a slight yellowish-green tint.[179]The sides of the neck are predominantly bronzy green,[49][4][9] turning to purple-blue towards the top[8] and yellowish-green further down near the collar.[179]There is never any trace of a white eyebrow line.[51][6]A conspicuous, wide white collar is present around the neck, broadening at the sides,[51] typically measuring about 10 mm in width.[6][5][10][45] This collar is generally open, sharply narrowed, or widely interrupted in front at the throat,[112][1][53][11][40][46] appearing narrower and more interrupted than in P. c. turcestanicus according to most authors,[179][4][9][13] though conversely noted by some as better developed than in the latter race.[43]The throat is coppery maroon,[4][9] bronze-red-brown,[8] yellowish reddish-brown,[179] or copper-red,[10] with a distinct purple[112] or purplish bronze-red shimmer.[1] The tips of the throat feathers carry a prevailing bronzy green gloss, with only the very tips of the maroon feathers that border the cheeks below displaying a light greenish sheen.[4][9]The variant semitorquatus deviates noticeably from this typical form across all sections of the head and neck. Its head and neck feathers are less metallic, presenting an opaque or matte black base with neat, glossy green tips that are broadest on the crown.[112] Furthermore, the upper throat of semitorquatus is completely opaque black and lacks any of the typical coppery or purple-glossed tips.[112] Around the neck, it possesses a highly imperfect or very narrow white collar that is even more widely interrupted or nearly wanting across the foreneck,[179][4][10] consisting in extreme cases of only a few white tips on the green feathers of the lowest side-neck.[112] However, this collar reduction has been interpreted by some authorities as an artifact of young specimens.[6] |
| Mantle, Back, and Scapulars | The forepart of the back and mantle display an intense, rich copper-red,[10][43] bronze orange-red,[1] brick-red,[114] or dark reddish-brown ground colour,[179] which is slightly lighter overall than in P. c. turcestanicus and its variant triznae.[10] These upperparts are richly glossed with bronzy green,[4] featuring a well-developed green tint that is more prominent than in P. c. turcestanicus,[5][13] while conversely showing purple-carmine or purple and green reflections depending on the angle of the light.[1][53][9] When the bird is situated between the observer and the light source, the mantle appears brick-red[114] or golden-red,[8] but it changes to green[114] or brass-green[8] when the observer stands between the light source and the bird.The individual mantle feathers exhibit a complex zonal pattern. On their hidden parts, the feathers carry black spots and elongated markings that become cream-coloured towards the middle of the back.[8] Beyond the middle, each feather is a rich reddish-brown or chestnut,[51][8] equipped with a simple black longitudinal band.[51] Terminally, the feathers are broadly edged with brassy green (changing to golden-red in other lights),[8] or coppery-chestnut gleaming green,[51] separated from the reddish-brown middle part by a fine violet line.[8] At the apex, this broad glossy tip is finished by an extremely narrow, dark green toothed margin[51] or a fine hint of a black border,[8] as well as a small nearly triangular black mark at the tip of the shaft,[49][8] or a very narrow black apical shaft-streak or spot.[5][10] The black marks within the feather notches carry a glossy yellowish-green sheen.[179]The scapulars are characteristically glossed with bronze-green,[179][113] pure green,[10] or a combination of purple and green reflections,[1] with a strongly developed green sheen extending over the back, shoulders, rump, and upper tail coverts.[45][11] When undisturbed and properly arranged, the scapulars appear evenly coloured and quite uniform, as their wide, shiny copper-red,[10] golden-yellow,[10] or chestnut-red edges[49] completely or almost completely hide the inner matte-black and cream-white or buffish central pattern.[5][10] Any visible part of the dull rufous or yellow inner field does not sharply contrast with the border,[5][10] which is marked only by a more-or-less developed black apical edge or spot.[5][10]The variant semitorquatus deviates noticeably from this typical form in that its mantle, chest, and breast are distinctly glossed with green instead of purple-carmine reflections.[1][8][10] |
| Rump and Uppertail-Coverts | The base colouration of the lower back, rump, and upper tail coverts is copper-red,[10][162] dark chestnut-brown,[8] maroon, or rusty-orange,[4][9] appearing less intensely red than in P. c. turcestanicus[43] but washed with an intense metallic-green brilliance.[6] The rump features little to no admixture of ochre,[5][10] with its primary and predominant colouration being chestnut[6] or approaching red,[12] whilst displaying a significantly greenish,[46] oily-green,[4][9] or bronze-green sheen without a purple shimmer across the entire rump.[179] Conversely, other accounts describe the rump and upper tail coverts as having a strongly developed green sheen,[45] being mixed with dark green and glossed with purple-carmine,[1] or presenting a purplish-green surface that is uniform in colour or finely barred with greyish-white.[112]Structurally, the individual feathers are marked internally with black,[8] whilst their apical barbs are elongated, shaggy, and frayed, gleaming with purple and green at the tips.[51] The broad margins of these feathers are brass-green, showing a shiny purple gloss when held against the light,[8] while the hair-like upper tail coverts carry a strong green gloss[6] finished with copper-red or orange-rufous edges.[10]The variant semitorquatus deviates noticeably from this typical form by having a rump that is a uniform, predominant metallic green.[112] Furthermore, its upper tail coverts are explicitly glossed with green instead of the purple-carmine highlights found in typical populations.[1] |
| Rectrices | The central rectrices are yellow-brown, dark brown, and reddish-brown speckled,[8] appearing rather darker than in P. c. chrysomelas.[53] The tail feathers are primarily bronzy red,[49] crossed by narrow black transverse bars[4][9] that measure usually about 1.5 to 2.5 mm in width on the basal halves of the central pair.[5][10] These transverse black markings remain consistently narrow across the median tail feathers.[6] The narrow black lines are bordered on each side by fine, lighter lines of bronzy red,[49][8] whilst the fringes of the rectrices are broadly edged with bronzy green[49] and their tattered edges shimmer from purple to green.[8] Towards the tips, the longer tail feathers become noticeably paler in hue, accompanied by a considerable increase in the breadth of the bands.[49] |
| Wing-Coverts and Remiges | The upper wing coverts are predominantly pure white,[6][46][162] glaucous white,[49] yellowish-white, or silver-grey,[4][9] with the lesser and median fields being whitish-grey beyond the middle,[51] or carrying a faint greyish tinge[53] or a light greyish, buffish, or ochre wash.[5][10]{{pb{{More specifically, the carpal and cubital wing coverts are unicoloured and silvery-whitish,[112] whilst the greater coverts are grey with white shafts and feature two irregular marks of chestnut on either side that advance and meet near the feather apex.[49] Most of the upper coverts display chestnut-red margins[12] or sparse copper-red longitudinal streaks,[40] and they characteristically appear uniform or feature hidden centres that are completely without blackish clouding or are only slightly clouded.[4]The primary remiges are brown, being margined externally with buff and toothed internally with greyish-white.[49] The secondary remiges are greyish-brown, mottled with darker brown, and broadly margined with chestnut, with some of these feathers displaying a broad whitish stripe running directly down the centre.[49]The variant semitorquatus deviates strongly from this typical form across the wing-coverts. Its carpal and cubital coverts are tricoloured, being centred with silvery-greyish-blue, blackish, and dilute fulvous-yellow.[112] These coverts possess dingy blackish hidden centres varied with fulvous white,[4][112] along with broad, light silvery, bluish-grey edges and tips that are almost alone visible when the feathers are in order; this pattern closely mimics the wing colouration of eastern Chinese pheasants rather than the uniform silvery white of typical P. c. mongolicus.[112] However, other accounts note that the lesser and median coverts of semitorquatus can also appear simply white with a light greyish or ochre wash.[10] |
| Flanks | The sides of the body and flanks feature a dark reddish or orange-golden,[10] reddish-gold,[112] or fiery red-chestnut ground colour,[49][53] with the side feathers appearing lighter and more golden than those of the crop and breast.[8] The black terminal or apical markings on these flank feathers carry a highly characteristic, predominant green gloss[4][9][113] or green sheen,[10] which strongly prevails in comparison with P. c. turcestanicus.[5] These terminal spots are consistently green-glossed across the population.[6] Depending on the angle of the light, this terminal marking is crossed by a line that appears solid black or brilliant green, with the physical extent of the mark increasing as the feathers proceed downwards towards the vent.[49] These markings are alternatively described as very dark green tips,[1] or as triangular black bands that gleam green,[51] whilst the sides of the breast and flanks can display a bronze-green aspect with a weak purple gloss and glossy yellowish-green marks within the feather notches.[179] |
| Crop, Chest, and Breast | The crop, chest, and breast possess a ground colour described as reddish-brown,[179] fiery chestnut-red,[49] or bronze orange-red,[1] which appears slightly lighter overall than in P. c. turcestanicus and its variant P. c. triznae.[10] These parts feature a highly characteristic, dominant bronzy green gloss,[4] pure green gloss,[10] or a metallic green sheen on the chest and the middle of the breast.[45][11] These terminal spots are consistently green-glossed across the crop panel.[6] Alternatively, the breast is noted as purplish-red with a green tinge,[12] showing purple-carmine reflections in one light and green in another,[9] changing to a fiery golden brown-red when positioned directly against a light source.[8] Structurally, the chest and breast feathers are broad, square, and not indented at their tips.[13]The front crop feathers are brownish-copper beyond their middle, carrying a narrow, angled black longitudinal band, and are bordered with an extremely narrow, dark green toothed stripe[51] or narrow black edges.[8][40] This is alternatively described as a brownish-red basal area, a narrower purple-violet band, and a narrow black edge, with the brownish-red tones being significantly more prominent and the purple tones less expressed than in P. c. turcestanicus.[46] On the middle of the crop and the central breast, the exposed parts of the feathers are usually more or less uniform golden-copper-red and lack or almost entirely lack black apical edges,[5][10][11] or have weakly developed margins.[43] The crop is noted as unicoloured with no black tips,[112] with any existing borders being barely noticeable and measuring typically under 0.5 mm or maximally up to 1 mm in width.[10] The sides of the chest, the middle of the breast, and the sides of the belly are dark green or blackish green.[179][1][9]The variant semitorquatus deviates clearly by having the crop, chest, and breast much more strongly glossed and tinged with green instead of purple-carmine reflections,[1][8] appearing slightly darker and with a visibly more intense green brilliance.[10] Its breast feathers also differ by being very narrowly bordered with black at their broad tips.[112] |
| Belly and Undertail-Coverts | The sides of the belly are dark green,[4][1][9] with a wide border across the anterior part of the belly showing a highly characteristic, predominant green gloss.[10][11] Alternatively, the middle of the lower body is described as mostly dark green due to the broad green edges of the feathers, though some individuals can have this part almost entirely reddish-brown.[8] Conversely, other accounts note the centre of the belly is brownish-black,[4][9] or that the centre of the abdomen and the densely clothed thighs are reddish-brown, glossed at the feather tips with green.[49] The undertail coverts are deep red.[49]The variant semitorquatus deviates by displaying a more vivid green colouration on the belly than typical P. c. mongolicus.[8] |
| Female | The female is large and pale,[13] appearing lighter in colouration than the female of nominal P. c. colchicus,[10] whilst remaining almost indistinguishable from or highly similar to females of the other red-rumped groups.[45] The general plumage is highly similar to that of P. c. principalis, though the throat is usually more yellowish.[8] The female closely resembles that of P. c. chrysomelas, but is distinguished by a great deal of pinkish-lilac suffusion on the hindneck and upper mantle,[13] as well as a specific dorsal pattern: each feather of the upper mantle features a subterminal black spot near the tip and a black bar across the middle instead of a broad, black, submarginal border.[1][53][9] |
Photographs: Photographs are available from Almaty Region in Kazakhstan,[196][197][198][199][200] from south of Kapshagay Reservoir,[201] and from Daquangou Reservoir in Xinjiang.[202][203]
Measurements: Male wing length: Ogilvie-Grant:[2] 244 mm; Hartert:[8] n = 26: 250–267 mm; Dementyev:[11] n = 18: 250–273 mm (mean 260 mm); Vaurie:[14] n = 10: 248–260 mm (mean 254 mm).
Distribution:[11][134][190][191][192] Northern Tian Shan in northern Kyrgyzstan, eastern Kazakhstan east of the Kyrgyz Alatau, and northwestern Xinjiang, east to Urumchi. In the west, it occurs along the Talas River valley and along the Chu River valley as far as Tokmak. It formerly occurred in the area of the Telikul Lakes in the lower reaches of the Sarysu River. The subspecies inhabits the foothills and lower parts of most gorges on the northern slopes of the Trans-Ili Alatau, ascending to 2,510 m above sea level at Big Almaty Lake. It also occurs in the Chu-Ili Mountains and enters several gorges of the Kyrgyz Alatau, particularly in the area of Ala-Archa National Park. It is distributed throughout the basins of the Lakes Issyk-Kul and Balkash and along their tributaries.[204] In the Issyk-Kul Basin, it penetrates the lower parts of the gorges along the Karakol, Tyup, Dzhergalan, and Jety–Oguz rivers, reaching the coniferous forest belt. In the Talas Valley, it nests throughout the valley and is particularly common in the river's lower reaches. It also occurs along the shores of Lake Biylikol and has recently expanded across the Chokpak saddle into the Aksu-Dzhabagly Nature Reserve, where it comes into contact with P. c. turcestanicus. Humans introduced the subspecies into parts of the range of P. c. turcestanicus, including the Chirchik River basin between 1973 and 1976 and in the Kurama Range in 1975; additional introductions from the Kochkor Valley into the Atbashi and lower Naryn valleys took place during the 1880s and 1890s. To the east, the range extends to Alakol and Zaisan, where the subspecies had disappeared and was subsequently reintroduced. It inhabits the valleys of Ili (upstram to Kuldja), Jumgal, Talkar, Charyn, Chilik, Turgen, and Lepsi rivers. Further east in the Tian-Shan, it ascends to high elevations along the Tekes and Künes river valleys, both tributaries of the Ili, and from there occurs throughout southern Dzungaria as far as Kuldja, Ürümqi, and Guchen in the east and Lake Ebi-Nor in the west. In China, it is distributed along the Tekes and Gongnaisi rivers in northwestern Xinjiang, extending eastward into the central Tian Shan and northward into the Dzungarian Basin. It has been recorded from the following counties and regions of Xinjiang: Xinyuan, Gongliu, Tekes, Zhaosu, Nileke, Ili River Valley, Yining, Huocheng, Chabuchar, Bole (Bozhou), Ebi Lake, Jinghe, Ganjiahu, Gurtu, Wusu, Kuitun, Shawan, Shihezi, Manas, Changji, Ürümqi, Junggar Basin, Yumin, Tacheng, Emin River Basin, Karamay, Ailik Lake, Altai, Dahalasu.[176] The Altai Mountains form a barrier between P. c. mongolicus and P. c. hagenbecki.
Habitat:[11][134][192] Reeds and tugai thickets along rivers; shrubby thickets on mountain slopes within the deciduous forest belt (poplar forests); also reed beds and shrubby thickets (mainly sea-buckthorn) on treeless mountain slopes. Proximity to water is mandatory. In the lower reaches of the Ili, Karatal, Aksu, and Chu, it is associated with riparian thickets composed of sedge, willow, and occasionally poplar. The riparian undergrowth typically consists of dense shrubs of chingil, rose hips, and tamarisk, while tall grasses and blackberries form the lower layer; these thickets are often intertwined with vines.[191] It also inhabits dense stands of steppe vegetation ("kuray" thickets), as well as areas near cultivated fields. There is a tendency for the pheasant to occupy mountainous areas in the juniper belt up to 1,500 m above sea level, along the shores of mountain lakes overgrown with bulrushes. It ascends river valleys to elevations of up to 1,200 m, where shrubby thickets occur along the riverbanks. In summer, it is confined to grass-forb complexes. In winter, its habitat is closely linked to food availability; pheasants are typically found in hawthorn or rosehip thickets, where food remains available even during heavy snowfall. In the Tian Shan, it occurs at elevations of 1,800–2,000 m. Along the Bayankol, Narynkol, and Tekesu (Central Tian Shan), it inhabits a distinctive tugai forest composed of caragana, roses, sea-buckthorn, willow, birch, and even savin juniper and solitary Schrenk's spruce. In Ala-Archa National Park, it nests not only in tugai thickets but also in spruce and juniper forests. In the Issyk-Kul basin, the main biotope is sea-buckthorn thickets along the lake shores; on the Toru-Aygyr Peninsula (Issyk-Kul), it nests on hummocky sands with saltwort thickets. On the southern shore of Biyli-Kul (at the foot of Karatau), it was formerly forced by grazing cattle to spend the day in flooded reed beds on small dry islands. In the cultivated zones of foothills and lowlands, it readily inhabits fields with grain, fodder, and vegetable crops, as well as neglected gardens and even parks, such as the Almaty Botanical Garden.
1.4. Tarimensis group (Tarim pheasants)
This group comprises a single subspecies primarily distributed in southeastern Turkestan, around the eastern Tarim Basin. Males typically lack a white neck ring; in some individuals, faint white markings may be present, and in rare cases, interrupted crescent-shaped white lines occur on the sides of the neck. The upper wing-coverts are buff to brown, and the upper tail-coverts range from dark khaki to light olive. The orange-golden feathers of the back and chest are deeply notched at the tips but lack black margins. Females are similar to those of the white-winged group. Male wing length averages approximately 240 mm, comparable to that of the neighbouring P. c. shawii and P. c. satscheuensis.
1.4.1. Phasianus colchicus tarimensis (Tarim basin pheasant)
Authority and original description: Pleske, T. 1889.[205]
Type locality: From Karashar (present-day Yanqi Hui Autonomous County), in the lower valley of the Tarim River and the valley of the Cherchen Darya, to the shores of Lob-nor.[205]
Protonym and synonyms:[206]
- Phasianus tarimensis Pleske, 1889 — protonym
- Phasianus tarimensis Przewalski, 1883 - nomen nudum
Local names: 雉鸡塔里木亚种 (Chinese: Tarim subspecies of Common Pheasant)
Description:[2][4][8][13][14] The males have a bronze-green crown and occiput and a dark green head and throat; the hindneck is greenish-blue. There are no whitish supraorbital lines or white collar. The lesser wing-coverts are pale bluish-grey; the remaining wing-coverts are light sandy- or yellowish-brown with a faint green gloss, the greater coverts marked with chestnut. These contrast with those of P. c. shawii (yellowish-white), P. c. mongolicus (silvery-white), P. c. vlangalii (ashy grey tinged with green), and P. c. satscheuensis (lavender grey). The upper back is metallic golden- to orange-brown; its feathers are narrow, deeply indented, and bear a small bluish-black wedge-shaped terminal shaft-spot and lack dark margins. The lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts are olive-yellow with green and black mottling and a broad metallic blue-green subterminal band; the terminal fringes are pale greenish-yellow. The crop is dark glossy green, more restricted than in P. c. shawii, and sharply demarcated from the fiery coppery-red breast, glossed with oily green and purple. The breast feathers are narrow, deeply indented, and lack dark margins except for a narrow dark shaft-mark along the median indentation; the lower breast and sides of the abdomen are deep glossy blue-green, and this blue-green colouration often extends onto the middle of the breast. The flanks are coppery- to golden-orange with small iridescent bluish- to purplish-black markings. The centre of the abdomen is dull brownish-black. The central tail-feathers are sandy-cinnamon to yellowish-ochre, narrowly barred with black or dark brown; the pale interspaces are buff rather than olive.[205] P. c. tarimensis differs from P. c. shawii in its brownish-grey wing-coverts, olive-yellow rump and upper tail-coverts, the absence of dark borders on the crop feathers, and its lighter, more narrowly barred tail. The female resembles that of P. c. shawii, but is overall paler than that of other members of the chrysomelas-principalis-group. The following collapsed table provides detailed plumage descriptions.
| Click [show] to view comprehensive plumage accounts | |
|---|---|
| Anatomical Feature | Detailed Description |
| Baseline Colouration and Pattern Scheme | The male of this subspecies is defined by a rich, deeply saturated golden-orange to coppery-red body plumage,[13] which can present as a pale golden-orange,[12] or a deep golden-yellow or coppery-orange hue,[17] appearing characteristically uniform due to the complete or near-complete absence of black terminal borders on the mantle and breast feathers.[1][4][10]A key defining feature of this taxon is the unique colouration of the lower back, rump, and upper tail coverts, which exhibit a prevailing greenish-buff appearance,[1][5][9] or are described by other accounts as olive-yellow.[14] |
| Head and Neck | The crown exhibits a distinct bronze-green colouration,[13][12] whilst the throat is dark green.[13] The neck is blue and becomes greenish on its hind part.[13] There are no traces of a white eyebrow line.[6][12] Furthermore, the subspecies completely lacks a white neck-collar,[5][12][17][162] with authorities emphasising that it shows absolutely no traces of white markings around the neck.[9][8][14] |
| Mantle, Back, and Scapulars | The mantle and upper back feature a vibrant, deep golden-yellow,[17] pale golden-orange,[12] or golden-brown colouration,[8] which is notable for completely lacking the dark margins typical of western forms.[10][17]Structurally, the individual mantle feathers are uniquely narrow and more deeply notched, emarginated, or pointedly indented at their tips than in the red-rumped forms,[8][10][13] with each feather featuring a narrow, blue-black wedge-shaped shaft spot in front of the tips,[8] a small black spot at the centre of the notched tip,[12] or an inconspicuous black terminal spot.[13]When undisturbed and lying properly, the scapulars appear evenly or uniformly coloured, as their wide, shiny copper-red or golden-yellow margins are the only elements naturally visible.[5][10] Their internal hidden pattern—described as an inner creamy, buffish, and black pattern,[5][10]—remains completely or almost completely concealed when the plumage is in order.[5][10] |
| Rump and Uppertail-Coverts | The lower back, rump, and upper tail coverts exhibit a prevailing olive-green,[17] olive-yellow,[13][14][162] pale yellow,[12] or greenish-buff colouration,[5][9] which stands in stark contrast to the orange-red or copper-red hues seen in all more western forms.[9][10][8][14]The hair-like feathers of the rump possess a base colouration of copper-red or rufous with a significant admixture of green and ochre,[10] though the green components distinctly predominate, rendering these rump feathers rufous-green with the green colour positively prevailing.[6] The feather margins on these parts are explicitly green, buff,[1][4] or ochre,[10] being mottled with small chestnut patches,[12] or showing green patches here and there.[13] Tracing the overlapping details of these layers together, an individual feather transitions from a downy dark brown basal part into a light yellowish-brown field that is more or less distinctly spotted and speckled with black, followed towards the tip by a metallic, shiny dark bluish-green band before terminating in a tattered, light greenish yellow-brown apex.[8] |
| Rectrices | The tail is sandy cinnamon with black bars,[13] which are generally less heavily barred than in the grey-rumped group.[17] On the other hand, other accounts note that it remains similar to P. c. shawii in both its colour and heavy barring.[14] The dark transverse black markings are typically narrow,[4][9] especially on the basal half of the central pair of rectrices, where they can measure about 1.5 to 2.5 mm in width,[10] typically 2 mm or less,[5] or described as being occasionally narrow across these basal regions.[6] |
| Wing-Coverts and Remiges | The upper wing coverts are explicitly not white,[12][162] exhibiting instead a general yellowish-brown,[1] light sandy-brown,[13] or sandy-rufous colouration.[4][9] These coverts are also described as sharply sandy-rufous,[6] brownish-grey,[14] or a dirty sandy-ochre with a distinct olive tinge.[10] Looking closer at the individual feather groups, the lesser wing coverts are variously reported as pale grey,[12] greyish,[13] or somewhat bluish-grey,[8] while both the lesser and median fields can appear uniformly sandy-rufous,[5] with these fields being described by other accounts as sandy-rufous instead of whitish as seen in P. c. shawii.[9] The greater coverts are pale sandy-brown,[12] or light sandy-brown with chestnut markings,[13] or are described as yellowish-brown with a faint greenish shimmer featuring chestnut spots;[8][12] however, the longest secondary coverts are typically less extensive and not as darkly chestnut-coloured as those of P. c. shawii.[8] |
| Flanks | The flanks and body sides feature an intense golden-yellow,[6] brownish-yellow,[12] or coppery orange ground colouration.[13] Structurally, the flank feathers lack the multi-lobed notched morphology characteristic of P. c. shawii.[6] The individual lateral feathers are marked terminally with black speckling,[12] small purplish spots,[13] blue-black shaft spots at the tips,[8] or black terminal shaft-spots;[10] however, they carry no such dark edges[8] and entirely lack any border or wide spot wrapping around the tip.[10] |
| Crop, Chest, and Breast | The crop is dark green[8] or dark blue-green,[13] though it is not as extensive as in P. c. shawii and is quite sharply cut off from the lower plumage.[8] The chest and upper breast feathers completely lack dark borders or black marginal bands,[1][4][9] showing at most occasionally slight traces of them,[5] or being characterised by other accounts as completely lacking black borders except along the line of indentation.[14]The main breast area presents a complex colouration: the uppermost and lowermost sections are dark green,[12] whilst the intervening panel is a fiery bronze-red,[9] orangey-golden,[10] or a rich purplish coppery-red, glossed with oily-green and purple.[13]These fiery red-brown breast feathers are described by some authors as narrow and more deeply cut at their tips,[8] or noted by other accounts as deeply notched or emarginated at the tips;[10] they feature only an inconspicuous black terminal spot,[13] or a narrow shaft stripe at the tips rather than true dark edges.[8]Across the mid-to-lower breast, these feathers carry broad, shimmering metallic oil-green or blue-green terminal borders that create an overlapping iridescent wash over the fiery base panels,[10] with any borders that are occasionally present on the crop feathers being barely noticeable and typically not reaching 0.5 mm, but exceeding 1 mm in width.[10] Towards the midline, the middle of the breast is described as rich dark green[1] or deep blue.[13] |
| Belly and Undertail-Coverts | The middle of the lower body features a broad blue-green field that extends regularly further over the middle of the breast,[8] or is described as a deep blue field,[13] whilst other accounts note the middle of the breast and sides of the belly are rich dark green.[1] The feathers making up this blue-green field are broadly edged with blue-green while remaining black-brown at their centres.[8] Similar to P. c. shawii, a band of glossy green surrounds the dull area situated at the centre of the abdomen,[14] which itself is a dull black region.[13] Further down, the undertail coverts are chestnut and marked with black spots.[13] |
| Female | The female closely resembles the female of P. c. shawii in its general appearance,[1][9][14] being characterised by other accounts as like the female of that race except that the throat is usually more yellowish.[8] Furthermore, she is noted for being paler than the female of nominal P. c. colchicus,[10] and likewise differs from the females of P. c. principalis, P. c. zarudnyi, P. c. zerafschanicus, P. c. chrysomelas, and P. c. bianchii by exhibiting this distinctly paler colouration.[14] |
Photographs: Photographs are available from Kuqa City[207] and the Tarim River region.[208]
Measurements: Male wing length: Ogilvie-Grant:[2] 236 mm; Hartert, Delacour:[8][13] n = 4: 236–247 mm; Abdulali:[209] n=1: 248 mm; Zheng et al.:[12] n = 1: 240 mm.
Distribution:[4][9] Eastern and southern Tarim Basin in western China (lower Tarim and Cherchen Darya rivers, as well as the lakes Bagrach-Kul and former Lop Nur), including a former eastern Tarim distributary associated with Lop Nur. It occurs in Xinjiang's Aksu Prefecture (Aral, Tarim River Basin, Shaya, Kuqa), and Baylingolin Prefecture (Luntai, Korla, Puhui, Yanqi, Bosten Lake, Heshuo, Yuli, Kongque River, Qiala Reservoir, Donghetan Lake, Lop Nur, Ruoqiang, Qiemo, Cherchen River Basin, Hejing), and possibly locally in the Turpan Basin.[176] In the western part of its range, it meets the easternmost populations of the Yarkand Pheasant P. c. shawii. A hybrid zone occurs along the Tarim River, extending from Xayar County westward to the confluence of the Tarim with the Khotan and Aksu rivers. To the north and northwest, the Tian Shan Mountains separate it from P. c. mongolicus. To the east, the waterless Kum-Tag Desert separates P. c. tarimensis from the grey-rumped P. c. satscheuensis, while in the southeast it is separated from P. c. vlangalii by the Altyn-Tagh range. A major change in its distribution occurred following the establishment of the Daxihaizi Reservoir in 1972, which led to the disappearance of the Lop Nur wetlands and the loss of poplar forests and tamarisk shrubs that were formerly widespread along the lower Tarim River valley. Efforts to restore the Lop Nur ecosystem have been ongoing since 2000.
Habitat:[9] Reed thickets and riparian areas with tall grasses. The Tarim River tugay is dominated on lower river terraces by desert poplar (Populus euphratica), together with Elaeagnus angustifolia. The undergrowth includes willows, sea-buckthorn, Indian hemp and Ural liquorice. The upper river terraces support drier forests and shrubby woodlands, with Tamarix ramosissima and Halostachys caspica alongside Populus euphratica and other salt-tolerant halophyte species. In 1889/90, Pevtsov described the Cherchen Darya valley, home to P. c. tarmensis, as being covered with poplar forest, thickets, shrubs, and reeds.[177]
2. Eastern group (Grey-rumped pheasants)
The lower back, rump, and central upper tail-coverts are light lavender-blue, greenish-grey, yellowish-grey, or olive-green, without any red or rufous tinge; a rusty orange patch is present on each side of the rump. The dark bars on the basal half of the central rectrices are generally broad (3–4 mm). The lesser and median wing-coverts are lavender-grey or pale sandy-ochraceous, never whitish or rufous. A white supercilium may be present or absent.
2.1. Elegans group (Yunnan pheasants)
This group comprises subspecies distributed across eastern Tibet, western Sichuan, northwestern and southeastern Yunnan, northwestern Vietnam, and northern Myanmar. In males, a white neck collar and white orbital lines are absent. A broad band of richly glossed dark green or bluish green plumage extends along the underparts, completely separating the brassy-chestnut sides of the breast. The crown is dark copper-green, and the upper tail-coverts are light bluish-grey. Females are strongly contrasting in appearance, with irregularly black-barred underparts and a white chin, throat, and foreneck. The subspecies of this group are the smallest among all P. colchicus subspecies, with male wing lengths averaging only approximately 220 mm and not exceeding 240 mm.
2.1.1. Phasianus colchicus elegans (Stone's grey-rumped pheasant)
Authority and original description: Elliot, D. G. 1870.[210]
Type locality: Province of Szechuan (Sichuan), near its southwestern border.[210]
Protonym and synonyms:[211][212]
- Phasianus elegans Elliot, 1870 — protonym
- Phasianus sladeni Elliot, ex Anderson, 1870 — nomen nudum
Local names: 雉鸡川南亚种 (Chinese: Southern Sichuan subspecies of Common Pheasant)
Description:[5][9][14][8][25][213] The male has a dark green head, neck, and breast; the crown and occiput are grey green to dark copper green. White eyebrow lines and a white neck ring are absent. The rump and wing patches are lavender, as in P. c. torquatus. The broad feather margins of the upper back are unusually pale reddish-brown with a yellow-green or golden-red gloss depending on the angle of light. The feather tips are deeply and narrowly notched and lack black shaft streaks or wedges, or show only very narrow ones; this is one of the principal diagnostic characters of this subspecies. Only the feathers nearest the neck possess black lateral margins. The golden colouration of the upper back is replaced on the back and scapulae by a deep brown. The mantle is chestnut, with each feather bordered in green at the tip. The lower back and rump are dark green, broadly edged with grey. The rump is grey with black transverse spots. The upper tail-coverts are greenish-grey, with the outermost feather on each side rusty red. The tail is chestnut-red with black cross-bars. The underparts are glossy, dark green to steel blue. The dark green colouration of the neck extends uninterrupted to the middle of the breast and chest, unlike in P. c. decollatus and P. c. strauchi, where it is interrupted by yellow or coppery bands. Consequently, a broad band of richly glossed dark plumage extends along the under-parts, completely separating the brassy-chestnut flanks. The centre of the belly is deep brown. P. c. elegans differs from P. c. suehschanensis by being blacker below, with more extensive purple-blue gloss on the breast, by lacking the broad black wedges on the upper back, and by having more reddish and less maroon colouration on the scapulars. It differs from P. c. vlangalii in having coppery-maroon rather than golden-buff flanks, and maroon rather than sandy-red mantle and scapulars. It is distinguished from members of the torquatus group by the much broader black bars on the basal portion of the central tail feathers; by the darker mantle and scapular feathers; by the more extensively dark-green-spotted tips of the upper mantle feathers; and by the relatively broad sub-terminal dark-green bands on the lower back and rump feathers. The female resembles those of other eastern subspecies but differs from that of P. c. colchicus in having a white throat and foreneck, as well as irregularly black-barred underparts. The following collapsed tables provide detailed plumage descriptions.
| ♂️ Click [show] to view comprehensive Male plumage accounts | |
|---|---|
| Anatomical Feature | Detailed Male Description |
| Baseline Colouration and Pattern Scheme | The overall plumage of P. c. elegans presents a richly saturated and predominantly dark appearance, characterised by intense metallic reflections and an extensive development of green on the underparts.[6][8][14][214] The head and neck are deep metallic green and purple, completely lacking any white supercilium or white neck-collar.[6][5][9][12][214] This rich green colouration extends exceptionally far down across the chest and upper breast, covering a significantly larger area than in related subspecies.[215][13][216][162] The upper surface of the body transitions from a deep chestnut, maroon, or dark golden-orange mantle[4][5][9][17] into a pale greyish-blue or greyish-green lower back and rump,[4][12][17] the latter highlighted by a striking rust-coloured or orange patch on each side.[4][5][8] The flank plumage shifts to vivid coppery-maroon or golden-brown tones patterned with dark transverse bars,[4][9][12][217] while the lower underparts terminate in deep brown on the central belly[9][8][216] and chestnut mottled with black on the undertail-coverts.[9][217][216] The wings combine pale bluish-grey or greenish-grey coverts with dark brown remiges,[1][6][9][217] and the elongated tail features a chestnut-red or greyish-yellow-green ground colour heavily scored by thick, broad black horizontal bars.[48][4][9][216] |
| Iris, Bill, and Feet | The iris is characterised as chestnut-red,[217][214] or described as having an orange-yellow inner ring that transitions into a light yellow outer ring.[216]The bill is noted as yellowish-green or greyish-green with a pale tip,[217][214] or features a greenish-grey upper mandible contrasted against a pale grey lower mandible,[216] while the corner of the bill can be brown in immature stages.[214] Other accounts describe the bill as horn-brown or blackish-brown.[5][9]The legs and feet are characterised as leaden-grey,[9] greyish-brown,[5][217] greyish-brown to greenish-grey-brown,[214][216] or leaden-grey to brownish-grey.[5] The claws are noted as brown,[216] and adult males are equipped with short tarsal spurs.[217][214] |
| Head and Neck | On the head and neck, a general green colouration with bluish reflections is present,[48] and all parts are richly imbued with a metallic lustre.[214][217] The crown from the forehead to the nape, along with the hindneck, is characterised as dark bronzy-green,[9][12][216] brass-yellow or bronze,[217][214] or dark yellowish bronze-green.[216] The forehead itself is dark green[217][216] or deep rich green.[214]On the face, the bare skin around the eyes and cheeks is bright scarlet or red,[48][214][217] and is sparsely interspersed with short, small black hair-like feathers or feather tufts.[214][217] A distinct patch of green feathers is situated under and behind the eye.[48] The ear tufts are characterised as blackish-brown,[214][217] while the ear coverts are dark brown.[216] The eyebrows, cheeks, and hindneck are emerald green.[216]The chin and throat are deep or dark rich green,[9][214] emerald green,[216] or dark metallic green.[8] In young males, the chin and throat are pale brownish-white.[214]In front and on the sides, the neck is deep purple-blue with purple-copper reflections in certain lights, with this colour passing around the base of the neck as a posterior collar.[9] Alternatively, the sides of the neck and the lower throat or lower neck are described as deep purple[214][217] or flash with a purple radiance.[216]The rich, dark green of the neck extends continuously downwards across the front to the middle of the chest and breast,[4][6][5][9][17] even reaching down to the belly[6] or extending from the throat to the chest.[216]A white supercilium or whitish eye-stripe is completely absent, showing no traces whatsoever.[6][5][9][12][214][218] Similarly, a white neck-ring or collar is entirely missing or lacks any substantial traces.[1][4][6][5][8][9][12][17][214][218] |
| Mantle, Back, and Scapulars | The mantle or upper back is described as maroon,[4][9] dark golden-orange with coppery-red reflections,[5] bright chestnut,[17] or golden-chestnut changing into deep chestnut.[9] It is also characterised as chestnut to brownish-chestnut,[6][12][218] chestnut-red,[216] or chestnut-brown.[219][217] The broad feather edges are noted as a strange pale reddish-brown with a yellow-greenish shimmer, shining golden-red when held transversely against the light.[8]Compared to related forms, the upper back is lighter than in P. c. suehschanensis[219] and has paler tips,[5] or it is more reddish and less golden on the mantle.[14] It is also a lighter and brighter chestnut than in P. c. suehschanensis and almost unspotted,[13] darker than in P. c. strauchi, and darker than the light brownish-yellow of P. c. decollatus.[219]At the feather tips, a distinct central depression or notch characterises the feather vane,[216] where the tips or the centre of the tips bear black spots.[9][217][214][216] More specifically, the feathers of the upper back are described as deeply and narrowly cut at the tips with narrow black shaft-stripes, though only the feathers near the neck additionally carry black side edges,[8] or they may be faintly edged and spotted with dark green,[1] while the margins exhibit a metallic lustre.[217][214] Generally, the shaft-streaks or background stripes are relatively fine,[6][8][12][217][162] and are very small compared to the coarse black spots of other forms;[219] Buturlin states that the upper back may lack glossy black apical shaft-streaks or wedges altogether.[5]The scapulars are described as maroon or bright maroon,[4][9] Indian red,[1] red,[48] or deep chestnut.[9] They are also noted as chestnut-red[216] or dark orange-red,[1] with a predominant copper-brown colouration visible on the interscapular and scapular regions and the sides of the body.[215]In comparison, the scapulars are maroon rather than the sandy red of P. c. vlangalii,[9] and they are paler, brighter, more reddish, less maroon, and on average less spotted than in P. c. suehschanensis.[14]Like the upper back and shoulder feathers, the scapulars feature a central depression,[216] where the base and the centre of the depression contain black spots.[216] The feathers are rather widely tipped with sandy buff and slightly glossed with green,[1] or have tips stained with bright bronze-yellow.[216]The centres are heavily contrasting black and buff,[4][9] or black mottled and sub-outlined with buff where the black becomes obsolete;[9] they are crossed with diagonal white bars[48] or show elliptical black spots mixed with bright yellow streaks.[216] Externally visible, more or less regular yellow U- or V-shaped or pale-fawn markings, usually bordered with black on the outer side, project from under the preceding overlapping feathers and are visible from the outside on all feathers of this region, differing from P. c. suehschanensis and P. c. vlangalii.[215][5] |
| Rump and Uppertail-Coverts | The lower back and rump are characterised by a base colour of pale greenish-grey,[9] greyish-blue or greyish-green,[12] greyish to bluish-green,[17] or greenish-grey,[48][214][217] slaty-grey with green reflections.[220] The sides of the rump are noted as being mostly bluish-grey,[12] but they typically feature a distinct, prominent rust-coloured or orange patch on each side.[4][5][8]The individual feathers of the lower back and rump are intricately patterned. They possess a broad mark or subterminal bar of lustrous emerald green near the tip,[48][9][217][216] which forms rather wide subterminal dark green bands that are broader than those found in P. c. vlangalii.[1] These markings combine to form pale green-grey, metallic green, black, and white anchor-shaped or broad, "W"-shaped pale greenish-grey feather margins and shimmering blue-greenish bands.[8][214][217] At the very extremities, the feather tips are pale greyish-blue.[216] Moving inward from the tip, the emerald green is succeeded by a narrow black mark or band, followed by an irregular narrow white band.[48][8] The concealed base of each feather is blackish or black with buff concentric bands,[48][9] or it is blackish-brown mottled with white anchor-shaped spots.[217]The upper tail coverts align closely with the rump, exhibiting a greenish or bluish, hair-like appearance,[6] or showing lavender-grey, greenish-grey, or olive-green colouration.[5] They are also described as olive, with the greenish-grey of the rump feathers showing through in the centres,[48] pale green-grey with the tips tinged with brown[214][217] or stained with brownish-yellow.[216] On the longer upper tail coverts, the concentric markings become more irregular, causing these feathers to appear entirely light blue-greyish-grey.[8] |
| Rectrices | The central rectrices are described as deep chestnut-red,[48] rufous-brown,[9] olive-yellow mingled or mottled with pale green-grey or greenish-grey,[217][214] or greyish-yellow-green.[216] The central tail feathers contain much rust-brown in the middle,[8] while the outermost of the upper tail-coverts are golden-reddish or orange.[215]The tail features broad black cross-bars or horizontal bands running symmetrically along both sides of the feather shaft;[48][4][9][8][217][214][216] on the basal half of the middle rectrices, these dark bars consistently measure about 3–4 mm in width.[5] These black bars are narrowly edged above and below with golden buff.[9]The margins and outer edges of the tail plumage exhibit distinctive patterns and colour transitions. The central pair of rectrices have wide margins of pink-grey, across which the black bands continue as dull purple marks;[9] alternatively, they feature broad purple-grey or purplish-grey margins, with the outer edges of the black bars bearing dark chestnut bars.[217][214] The edges of the tail feathers are also noted as being stained purplish-red.[216] On each succeeding pair of rectrices, the pink edges are reduced in size and are completely absent on the outermost pair, and sometimes on the adjacent one or two pairs as well.[9] The outer tail feathers themselves are described as purplish-grey,[217] and their inner webs shift to a brown-chestnut or brownish-black colour, heavily mottled with pale brownish-white and brown-chestnut spots.[217][214] |
| Wing-Coverts and Remiges | The lesser, median, or small upper wing-coverts are characterised by a ground colour of bluish-grey,[6] pale green-grey,[9] or greenish-grey,[1][217] never being whitish or rufous,[5] and specifically not white.[12] These coverts exhibit distinct emerald green reflections or a green sheen,[9][8] or they are greyish-green suffused with pale chestnut.[214]While outer coverts are pale bluish-grey,[216] the inner or greater coverts feature distinctive reddish markings. Specifically, they are edged with chestnut[217] or chestnut-red,[216] and the innermost greater coverts are splashed with maroon, appearing broadly on the outer webs and narrowly on the inner webs.[9]The remiges or quills are primarily brown,[9][214] dark brown,[217][216] or blackish-brown,[217] and are heavily mottled with brownish-white patches, bars, or vermiculated markings.[217][214][216] The flight feathers can also be stained brownish-chestnut on their surfaces.[216] In the primary remiges, the outer webs are barred with buff, and the inner webs feature broken buff bars or are mottled with brownish-white bars.[9][217] The secondary remiges are broadly edged with olive-brown and irregularly marked with buff on both webs,[9] or they are mottled with brownish-white bars and possess pale feather margins.[217] At the innermost section, the innermost secondaries are distinguished by having prominent chestnut feather margins.[217] |
| Flanks | The flanks are described as coppery-maroon,[4][9][17] dark golden-orange with coppery-red reflections,[5] or golden-copper, becoming almost purple-copper next to the green of the breast.[9] They are also characterised as dull orange-red with a purple gloss,[9][1] copper-brown across the visible part of the feathers,[215] terra-cotta,[220] chestnut-red,[48][216] golden-brown or chestnut,[219][12][217] or golden-chestnut.[217][214] Alternatively, the flanks can also be dark green,[8] or they can be covered by the continuous green colouration that extends down from the neck to the belly.[6]Compared to other forms, the flanks are coppery-maroon or dull orange-red instead of the golden buff seen in P. c. vlangalii,[1][9] more purplish than in P. c. rothschildii,[17] and more purplish than in P. c. suehschanensis.[13]The patterning on the flank plumage consists of distinct markings. Each feather carries a bold edging of velvet-black running down the end of the shaft toward the green base,[9] or the tips and edges are blackish-green,[216] or the feather tips are dark blue, turning into a rich purple as they approach the centre of the breast.[48] Additionally, only the feathers on the sides of the breast possess broad reddish-brown, purple iridescent tips with a narrow black end margin.[8] The black transverse or horizontal bars of the flank feather margins extend across almost the entire width of the feather tip.[12][217][214] These black marks or horizontal stripes are similar to P. c. suehschanensis, which distinguishes them from the black spots found on the flanks of P. c. strauchi and P. c. decollatus;[219] however, these black bars are noticeably finer than those of P. c. suehschanensis.[12][216][162] On the feathers next to the abdomen, the inner webs turn green.[48] |
| Crop, Chest, and Breast | The crop, chest, and breast region feature an extensive dark green,[1][4][5][220][9][17] rich green,[5] dark metallic green,[8] emerald-green,[48] deep glossy green,[9] or deep rich green colouration with a metallic lustre.[217][214] This green colouration extends continuously and unbroken downwards from the anterior part of the neck to the crop, front chest, and the middle or middle parts of the breast,[1][4][215][5][9][8][17] forming a continuous wide stripe along the midline.[215] This dark green or dark bluish-green region is relatively large and extensive, reaching the upper abdomen or belly,[1][6][12][218][216] and it is visibly larger or more extensive than in P. c. suehschanensis.[13][216][162]Overall, the underparts are much darker below, greener, more purplish, and more bluish than in P. c. suehschanensis, and the bases of the feathers on the crop and breast are characteristically blackish or dark brown rather than coppery or red-brown.[14][217][214]The individual feathers and the lateral boundaries of the breast display intricate patterning. Each green breast feather is narrowly margined with velvety black,[9] or features black "W"-shaped margins at the tips,[217][214] and the feathers on the lower breast are notched, though less conspicuously so than on the back.[9] Towards the centre of the breast, the feathers can become rich purple.[48] On the sides of the crop and breast, the feathers have broad reddish-brown or rust-brown, purple-iridescent or shimmering tips equipped with a narrow black end-margin or border,[215][8] or they are copper-brown or golden-yellow with the green colour limited only to the borders or the very ends of the feathers.[215] Alternatively, the flanks and sides of the breast are described as chestnut-red, with each feather tipped with dark blue,[48] or the blue patch on the breast is noted as less greenish than in P. c. suehschanensis.[13] For the feathers situated immediately next to the abdomen, the inner webs turn green,[48] while the entire underparts and sides can appear predominantly green.[6]In some potential hybrid individuals from Guizhou, the deep green underparts are mottled with dark red-bronze.[214] |
| Belly and Undertail-Coverts | The belly and abdomen exhibit a transition in colour from the green of the upper underparts to deeper, darker tones. While the upper part of the abdomen, the sides of the belly, and the general underparts are described as emerald-green,[48] dark green,[1][216] or continuously green from the neck down,[6] other accounts note that the underparts feature more or less golden-yellow or copper-red.[4] Feathers directly adjacent to the abdomen have green inner webs.[48] Towards the lower and central sections, the vest, thighs, and centre of the abdomen, the lower abdomen, and the area surrounding the vent become dull brown,[9] deep brown,[8] dark brown,[216] or smoky ash-brown.[217][214]The undertail-coverts are primarily characterised by a chestnut ground colour. They are described as chestnut with black marks,[9] chestnut-coloured mingled with black,[214] chestnut mottled with black,[217] or chestnut-red with black terminal bands.[216] Alternatively, they are noted as brownish-black tipped with red.[48] |
| ♀️ Click [show] to view comprehensive Female plumage accounts | |
|---|---|
| Anatomical Feature | Detailed Female Description |
| Baseline Colouration and Pattern Scheme | The overall plumage of the female P. c. elegans presents a dark, richly saturated, and heavily mottled appearance dominated by a combination of black, chestnut, and dark brown tones, contrasting sharply with a clean white or pale brownish-white throat.[1][215][8][9][214] The head and neck are dark brown to blackish with fine buff bars,[9][217][214] while the upper parts feature a dark chestnut anterior mantle marked with prominent crescentic or U-shaped black spots,[215][217][214] transitioning into very large black markings on the lower back and rump.[215] The underparts are defined by extensive, irregular black barring and dusky-brown spotting that covers the crop, breast, and flanks over a dull greyish-buff or sandy-yellow background,[1][8][9][217][214] while the lower abdomen fades to vermiculated grey-brown or sandy-yellow tones.[9][217][214] The wings feature dark brown remiges with pale bars,[217][214] and the relatively short tail consists of olive-brown or chestnut rectrices scored by regular black bands and a finely speckled outer border.[215][9][217][216] |
| Iris, Bill, and Feet | The iris is described as reddish-brown.[217]Bill and feet are like in the male, only there is no spur at the feet. |
| Head and Neck | The forehead, crown, and hindneck are described as dark brown or black,[9][217] or uniformly black,[214] with narrow bars or horizontal bands of buff or brownish-yellow,[9][217][214] sometimes exhibiting a distinct chestnut tinge on the crown and neck.[9] This dark brown and black colouration predominates on the hindneck over any reddish and buff tones.[215]On the face, the bare skin surrounding the eyes is sparsely mingled with short white feathers,[214] and the cheeks are characterised as pure brownish-white.[216]The chin, throat, and foreneck are characteristically described as white,[1][8][9] a cleaner white than in female P. c. colchicus,[8] entirely pale brownish-white,[217][214] or pure brownish-white.[216] Alternatively, the chin and throat are noted as pale buffish, obsoletely barred with dark brown.[9] |
| Mantle, Back, Scapulars, and Rump | The upper back, interscapular region, and scapulars are darker above than in female P. c. decollatus,[215] darker above than in female P. c. suehschanensis, and more heavily spotted with black or chestnut.[14] The upper back or anterior interscapular region features a dark chestnut shade or ground colour,[215][217][214] mottled with prominent, large crescentic or "U"-shaped black markings.[215][217][214] Alternatively, the back and scapulars are described as chestnut with white sub-edging, very fine black edges, and a bold black bar situated between the chestnut and the white.[9] The scapulars themselves are noted as bright chestnut,[9] brownish-red with black spots,[216] or have their black colouration crossed by reddish bars.[215]On the remainder of the upper plumage, the feathers are pale grey-brown,[9] dark brown,[217] or black with brownish or broad yellowish-brown margins,[217][214] shifting further back into a sandy-yellow colour,[214] mottled with pale brownish-yellow,[217] or showing an irregular tinge of chestnut.[9] On the lower back and rump, the black markings are notably very large.[215] More generally, the entire upper body plumage is dull, covered with dark brown or brownish-brown markings, and the feather edges have pale brownish-yellow scale-like patterns.[216] |
| Rectrices | The tail feathers are relatively short[216] and feature a ground colour of pale olive-brown,[9] chestnut,[217][214] dull chestnut,[9] or chestnut-brown.[214] The central pair have narrow, pale cross-bars or horizontal bands that are broadly margined on either side with black,[9] or they feature pale brownish margins and transition to a sandy-yellow colour further back.[214] The remaining or outer tail feathers are entirely chestnut-brown[214] or feature similar bars and irregular, somewhat mottled markings, giving a mottled appearance to the whole tail.[9] All rectrices are scored by black horizontal bars or bands, which are mixed with pale brownish-white horizontal bars[216] or pale brownish-black bars.[217] Additionally, a much greater amount of fine, wavy, blackish mottling is present on the marginal area of the outer web, resulting in a finely speckled border on the tail that differs sharply in pattern from the section adjacent to the shaft.[215] |
| Wing-Coverts and Remiges | The upper wing-coverts and secondary remiges align closely with the pattern scheme of the upperparts,[214] though they are noted as being lighter in colour.[217] The flight feathers or primary remiges are dark brown,[217][214] mottled with sandy-yellow,[214] pale brown horizontal bars,[214] or brownish-white bars.[217] |
| Crop, Chest, and Breast, and Flanks | The chest, crop, breast, and general underparts are heavily patterned, featuring a fine, streaky, or spotted dusky-brown mottling across the entire breast,[215] or they are barred with numerous irregular or bolder black bars and black centres,[1][8][9] which sharply distinguishes them from female P. c. colchicus.[1][9] This underpart pattern is scarcely distinguishable from that of female P. c. strauchi.[1] The upper breast is washed with a pinky-reddish tinge,[9] while the feathers on the sides of the breast bear distinct blackish-brown transverse bars.[215] On the remaining underparts, the lower breast, flanks, and abdomen are described as pale sandy-yellow,[217][214] dull greyish-buff,[9] or dull overall with dark brown markings.[216] The breast and flanks are uniformly mottled with black spots,[214] black and pale chestnut spots,[217] or show visible centres of deep chestnut-brown combined with numerous faint vermiculations of grey-brown.[9] Alternatively, they are marked with dark sandy-yellow horizontal bars and feature vermiculated patterns at the feather tips.[217] In certain specimens from Chang Youn (Cangyuan), the birds are more richly coloured above but have practically no dark markings on the lower breast and abdomen, though their flanks and thigh-coverts remain fully as boldly marked as in other populations.[9] |
| Belly and Undertail-Coverts | The abdomen is dull greyish-buff with faint grey-brown vermiculations and deep chestnut-brown centres,[9] pale sandy-yellow,[217][214] or dark green.[216] The undertail-coverts follow the same pattern scheme as the lower underparts, being marked or mottled with chestnut,[9][217] or characterised as chestnut-coloured mingled with black,[214] or chestnut-red with black terminal bands.[216] Alternatively, they are described as brownish-black tipped with red.[48] |
Photographs: High-quality photographs are available from Sichuan.[221][222][223][224][225][226][227]
Measurements: Male wing length: Ogilvie-Grant:[2] 231 mm; Beebe:[9] 210.8-228.6 mm; Delacour:[13] 220–230 mm; Vaurie:[14] n = 10: 219–236 mm (mean 228 mm); Abdulali: n=4: 216, 220, 223, 225 mm (mean 221 mm);[209] Zheng:[12] n = 8: 205–230 mm; Zheng et al.:[228] n = 2: 215–235 mm (mean 225 mm); Wu et al.:[214] n = 14: 210–231 mm (mean 220.3 mm); Liu et al.:[218] n = 8: 217–240 mm (mean 228.6 mm); Yang et al.:[217] n = 11: 204–226 mm (mean 214.5 mm); Tang et al.:[216] n = 9: 204–225 mm (mean 217 mm).
Distribution:[229][230][217][214][228][212] Western Sichuan (Emei, Mabian, Leshan, Nanchuan, Xichang, Huidong, Muli, Kangding, Batang, Ebian, and Meigu counties), Yunnan (Yongshan, Ludian, Qiandian, Jingdong, Binchuan, Lijiang, Lushui, Zhongdian, Deqin, and Tengchong), eastern Tibet (Jiali, Biru, and the river valleys of Xiaobangda District, Markam County), and extreme western Guizhou (Hezhang, Weining, and Panxian counties); also northern Myanmar (Kachin Hills and northern Shan State). Hybrid populations have been reported in northeastern Yunnan with P. c. rothschildi in Yongshan County (Huashiban, 滑石板, and Yongan, 永安村) and Ludian County (Dashuijing, 大水井乡), and with P. c. decollatus in Yongshan County (Xuebai, 雪柏村, and Malan, 马楠乡).[229] In western Guizhou, near Liangshan (凉山) in Weining County, hybridisation with P. c. rothschildi has also been recorded.[214] In Ganzi Prefecture, this subspecies occurs in the Jinsha and Yalong River basins, whereas P. c. suehschanensis populates the Dadu River basin.[231]
Habitat: Hillside thickets; slopes and mountain summits covered with tall grasses and ferns; and sparse coniferous forests. In western Sichuan, it typically occurs at elevations of 1,500–3,000 m.[9] Wilson recorded it in the vicinity of Kangding at 2,400–2,900 m.[220] In Guizhou, it occurs at 1,800–2,600 m,[214] while in Yunnan it has been recorded from 1,700–3,350 m.[217][216] In Tibet, it ascends to elevations of up to 3,800 m.[228] In western Yunnan, it was observed in April north of Yulong Snow Mountain (Lijiang) at elevations above 3,000 m; in April–May southwest of Ludianxiang, on the southern slopes of the Jinsha-Lancang watershed, above 3,000 m in spruce and fir forest; and in August northwest of Cigu (Deqen), on the western slopes of the Jinsha-Lancang watershed, above 3,600 m in fir and rhododendron forests.[232]
2.1.2. Phasianus colchicus rothschildi (Rothschild's grey-rumped pheasant)
Authority and original description: La Touche, J. D. D. 1922.[233]
Type locality: Mountains near Mengtsz, southeastern Yunnan.[233]
Protonym and synonyms:[234]
- Phasianus colchicus rothschildi — protonym
Local names: 雉鸡滇南亚种 (Chinese: Southern Yunnan subspecies of Common Pheasant), Trĩ đỏ (Vietnamese: Red Pheasant)
Description:[233] This subspecies combines characteristics of both P. c. elegans (an extensively dark green chest) and P. c. suehschanensis (lighter, more golden upperparts). It is similar to P. c. elegans, but the blue of the breast is more restricted, the flanks and mantle are paler and more golden, and a vestigial white collar is occasionally present. It differs from P. c. elegans in having a conspicuously paler lower hindneck, which shows pale coppery-gold rather than coppery-chestnut reflections; in worn spring plumage, the pale-yellow feather margins of the interscapular region become even paler and yellower; in contrast, worn spring-plumaged P. c. elegans retains the strong coppery colouration of the interscapular region, which never fades to the pale and yellow tones characteristic of P. c. rothschildi.[235] The feathers of the breast and flanks are pale chestnut, shading into gold on their distal halves. The upper surface of the tail is olive rather than deep chestnut-red. The breast is glossy dark blue with a green sheen; in some individuals, the upper breast is green while the lower breast is deep ruby-red. It differs from P. c. suehschanensis in having only very narrow black shaft wedges on the feathers of the upper back. Hybrids between P. c. elegans and P. c. rothschildi are characterised by a maroon to brownish-maroon upper back and golden-brown to brownish-maroon flanks, resembling P. c. elegans; however, the dark green area of the chest is more restricted, and the green colouration is confined to the central part of the chest and tinged with red, resembling P. c. rothschildi.[229] In hybrids with P. c. decollatus, the chest is rich copper-red, as in P. c. decollatus, whereas the upperparts and flanks retain the colouration of P. c. rothschildi; the black markings on the lower flanks may resemble either parental subspecies.[229] The female of P. c. rothschildi is the most strongly contrasting among all subspecies, with only the chin, throat, and upper chest lacking dark markings. The following collapsed table provides detailed plumage descriptions.
| Click [show] to view comprehensive plumage accounts | |
|---|---|
| Anatomical Feature | Detailed Description |
| Baseline Colouration and Pattern Scheme | The overall plumage of P. c. rothschildi presents a richly saturated appearance characterised by extensive golden-yellow tones and a significant restriction of the green underparts compared to P. c. elegans.[13][12][17][217] On the upper body, the mantle, back, and flanks are distinctly lighter, more golden-yellow, and more coppery-gold than in P. c. elegans.[13][233][12][17][217] Conversely, the metallic green of the crop and breast is noticeably small and confined strictly to the centre,[13][12][218][162][217] leaving the surrounding chest and breast suffused with copper-red, deep ruby, or pale chestnut shading into gold.[233][218] Additionally, the upper surface of the tail is characterised by an olive ground colour rather than deep chestnut-red.[233] |
| Head and Neck | The crown is characterised as dark bronze-green.[12] The iris is noted as orange-yellow.[233] The rich, dark green colouration of the neck extends continuously downwards as far as the middle of the chest.[17]A white supercilium is entirely absent, with no markings present above the eye.[218] A white neck-ring is generally lacking;[17][218][217] however, minimal remnants or traces of a white neck-ring are sometimes present in some individuals.[13][12] |
| Mantle, Back, and Scapulars | The ground colour of the mantle is described as chestnut or lighter chestnut with a golden-yellow hue.[218] It resembles that of P. c. elegans, but it is distinctly paler and exhibits significantly more golden-yellow.[13][12][217][162] This paler appearance is further emphasised on the lower hindneck, which displays pale coppery-gold reflections rather than the coppery-chestnut seen in P. c. elegans.[233] Both the mantle and the sides of the body are more golden compared to P. c. elegans,[13][17] while the dark linear markings or black streaks are relatively fine.[12] |
| Rump and Uppertail-Coverts | The lower back and rump feature a ground colour characterised as greyish-blue, greyish-green,[12] or greyish to bluish-green.[17] On the lateral areas, the sides of the rump are described as being mostly bluish-grey or bluish-green.[12] |
| Rectrices | The upper surface of the tail is characterised by an olive ground colour, differing conspicuously from the deep chestnut-red colouration seen in P. c. elegans.[233] |
| Wing-Coverts and Remiges | The upper wing-coverts are characterised by not being white.[12] |
| Flanks | The background colouration of the flanks is described as golden-brown or chestnut,[12][217] coppery-maroon,[17] or pale chestnut shading into gold on the terminal half of the feathers.[233] Compared to P. c. elegans, the flanks are distinctly paler, exhibiting a lighter appearance dominated by more golden-yellow or mostly golden-yellow tones,[17][12][217] and the sides and flanks are likewise of a lighter, more golden shade when compared to P. c. suehschanensis.[13] The patterning consists of black transverse markings or black bars situated at the feather tips, which extend across almost the entire width of the feather tip.[12][217] |
| Crop, Chest, and Breast | The dark green colouration of the neck extends downwards only as far as the middle of the chest,[13][12][17][218][217][162] and the green or dark bluish-green metallic area of the crop and breast region is relatively small or abbreviated compared to the extensive coverage found in P. c. elegans,[12][217] leaving the middle of the chest and the general breast area heavily tinged or suffused with red or copper-red.[13][12][218][162] La Touche describes the breast as glossy dark blue shot with green, noting that "some specimens" present a green upper breast paired with a deep ruby-coloured lower breast.[233] On the lateral boundaries, the feathers on the sides of the breast and the flanks differ from P. c. elegans by being a pale chestnut that shades into gold on their terminal half.[233] |
| Belly and Undertail-Coverts | no information yet |
| Female | no information yet |
Photographs: No photographs appear to be currently available online.
Measurements: Male wing length: Delacour, Vo:[236][13] 210–230 mm; Zheng, Liu et al.:[12][218] n = 3: 210–218 mm (mean 213.3 mm); Yang et al.:[217] n = 9: 208–240 mm (mean 222.6 mm).
Distribution: In China, this subspecies occurs in southeastern Yunnan (Jinping, Pingbian, Mengzi, Shiping, Xinping, Eshan, Jiangchuan, Kunming, Anning, Yiliang of Kunming, Shizong, Xundian, Yongshan, Zhaotong, Yiliang of Zhaotong, and other localities).[217][237] It also occurs in northern Vietnam (northern Tonkin: Lào Cai, Yên Bái and Bắc Kạn),[236] northern Laos, and eastern Myanmar. Hybrids with P. c. elegans have been recorded in Yongshan and Ludian counties, and hybrids with P. c. decollatus in Yiliang County in northeastern Yunnan.[229] Intermediate individuals have also been observed in Nanhua County.[237] It may additionally hybridise with P. c. torquatus southeast of the Yungui plateau. The precise distributional limits of this subspecies between Zhaotong and southern Yunnan remain unclear.
Habitat: similar to that of P. c. elegans. In Mengzi, it has been observed on grassland at an elevation of approximately 1,400 m.
2.2. Strauchi-Vlangalii group (Western grey-rumped pheasants)
This group comprises subspecies distributed across the Qaidam Basin, eastern Qinghai, northeastern Sichuan, Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Ningxia, Shanxi, Shaanxi, and western Hebei (despite its name, P. c. kiangsuensis does not occur in Jiangsu). The males are characterised by a crown ranging from dark copper-green to pale green, often with olive or bluish tones. In the more southern subspecies (P. c. suehschanensis, P. c. vlangalii, P. c. strauchi, and P. c. sohokhotensis), white superciliary stripes are absent and the white collar is usually lacking or represented only by a vestigial trace. In the more northern subspecies (P. c. satscheuensis, P. c. edzinensis, P. c. alaschanicus, and P. c. kiangusensis), white superciliary stripes, or at least traces of them, are normally present, and the white collar is narrow but generally well-developed, though often interrupted anteriorly. The rich green colouration of the neck either extends uninterrupted to the belly, as in P. c. suehschanensis and, to a lesser extent, P. c. vlangalii, or is interrupted anteriorly by the golden or coppery colouration of the chest. In many forms, though not invariably, the colouration of the flanks and mantle grades into that of the chest and breast without sharp transitions. The upperparts vary from comparatively uniform to strongly patterned. In P. c. suehschanensis and P. c. vlangalii the exposed scapulars usually appear rather uniform, whereas in most other forms the scapulars usually show a distinct scaly pattern. The black apical markings on the flank feathers tend to take the form of transverse bands rather than isolated spots and may occupy a substantial portion of the feather tips. Clinal variation is evident throughout the group.[218] From southwest to northeast, the proportion of individuals with white collars increases from less than 5% to more than 50%, while the proportion exhibiting a white superciliary stripe increases from less than 10% to more than 50%. Over the same geographic gradient, the dark green area of the chest becomes progressively narrower, and the colouration of the upperparts becomes progressively paler from south to north. The females of the darker forms (P. c. suehschanensis, P. c. strauchi, P. c. sohokhotensis, P. c. alaschanicus, and P. c. kiangsuensis) resemble those of the Caucasian group but show a dark green rather than purplish tint on the nape and mantle. The females of the remaining forms (P. c. vlangalii, P. c. satscheuensis, and P. c. edzinensis) are considerably paler, with predominantly reddish or pinkish tones. Male wing length is smallest in P. c. suehschanensis (~227 mm on average), and largest in P. c. vlangalii and P. c. alaschanicus (~245 mm on average).
2.2.1. Phasianus colchicus vlangalii (Qaidam grey-rumped pheasant)
Authority and original description: Przevalski, N. M. 1876.[238]
Type locality: Zaidam (= Qaidam, north‑central China).[238]
Protonym and synonyms:[239]
- Phasianus vlangalii Przevalski, 1876 (protonym)
- Phasianus colchicus vlangallii — alternate spelling
- Phasianus colchicus vlangali — invalid spelling variant
Local names: 雉鸡青海亚种 (Chinese: Qinghai subspecies of Common Pheasant)
Description:[238][8][14] This subspecies is darker than P. c. satscheuensis and has relatively rufous upperparts, varying from rufous-cinnamon to pale chestnut. The scapulars lack pale centres. The head and neck are metallic bronze-green with a bluish sheen; the occiput is greyish-olive with a green gloss. White superciliary stripes are absent, although some individuals may show faint, concealed traces of white above the eye. The white collar is absent or reduced to a narrow interrupted vestige on the hindneck. The mantle and scapulars are reddish-golden, each feather having a broad golden margin and a reddish-brown base. On the feathers nearest the neck, the concealed basal portions are more or less matt black. The feathers of the upper back bear large triangular dark-green apical spots and incomplete dark-green margins, whereas the interscapular and scapular regions lack such spotting and appear comparatively uniform. The centre of the breast is glossy dark green, while its sides are reddish-brown with a metallic sheen and dark-green feather margins, the feathers being notched at their tips. The belly is dark smoky-grey, bordered laterally by dark-green bands extending from the chest. The flanks are reddish-golden with transverse steel-blue markings occupying the feather tips; the inguinal feathers may have metallic-violet tips. The lower back is ash-grey with a greenish gloss and bears scaly dark-green markings bordered internally by pale-yellow and black stripes; the rump and upper tail-coverts are unmarked. The lower rump has been described as pure grey, lacking bluish or greenish tints. The elongated lateral upper tail-coverts are rusty-brown. The upper wing-coverts are ash-grey with a slight greenish tint and white shafts. The tail is reddish-brown, transversely barred with black, the bars edged with pale-yellowish margins; all but the outer four or five rectrices on each side have a broad pale-lilac margin. P. c. vlangalii differs from P. c. elegans in having a sandy-red mantle and scapular feathers and golden buff flanks, rather than the dull orange-red, purple-glossed colouration characteristic of P. c. elegans. P. c. vlangalii is readily distinguished from P. c. strauchi and P. c. suehschanensis by its much paler upperparts. The mantle and scapulars are yellowish-rufous to golden-orange rather than chestnut to coppery-brown, and the upper back bears only sparse dark markings. The flanks are lighter golden-buff, with narrow black apical bars, whereas in P. c. strauchi and especially P. c. suehschanensis they are darker and more coppery. The glossy green of the crop and breast is less extensive and less intense than in P. c. suehschanensis, and the tail-bars are generally narrower than in P. c. strauchi. The female of P. c. vlangalii is very pale, with rufous tones predominating over black and brown on the upperparts and flanks; the lores, throat, and chin are whitish to pure white. The following collapsed tables provide detailed plumage descriptions.
| ♂️ Click [show] to view comprehensive Male plumage accounts | |
|---|---|
| Anatomical Feature | Detailed Male Description |
| Baseline Colouration and Pattern Scheme | The male of P. c. vlangalii is characterised by a strikingly light, warm, and washed plumage above that contrasts sharply with deep metallic underparts. The upper surface of the body is dominated by pale, bright tones, transitioning from a golden-yellow, cinnamon-chestnut, or sandy-red mantle into a clean slate-grey or ash-grey lower back and rump, accented on each side by a highly vibrant orange-red or cinnamon flank patch.[238][4][5][12] In stark contrast to the pale dorsum, the throat, crop, and middle breast feature an extensive, solid glossy dark green area that covers more than two-thirds of the chest before giving way to pale golden-buff or reddish-golden flanks adorned with dark transverse bars.[238][5][12][218] More generally, the upper and lower breast and the sides of the abdomen are dark green before changing to the golden-orange tones of the flanks,[13] while the underparts as a whole are rather paler than those of P. c. strauchi.[53] The wings combine soft lavender-grey or ash-grey coverts with dark brown remiges,[238][5] while the pale brown or reddish-brown tail is bordered with light lilac and decorated with thick, broad black horizontal bars.[238][4][215] |
| Iris, Bill, and Feet | The iris is noted as light yellow.[238]The bill is described as light horn-coloured.[238]The tarsus is characterised as brownish, with the toes being darker still.[238] |
| Head and Neck | The head and neck exhibit a metallic-green colour with a bluish sheen or green-bronze appearance.[238] The crown is characterised as dark bronzy-green[12][14][162] or bronzy green,[13] while the occiput features a greyish-olive patch that shimmers with green.[238] The feathers situated directly above the ears rise in the form of small horns.[238]On the face, the lores, eye areas, and cheeks are bare and covered with warty red skin, with a small bluish feathered patch located below and behind the eyes.[238]The rich or dark green colouration of the neck extends directly and uninterruptedly downwards across the front to the middle of the chest and breast,[4][5][9][17] though the anterior part of the interscapular region is not entirely green.[6]A white supercilium or eyebrow is generally lacking,[12][218] and traces of a white eyebrow are never present,[6] although very faint and concealed traces of white eyebrows can be found in some individuals.[14]Similarly, a white neck-ring or collar is typically absent,[1][162] with no white collar or only slight traces or remnants of it reported.[4][9][12][13] Alternatively, the white neck-ring is noted as missing or only indicated on the upper side,[8] absent or reduced to faint and irregular traces of white on the nape,[14] or about one-third incomplete.[17] Individual variations include a narrow, interrupted white line on the hindneck resembling the rudiment of a collar,[238] or a few individuals possessing white spots.[218] |
| Mantle, Back, and Scapulars | The mantle or upper back is characterised by a bright sandy red,[1][4][9][17] golden-yellow,[5] pale brownish-yellow,[12][162] or general brownish-yellow background colour.[6][218] It is alternatively described as rufous cinnamon, pale chestnut,[14] cinnamon-chestnut,[13] golden orange,[53] or reddish-golden with each feather having a wide golden border and a reddish-brown base.[238]In the anterior part of the interscapular region, the predominant colour is pale golden-yellow,[215] with the main tone being a yellowish rust-brown with lighter margins.[8] At first glance, this distinguishes it from related grey-rumped forms by the much lighter back, which is not chestnut-coloured like in P. c. strauchi nor as pale and dull brownish sand-coloured as in P. c. satscheuensis.[8]The markings on the mantle are distinctive. The upper back can feature obvious glossy black apical shaft-streaks or wedges,[5] or black markings.[13] These black streaks are described as relatively sparse, forming dark dots or spots at the feather tips.[6][12] Closer to the neck, the concealed base of the feathers is more or less dull black.[238]Whereas the forward part of the back is variegated with large triangular dark green or green-bronze spots located at the tips of the feathers, which also possess an incomplete border of the same colour, the middle of the back is completely without spots.[238]The scapulars feature a bright sandy red,[1][4][9] light brownish maroon with lighter edges,[4][9] golden-yellow,[6] golden orange,[53] or reddish-golden ground colour,[238] being much paler than in P. c. strauchi.[1] The predominant colour of the scapular region is pale golden-yellow,[215] while the main tone is a yellowish rust-brown with lighter edges that are not as pale as in P. c. satscheuensis.[8]On the outside, the scapulars appear uniform in colour or plain-coloured,[13][6] with most feathers lacking dark green spots.[238]The patterning of the scapular feathers is largely concealed. The feathers are not freckled with whitish or blackish in the centres,[4][9] and there are no pale spots at the centre of the scapulars.[14] Except for a few of the hindmost ones, the scapulars lack externally visible yellow U- or V-shaped marks.[215] When undisturbed, the internal U- or V-shaped pale-fawn, creamy, or buff and black pattern on most of these feathers projects from under and is covered or hidden by the preceding overlapping feathers, making them appear more or less uniform from the outside.[5][6] Additionally, the pattern of the covered part of the feathers varies greatly among different specimens.[238] |
| Rump and Uppertail-Coverts | The base colour of the lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts is greyish to bluish-green,[17] clean slate-grey or bluish-grey,[12] or ash-grey with a greenish sheen,[238] appearing bluer than in P. c. strauchi.[53] On the lateral areas, the rump is flanked on each side by a distinct, large, and highly vibrant orange-red, rust-coloured, rusty-brown, or bright cinnamon patch, which is formed by the outermost hair-like feathers or side tail-coverts hanging down on the flanks.[238][4][6][5][9][12] More generally, the upper tail-coverts are characterised by greenish or bluish hair-like feathers, where the outermost hair-like feathers are noted as rufous, orange, or brown.[6]The lower back is variegated with scale-like dark green spots that are edged on the inner side with pale yellow and black lines, whereas the feathers of the rump itself are completely without spots.[238] For the markings across this region, the submarginal green bands on the rump feathers are narrower than those found in P. c. elegans.[1] |
| Rectrices | The tail is described as reddish-brown,[238] bronzy cinnamon,[13] or pale brown in the middle with lilac-greyish or violet greyish tones on the sides of the webs and along the edges of the middle rectrices.[215][5] On the upper surface, the rectrices—with the exception of four or five on each side—possess a wide light lilac border.[238]The tail features black transverse bars that are generally broad,[4][9] consistently measuring about 3–4 mm in width on the basal half of the middle rectrices,[5] and these bars are edged with pale yellowish or tawny rims.[238]Alternatively, the tail is described as paler and more narrowly barred than in P. c. strauchi, lacking any greenish-blue margins.[53] Hartert also notes that the tail bars as a rule are narrower when compared to P. c. strauchi.[8] |
| Wing-Coverts and Remiges | The lesser, median, or upper wing-coverts feature a ground colour characterised as bluish-grey,[6] or ash-grey with a light greenish sheen and white shafts,[238] never being whitish or rufous,[5] and specifically not white.[12] More generally, the upper wing-coverts are coloured similarly to those of P. c. elegans.[8]On the under surface, the lower wing-coverts are greyish or yellowish with dark brown transverse lines.[238]Towards the posterior section of the wing, the hindmost of the greater wing-coverts possess wide violet-brown spots on their inner and outer webs.[238]The primary flight-feathers are brown, featuring sandy-yellowish outer webs extending from the base to the tip of the feather, and greyish, mostly triangular spots situated on the inner webs.[238] The secondary flight-feathers are characterised by dirty-reddish borders, pale tips, and mottled webs.[238] At the posterior edge of the flight plumage, the hindmost of the flight-feathers feature wide violet-brown spots across both their inner and outer webs.[238] |
| Flanks | The background colour of the sides of the body and flanks is described as golden buff,[1][4][9][17] golden-yellow,[6] golden-orange,[13] golden-brown,[12] or reddish-golden.[238] Compared to related forms, the sides and flanks are golden buff instead of the dull orange-red glossed with purple seen in P. c. elegans.[1]Furthermore, the broad tips of the flank plumage are much lighter than in P. c. strauchi and P. c. suehschanensis, being a brownish-golden shade, though they are by no means as light as in P. c. satscheuensis.[8]The patterning on the flank plumage is distinct. The feather tips bear black transverse bars[13] extending across almost the entire width of the feather tip.[12] Przevalski notes that the tips of the feathers on the sides of the body feature transverse dark blue marks,[238] and the feathers situated specifically on the flanks are characterised by metallic violet tips.[238] |
| Crop, Chest, and Breast | The crop and breast region feature a ground colour characterised as dark green,[1][4][9][13][17] rich green,[5] dark bluish-green,[6][12] glossy dark green or green-bronze,[238] or coppery-brown heavily invaded with glossy green.[14] This rich or dark green colouration from the neck extends downwards uninterruptedly and directly across the front to the middle of the chest and breast,[4][5][9][17] forming a prominent, wide green stripe along the midline of the crop and breast.[215] This dark green area is highly extensive, occupying more than two-thirds of the total chest area.[218] However, the green tones are not quite as dark as those seen in P. c. suehschanensis.[8]On the individual feathers of the crop area and the middle of the breast, the green is restricted to narrow green margins and a green sheen, or is only completely green along the midline and partly on the freely visible portions of the feathers.[8] Alternatively, these feathers are well bordered with velvety black,[14] and the middle section of the breast is often mixed or suffused with copper-red or chestnut-red.[6][12]On the lateral boundaries, the sides of the breast are described as golden-yellow,[5] pale golden-yellow,[215] or golden-orange with black borders.[13] Alternatively, the sides of the body are noted as reddish-brown with a metallic sheen and a dark green edging on the feathers, which are notched at their tips.[238] Only the short feathers situated on the border of the crop receive a distinct copper tint.[215] |
| Belly and Undertail-Coverts | On the lower midline, the abdomen is described as dark smoky grey, and it is bordered on the sides by dark green bands running down from the breast.[238]The undertail-coverts are characterised by a uniform brown colour.[238] |
| ♀️ Click [show] to view comprehensive Female plumage accounts | |
|---|---|
| Anatomical Feature | Detailed Female Description |
| Baseline Colouration and Pattern Scheme | The female of P. c. vlangalii displays an exceptionally pale, lightly marked, and sandy appearance, presenting a highly washed overall plumage compared to other subspecies.[238][13] The entire upper plumage is characterised by a pale buff or light brown background where soft buff and pale rufous tones heavily predominate over faint, reduced brown or black markings.[1][215]This washed-out patterning extends to the ventral surface, where a pure white or yellowish-white throat contrasts with a pale, whitish-buff or dull sandy-yellow breast and abdomen that are completely devoid of prominent spotting or dark brown bars.[1][53][8][238][215] The wings and short tail maintain this light, uniform colouration, consisting of pale yellowish coverts, brownish-light-brown rectrices, and soft dark brown flight feathers broken only by regular, pale transverse bands.[238] |
| Iris, Bill, and Feet | The iris and feet are as in the male.[238] The bill is light horn-coloured as in the male, but in the female the upper mandible is slightly darker.[238] |
| Head and Neck | The top of the head is black-spotted on the crown.[238] On the face, the lores, wide bands under the eyes, and narrow, barely noticeable eyebrows or supercilia are whitish, while a spot of the same whitish colour lies directly behind the brownish ear-coverts.[238]The chin and throat are distinguished by a very clean appearance, characterised as pure white[1][53][8] or yellowish-white.[238] |
| Mantle, Back, Scapulars, and Rump | The entire upper plumage is very pale and slightly marked compared to related forms,[238][13] with buff and rufous tones widely predominating over brown and black throughout.[215] It resembles the upper parts of female P. c. colchicus, but the background colour is paler, the predominating tone is a light buff, and the black markings are much fainter,[1][53][9] being generalised as significantly lighter with less extensive black markings.[8]On the forward part of the back, the individual feathers possess a light brown base with a black border and a greyish-pink edge.[238] The remaining sections of the upper side of the body are variegated on a light brown background with yellowish lines and black, occasionally spear-shaped or lanceolate spots.[238] |
| Rectrices | The tail-feathers or rectrices are brownish-light-brown and are decorated with frequent black bars, each of which is divided cleanly in the middle by pale yellowish lines.[238] More generally, the overall plumage is characterised as isabelline-coloured, or pale greyish-yellow, variegated with black and tawny.[238] |
| Wing-Coverts and Remiges | The flight-feathers or remiges are variegated with dark brown and reddish-yellowish transverse bands.[238] On the wing-coverts, the greater and median upper coverts are pale yellow with black transverse bands that cross over exactly at the tips of the feathers,[238] whereas the lesser coverts and the lower wing-coverts are described as pale brownish.[238] |
| Crop, Chest, Breast, and Flanks | The underparts are lighter, more whitish,[8] pale buff,[9] or whitish-buff.[1] The neck and crop area exhibit a pinkish tint, with the neck being variegated with narrow blackish transverse lines and the crop with horseshoe-shaped spots of the same colour.[238] Alternatively, a fine, streaky brown mottling is visible only on the feathers of the crop.[215]On the lower chest, the breast feathers are pale buff with pale rufous barring—markings that on the flanks merely take on a more intense rufous hue rather than turning blackish-brown.[215] More generally, the underparts are described as pale, lightly marked,[13] or whitish-buff with very faint indications of brown cross-bars.[1] The breast and the sides of the body are completely without spots, with the sides of the body being a dull sandy-yellow marked only with indistinct, transverse blackish lines.[238] |
| Belly and Undertail-Coverts | The general abdomen and the undertail-coverts are a uniform, unspotted dull sandy-yellow,[238] being described broadly as unspotted across the breast and abdomen.[238] |
Photographs: Photographs are available from Haixi.[240]
Measurements: Male wing length: Przevalski:[238] 249–259 mm; Ogilvie-Grant:[2] 241 mm; Delacour:[13] 245–250 mm; Zheng:[12] n = 2: 236–250 mm (mean 243 mm); Liu et al.:[218] n = 3: 232–250 mm (mean 240.6 mm).
Distribution:[241] This subspecies is isolated in north-central China, inhabiting the reed swamps of the eastern Qaidam Basin in northwestern Qinghai. Its range lies between the mountain ranges southwest of Qinghai Lake to the north and the northern foothills of the Eastern Kunlun Range bordering the Qaidam basin to the South. It occurs along the Naren Guole, Qaidam, Golmud, Nuomuhong, and Tiekui rivers, as well as northward in the vicinity of Tuosu Lake and Xiligou Hu. Historically, its range extended farther west into the Qaidam swamps. The easternmost localities reported by Przevalski were the marshes surrounding the springs of the Tiekui River ("Irgitsyk" Marshes, northeastern Dulan County). Although historically isolated in the eastern Qaidam Basin, P. c. vlangalii may now come in contact with westward-expanding populations of P. c. strauchi in the valleys of the mountain ranges southwest of Qinghai Lake, between Chaka Yan Lake and Xilogou Hu. P. c. vlangalii is considered rare, and its current population size remains unknown. Recent photographic evidence from Golmud and Delingha demonstrates that the subspecies is still extant.
Habitat:[241] The southern Qaidam Basin is characterised by saline loess-clay soils with a strongly uneven surface; along the narrow watercourses grow dense or scattered stands of harmyk (Nitraria schoberi) and tamarisk (Tamarix laxa); less common are sugak (Lycium ruthenicum, more rarely Lycium turcomanicum) and dogbane (Apocynum venetum); around springs and marshy areas, extensive reed beds of Phragmites australis occur; during the breeding season, pheasants select the drier portions of these wetlands, such as islets and spits covered with low reeds or sedge. In addition to various grasses, irises (Iris ssp.) and peaweed (Sphaerophysa salsula) are common, while cynomorium (Cynomorium coccineum) is also frequently present. The pheasant inhabits reed beds and bush-covered wetlands and feeds extensively on the berries of Nitraria during winter. The southern Qaidam plain lies at an elevation of approximately 2,800–3,000 m above sea level.
2.2.2. Phasianus colchicus suehschanensis (Sungpan grey-rumped pheasant)
Authority and original description: Bianchi, V. L. 1906.[215]
Type locality: Sungpan, northern Szechuan (Sichuan), China.[215]
Protonym and synonyms:[242]
- Phasianus süehschanensis Bianchi, 1906 (protonym)
- Phasianus colchicus suechanensis — invalid spelling variant
Local names: 雉鸡四川亚种 (Chinese: Sichuan subspecies of Common Pheasant)
Description:[215][5][14] This subspecies is strongly patterned, dark, and richly coloured. The upperparts are coppery and maroon, with bronze-green gloss, especially in fresh plumage. The underparts are copper-brown with a green gloss, which becomes purple-blue on the lower foreneck. The crown is dark copper-green and, in fresh plumage, shows a purplish sheen. White superciliary stripes and a white collar are absent. The anterior interscapular region (upper back) is golden copper-red with well-developed metallic blue wedge-shaped shaft markings (approximately 10 mm long and 4 mm wide), sometimes showing green reflections, and with black marginal markings on the exposed portion of the feather; the feather tips are frequently slightly whitish. The posterior interscapular region and scapulars are copper-brown with faint purple and occasional greenish reflections, lacking the black marginal markings and showing only greatly reduced shaft markings. Most of the characteristic patterning of the scapular feathers is concealed by overlapping feathers, giving the scapular region a relatively uniform appearance than in P. c. strauchi, whose scapulars show conspicuous pale centres and chestnut margins. The lower back is particularly heavily mottled. The upper tail-coverts are bluish-grey with a slight greenish tinge and reddish spots; the outermost coverts, which overlie the base of the tail, are red-golden. The upper wing-coverts are ash-grey with a bluish-green sheen along the edge of the scapular region. The upper surface of the tail is considerably darker than in P. c. strauchi, being more purplish-brown, less ochraceous, and more heavily barred with black. The underparts are reddish coppery brown, extensively overlaid with a glossy green sheen, and the feathers are distinctly bordered with velvety black. A band of glossy purple-blue is present on the lower throat and sides of the lower neck. The crop and upper breast are predominantly metallic-green, and a broad metallic-green median band extends uninterrupted from the crop to the belly, although the central breast is often suffused with coppery-purple. P. c. suehschanensis resembles P. c. elegans but differs in having less deeply notched feathers on the upper back, which also bear substantially broader and dark-blue shaft markings at their tips. The flank feathers of P. c. suehschanensis and P. c. elegans are similar in colour, being golden-brown to chestnut-brown with narrow black transverse apical bars across the entire feather width. In P. c. strauchi these transverse apical bars are generally broader, whereas in P. c. decollatus the black apical markings typically take the form of spots. The upper-back plumage of P. c. suehschanensis is dark chestnut-brown with coarse black shaft markings and is darker than that of P. c. elegans, whose upper back is chestnut-brown and bears no or only very narrow black shaft markings. P. c. strauchi also possesses coarse black markings but has much paler golden-yellow ground colour, whereas P. c. decollatus shows even coarser black markings, combined with a light brownish-yellow ground colour. The female of P. c. suehschanensis resembles that of P. c. strauchi but is somewhat darker overall. In the Min River valley, at elevations of 1,200–2,700 m, a hybrid population between P. c. suehschanensis and P. c. decollatus occurs and has been referred to as "P. c. berezowskii". Individuals referred to this population have been described as possessing a purplish crown, dark lustrous green neck, rich coppery-bronze chest and breast (the breast feathers narrowly margined with black), dark flanks, and slaty-blue rump.[220] The following collapsed tables provide detailed plumage descriptions.
| ♂️ Click [show] to view comprehensive Male plumage accounts | |
|---|---|
| Anatomical Feature | Detailed Male Description |
| Baseline Colouration and Pattern Scheme | The baseline plumage scheme of P. c. suehschanensis is exceptionally dark, intense, and saturated throughout, characterised by a complete absence of both a white supercilium and a white neck-collar.[8][13][14][12][230][218][216][162] Dorsally, rich coppery chestnut, dark maroon, and metallic copper-brown ground tones prevail, which are heavily overlaid by thick, coarse black streaks, deep blue apical shaft spots, and extensive bronze-green glossing.[215][220][13][14][219][12][216][162]Ventrally, the pattern is dominated by a continuous, broad expanse of dark metallic shining green that flows uninterruptedly from the neck down the centre of the crop and breast, flanked by deep coppery-red and golden-brown sides finished with broad, dark green terminal rims or horizontal black bars.[215][6][5][8][12][230][216] The posteriormost regions fade into a matte dusky-brown abdomen and dark, bars-heavy under tail-coverts, completing an overall dark, highly melanistic colour profile.[215][230] |
| Iris, Bill, and Feet | The iris of the male P. c. suehschanensis is reddish-chestnut.[230]The bill is horn-coloured.[230]The feet, legs, and toes are blue-grey and the claws are black.[230] Additionally, the male is equipped with short tarsal spurs.[230] |
| Head and Neck | The forehead is described as almost black[215] or metallic green at the base of the upper beak.[230] On the top of the head, the crown is dark bronzy-green,[215][13][12][216] dark copper-green,[230][162] or possesses a bronze and purple sheen that can give it a grey-haired appearance.[215]The head and neck are generally dark purplish-green, shading to black at the throat,[220] or dark brown with metallic green feather tips.[230] The back of the crown and neck exhibit a glossy or metallic green colour with strong blue reflections or a slight bluish sheen, while the almost entirely hidden basal parts of these feathers are black.[215][6] The bare sides of the head are red.[215]The rich green of the neck extends uninterruptedly down to the middle of the chest and breast.[5] At the anterior region, the chin is noted as blackish-brown[230] or almost black,[215] and the upper throat is described as black.[220] The throat and front of the neck are metallic green,[215] whilst a distinctive band of glossy purple-blue or metallic purple-blue is present on the lower throat and sides of the lower neck.[215][14] Superciliary stripes are completely absent, with no traces of a white eyebrow.[6][14][12][230][218][216][162] Also, a white collar or neck-ring is entirely absent.[8][13][14][12][230][218][216][162] |
| Mantle, Back, and Scapulars | The mantle or upper back is characterised by a very dark and intense ground colour, described variously as dark coppery-red,[215][6][5] golden copper-red,[215] coppery chestnut,[13] chestnut to brownish-chestnut,[12][162] dark chestnut,[218] or rich dark copper bronze.[220] It is considerably darker and more coppery or maroon above than in related forms, completely lacking the bright yellow fields of P. c. vlangalii or the lighter tones of P. c. elegans, P. c. strauchi, and P. c. decollatus.[6][8][14][219]This surface is heavily marked with prominent, relatively thick, and coarse black spots or streaks[13][219][12][162] that appear as obvious glossy black, wedge-shaped apical shaft-streaks or spots running the length of the exposed feather portion, measuring around 10 mm long and 4 mm broad in the mid-interscapular region.[215][5] These shaft spots are dark blue or feature a metallic-blue or greenish sheen, while the feather tips are often slightly tinged with white,[215][8][12] or show broad chestnut-brown tips with white V-shaped markings.[230]Structurally, the hidden middle part of each mantle feather is brown, separated from the terminal part by a narrow, pale metallic-shiny lilac band, and bears a spherical-triangular spot on each vane.[215] Furthermore, the feathers of the upper back are less deeply notched at their tips compared to those of P. c. elegans.[8]The scapulars are similarly dark, appearing uniform dark coppery-maroon,[6] maroon glossed with green,[13] or metallic copper-brown on their exposed outer portions.[215] When undisturbed, they appear largely uniform because the inner pale-fawn, creamy, buff, or reddish U- or V-shaped black-bordered markings are hidden from view by the overlapping tips of preceding feathers.[215][6][5] These internal markings are visible externally on only two or three of the hindmost feathers adjacent to the lower back.[215] On the anterior scapulars, the brown feather centre features a black spot divided by a light shaft, while on the posterior feathers, this spot is filled with reddish speckles that form the hidden V-shaped pattern.[215] |
| Rump and Uppertail-Coverts | The lower back and rump are highly variegated, displaying ground tones of dark brown,[230] slate colour,[220] or greyish-blue and greyish-green.[12] This region is more vividly and sharply patterned with black, buff, and green than in P. c. strauchi, with shining dark green cross-bands that are significantly broader.[8][14]Structurally, the partly exposed middle portion of each lower back feather is black and bisected by a narrow buff shaft-stripe, which is flanked on each side by a line to create two distinct, roughly ω-shaped buff marks on the black background.[215] Alternatively, these markings are described as white shaft streaks accompanied by white and metallic green spots alongside pale blue-grey feather margins.[230] The apical zone of the feather directly bordering the central black patch transitions from an area of purple and metallic green proximally to ash-grey at its distal edge.[215]The upper tail coverts are generally coloured like the lower back but exhibit an olive-green, greenish-grey, or lavender-grey hue without any red or rufous tint on the middle feathers, making them more olive and less grey than those of P. c. strauchi.[5][14] The buff or reddish ω-shaped marks on these feathers are less regular and are almost completely concealed by the overlapping plumage; here, the purple tint vanishes entirely, the metallic green resolves into a crescent on each web, and the elongated terminal tip is ash-grey.[215] The upper tail coverts can also appear tinged with brown or yellowish-brown.[230]The specialised hair-like lateral tail coverts contrastingly feature an orange or rufous patch,[5] showing a bluish-grey base tone with a minor greenish tint, a localised reddish admixture, and golden-reddish colouration at the base of the outermost coverts.[215] |
| Rectrices | The upper side of the tail is exceptionally dark, being described as dark purplish-brown[13] or a more vibrant red-brown,[8] which is noticeably darker, more purplish-brown, less ochre, and more heavily barred with black than in P. c. strauchi.[14] On the two central rectrices, the ground colour is brown on the half of the vane adjacent to the shaft, while the outer half is predominantly copper-red[215] or yellowish-brown with pale purplish-red edges on both sides.[230] Compared to P. c. vlangalii, the edges of these middle rectrices feature a much greater prevalence of dark coppery-red or chestnut.[5]The central tail feathers are heavily marked with horizontal, black, crescent-shaped bands. On the basal half, these dark bars are consistently broad, measuring about 3 to 4 mm,[215][5] but they widen progressively toward the tip, where they can reach up to 12 mm.[215] These bars feature a black centre and purplish-red ends.[230] Along the edges of these central black bands, the brown ground colour of the intervening spaces fades into reddish streaks; however, on the outer sections of both vanes, the black bands are replaced by dark copper-brown bars where these reddish streaks are absent, and a greyish tinge appears that becomes strongly dominant at the very tip of the tail.[215]On the elongated lateral rectrices, the copper-red or pale purplish-red colour is restricted solely to the outer vane and is absent from the inner one.[215][230] The black bars on the outer tail feathers extend fully to the edge of the vane, and the intervening spaces develop dark brown vermiculations or black mottling that becomes increasingly pronounced on the outermost rectrices.[215][230]From below, the tail is dark dusky-brown; the shorter feathers display a buff-coloured streak along the free edge of the inner vane, whereas the long feathers exhibit a purplish-red border on the outer vane and indistinct brown bands.[215] |
| Wing-Coverts and Remiges | The ground colour of the lesser and median wing-coverts is pale blue-grey[230] or bluish-grey with a strong olive cast.[6] Across the upper wing-coverts, an ash-grey tone prevails, which develops a bluish-greenish sheen along the border of the scapular region.[215]Structurally, the lesser coverts near the wing edge are blackish in the middle and are bisected across a large portion by two oblique whitish stripes adjacent to a whitish shaft.[215] The median coverts feature brown margins at their bases,[215] while the shoulders and inner wing-coverts are chestnut-brown with white and black spots.[230]For the greater coverts of the secondaries, wide copper-red or brown borders are present that leave only the very tip of the feather free,[215] or they are described as dark brown with white spots and a pale chestnut tinge.[230]The flight feathers are generally brown or blackish-brown with light-coloured shafts and are patterned with greyish-white or buff spots and horizontal bars.[215][230] Specifically, the primaries are blackish-brown with a dusky-grey outer vane, and the basal half of both webs is crossed by irregular, oblique buff bars.[215] The primary coverts are dusky-brown, featuring fine buff speckles across most of the basal section of both webs.[215] The secondaries are dusky-brown, exhibiting a dusky-grey outer vane finished with a reddish border along the edge.[215] On the outermost secondaries, fine buff speckles cover the greater part of both webs; however, as the feathers approach the tertials, these speckles disappear from the terminal part—vanishing more rapidly on the outer web than on the inner web until remaining only at the very base of the innermost remiges.[215] The tertials are dusky-grey with brown borders, preceded by a reddish stripe that is particularly prominent on the inner web, while the hidden centre of the innermost tertial is blackish with buff speckles.[215] |
| Flanks | The flanks and body sides feature a dark, saturated ground colour characterised as rich dark copper bronze,[220] deep coppery-red,[6] coppery chestnut,[13] rich red-brown,[8] or golden-brown to brownish-chestnut.[12][230][216] This base colouration is highly similar to that of P. c. elegans, displaying golden-brown tones that distinguish it from the distinct black spots seen on the flank feathers of P. c. strauchi and P. c. decollatus.[219] The tips of the flank feathers are heavily marked with broad terminal decorations, noted either as metallic green-blue[6] or dark green edges,[8] or as prominent black transverse or horizontal bars that extend almost across the entire width of the feather tips.[219][12][230][216] |
| Crop, Chest, and Breast | The underparts are heavily dominated by green tones, where the rich, dark metallic shining green or copper-green of the neck extends uninterruptedly down through the crop centre, breast centre, and the middle of the breast toward the belly.[215][6][5][8][230] This continuous, broad green path is formed by the elongated tips of the feathers, which mask their blackish-brown concealed centres.[215]Overall, the underparts appear as reddish coppery-brown that is heavily invaded by this highly glossy green, with the feathers well-bordered in velvety black.[14] However, this dark blue-green area of the breast region is relatively small compared to that of P. c. elegans,[12][216] and the central section of the chest or breast is frequently mixed with or turns into a purplish coppery-red, copper-red, or purplish-bronze colour,[12][230][218][216] which is sometimes prone to interrupting the green centre completely.[13]At the sides of the chest, the plumage is copper-red with a pale violet sheen.[215] Each feather tip here features a deep triangular notch at the shaft and is outlined by a narrow, sharply defined metallic green or blue rim, creating an ω-shaped mark across the feather surface; its hidden base is reddish-brown but almost entirely occupied by a black spot split by a light-coloured shaft.[215] On the breast sides, dark coppery-red or chestnut largely prevails in comparison to P. c. vlangalii,[5] with the crop sides, breast sides, and body sides appearing as a rich red-brown with dark green terminal edges.[8]The feathers on the upper breast sides adjacent to the crop share the colouration of the crop sides, though their tips lack the characteristic notch, making their ω-shaped markings less distinct.[215]The remaining elongated feathers on the sides of the breast are golden-rufous at the tip, finished with a 2 to 3 mm wide bluish-black border at the shaft that spans the entire width of the tip.[215] This exposed terminal section is separated from a more matte, pale-brown, concealed central portion by an indistinct metallic band, casting a pale lilac sheen across the breast sides.[215] |
| Belly and Undertail-Coverts | The belly is characterised by a matte dusky with a brownish tinge[215] or dark brown colouration.[230] Towards the flanks, the blackish-brown feathers of the abdomen develop long, metallic-green tips, whereas nearing the under tail-coverts, the feathers become copper-purple at their tips; the hidden central section of these posterior belly feathers is brown and largely occupied by a black spot bisected by a pale shaft.[215]The under tail-coverts are described as chestnut,[230] or alternatively as dark brown and heavily marked with irregular black barring.[215] |
| ♀️ Click [show] to view comprehensive Female plumage accounts | |
|---|---|
| Anatomical Feature | Detailed Female Description |
| Baseline Colouration and Pattern Scheme | The baseline plumage scheme of the female P. c. suehschanensis is exceptionally dark, heavily mottled, and intensely marked throughout, sharing a close affinity with the females of P. c. strauchi and P. c. elegans but appearing significantly darker dorsally than that of P. c. decollatus.[215][13][14] Upperparts are dominated by a heavy saturation of dark brown, chestnut, and black pigments, where large black markings on the lower back and rump overwhelm any reddish or buff tones, a key distinction from the lighter P. c. vlangalii.[215][230] This dark profile extends seamlessly to the underparts, where a diagnostic feature is that fine, streaky, or wavy dusky-brown vermiculations and blackish-brown transverse bars invade the entire breast and flanks, covering the zones that remain clean or unbarred in P. c. vlangalii.[215][230] With a dirty buff or brownish-white throat, heavily barred dark wings, and a deeply mottled chestnut-brown tail, the female presents a consistently melanistic and densely patterned cryptic appearance.[215][230] |
| Iris, Bill, and Feet | The iris of the adult female P. c. suehschanensis is pale orange.[230]The bill, feet, toes, and legs are like in the male (bill horn-coloured, feet, toes, and legs blue-grey, claws black), but without the spurs.[230] |
| Head and Neck | The forehead, crown, and back of the neck are dark brown, dusky-brown, or blackish-brown, patterned with fawn, sandy-yellow, or pale sandy-yellow horizontal bands and feather tips, with the terminal band occupying the very tip of the feather.[215][230] On the face, the feathers of the lores and the circumference of the eyes are a contrasting whitish buff.[215] The cheeks are rufous with black bars, where the outermost bar forms the tip of the feather.[215]At the sides and front of the neck, the plumage is reddish, decorated with semi-crescent black bands, a pre-terminal greyish band, and a dusky-brown terminal edge.[215]The chin and throat are a dirty buff or brownish-white colour, showing localised blackish-brown spots.[215][230] |
| Mantle, Back, and Scapulars | The female is generally dark and heavily marked above, being darker overall than the female of P. c. decollatus and similar to or slightly darker than that of P. c. strauchi.[215][13][14] In the anterior part of the interscapular region, the plumage is chestnut or dark brown with a dark chestnut shade, marked with wide crescents containing U-shaped black markings, greyish margins, and brownish edges on the feather sides.[215][230] The feathers of the posterior interscapular region follow a similar pattern, but the centre is rufous with a wedge-shaped black shaft at the base, forming an additional inner, rufous V-shaped mark.[215] The upper back as a whole is mottled with these V-shaped black stripes and black spots.[230] The scapulars are black with irregular buff bars, presenting irregular reddish, finely black-mottled spots on the sides and strongly worn greyish edges.[215] |
| Rump and Uppertail-Coverts | The remaining upperparts are mottled with a mix of black, dark chestnut, and pale sandy-yellow.[230] The feathers of the lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts exhibit a black, more or less triangular centre that is crossed by two buff bars and bordered by very broad reddish-grey edges.[215] On the upper tail-coverts, additional buff spots are visible on these broad margins.[215] Compared to female P. c. decollatus, the black markings on the lower back and rump are very large; compared to P. c. vlangalii, the brown and black colours strongly predominate over the reddish and buff tones across the entire upperparts.[215] |
| Rectrices | The tail feathers feature a complex mix of chestnut-brown, brown, and brownish-grey.[215][230] The ground colour of the rectrices is brown, which is most distinct near the light-coloured shaft, while the marginal sections of the vanes are heavily embossed with a greyish-buff tone.[215]Against this background, the rectrices are crossed by black bars that narrow sharply toward the edges of the feathers, while the intervening spaces are filled with a combination of large black spots and small black speckles or vermiculations.[215][230]On the outer pairs of rectrices, the brown colour is more prominent, and it becomes very strongly pronounced on the underside of the tail.[215] |
| Wing-coverts and Remiges | The shoulder feathers, wing-coverts, and secondary flight feathers are black and dark brown, mottled with pale sandy-yellow and pale chestnut spots.[230] Specifically, the upper wing-coverts are generally black with irregular buff bars that partly intersect the dusky-brownish-rufous lateral sections of the feathers.[215]The primaries are dusky-brown with a buff shaft, marked from base to tip on both webs with irregular reddish-buff or brownish-white horizontal bands.[215][230] The secondaries and tertials are likewise dusky-brown with a rufous shaft, featuring irregular reddish-buff bands running from base to tip across both webs, interspersed with irregular buff spots on the dusky-brown intervals.[215] |
| Crop, Chest, Breast, and Flanks | The underparts below the throat are generally pale sandy-yellow or dirty-buff, heavily mottled with black vermiculations or fine, wavy dusky-brown speckling that extends across the entire breast, distinguishing it from P. c. vlangalii.[215][230] On the crop, the feathers are pale brown with a black shaft-stripe, which is partly narrowed or interrupted by a large black U-shaped stem, and are finished with a greyish tip.[215] The breast and flank feathers are sandy-yellow or dirty-buff, marked with dark feather edges and multiple blackish-brown spots or transverse bars.[215][230] On the long feathers of the breast sides, the buff colour at the borders of these irregular bands takes on a more distinct rufous tint.[215] |
| Belly and Undertail-Coverts | On the belly, the dusky-brown bars become very indistinct against the dirty-buff ground, but they sharpen again on the under tail-coverts, where the brown pigmentation predominates over the buff.[215] |
Photographs: Photographs are available from Songpan County, near the type locality, in Sichuan.[243][244][245][246]
Measurements: Male wing length: Bianchi:[215] 230 mm; Delacour:[13] 220–230 mm; Zheng:[12] n = 5: 217–232 mm; Liu et al.:[218] n = 15: 220–241 mm (mean 232.0 mm).
Distribution:[230][216][231][228][219] West-central China, including the upper Min River valley, the southern slopes of the Min Shan range, and the Songpan in northwestern Sichuan, where it occurs in Dujiangyan, Pingwu, northern Baoxing, Wenchuan, Maoxian, Songpan, Jiuzhaigou, Zoigê, and Hongyuan counties. In Ganzi Prefecture, it is found along the Dadu River valley in Kangding, Luding and Danba. To the south, it has occasionally been reported from Zeku (泽库) in southeast Qinghai, Jangda in Tibet, and the northeastern corner of the Tibet Autonomous Region. These records require confirmation, as they are widely disjunct from the core range of P. c. suehschanensis and separated from it by extensive mountain systems. The subspecies has occasionally been reported from scattered localities in southern Gansu, although the taxonomic identity of these birds remains uncertain. In the southernmost parts of its range, P. c. strauchi may occasionally develop a metallic green band extending to the belly, resembling P. c. suehschanensis,[218] and misidentifications are therefore possible.
Habitat: This subspecies is resident in the mountains of northern Sichuan throughout the year. It inhabits brush-covered mountain slopes and summits with tall grasses and ferns, ranging up to the upper limit of cultivation at approximately 3,500 m. In the upper Min River valley, it is most commonly found at elevations of 2,400–2,600 m, although Wilson noted that it may occasionally descend to about 1,800 m.[220] In Wenchuan, it has been recorded at 1,800 m. In northern Baoxing, it occupies the evergreen and deciduous broad-leaved forest belt and the lower mixed broad-leaved and coniferous forest belt. During summer, it occurs mainly between 2,500 and 3,500 m, descending to 1,500 to 2,500 m in winter. By contrast, P. c. decollatus, which is restricted to central and southwestern Baoxing, occurs primarily between 1,500–2,200 m. In the Wolong Nature Reserve, it occupies similar elevational zones and habitat types as in Baoxing, reaching elevations of up to 3,000 m.[247]
2.2.3. Phasianus colchicus strauchi (Strauch's grey-rumped pheasant)
Authority and original description: Przevalski, N. M. 1876.[248]
Type locality: Tetung and Buhuk-gol, Kansu (= Gansu, north-central China).[248]
Protonym and synonyms:[249]
- Phasianus strauchi Przevalski, N. M. 1876 — protonym
- Phasianus holdereri Schalow, H. 1901[250][5] — junior synonym
- Phasianus berezowskyi Rothschild, L. W. 1901[251] — junior synonym
- Phasianus strauchi chonensis Ogilvie-Grant, W. R. 1912 — junior synonym
Local names: 雉鸡甘肃亚种 (Chinese: Gansu subspecies of Common Pheasant)
Description:[248][218][7][8][9][14] This subspecies is highly variable, exhibiting a broad geographic cline across the Qilian-Datong, Qinling, and adjacent plateau-margin mountain systems, though it is generally a rather dark member of the grey-rumped pheasant group. The head is dark green with bluish reflections; the occiput is dark olive-green to copper-green with a faint violet gloss. Throughout most of its core range (eastern Qinghai, southern and western Gansu, southwestern Shaanxi, and northeastern Sichuan), white superciliary stripes and a white neck collar are usually absent, although occasional individuals show traces of white. Liu and Sun (1992), for example, recorded white superciliary markings in two of 23 males from the Datong River basin and a narrow white collar in one of 21 males in Lanzhou and one of 23 males from the Datong River basin.[218] The hindneck and mantle range from golden-orange to buffy yellowish-brown, the feathers bearing triangular blackish-green apical wedges and incomplete dark-green margins. The mantle becomes noticeably paler through wear after the breeding season. The scapulars have whitish-buff centres freckled with black adjacent to the shaft, and broad chestnut to buffy-rufous margins; in fresh plumage the usually concealed portions of the feathers show extensive black-and-white patterning bordered by metallic violet. The rump is green in the centre with dark green transverse bands of varying widths; the sides of the rump are bluish-grey with a large vivid rust-coloured patch on each side of the upper tail-coverts. The tail is brownish-orange with broad black transverse bars in autumn, fading through wear to yellowish-grey washed with rufous and marked with narrower black bars by the following summer.[252] Most rectrices have broad lilac-grey margins. The throat and neck are glossy green, often with a bluish sheen. This colouration extends variably onto the upper breast and is not sharply demarcated from the brownish-red lower breast, ranging from a narrow median wash to an extensive metallic green-blue suffusion. The lower breast and flanks are bright brownish-red to golden-brown, with feather margins showing a metallic green gloss. The lower breast is often suffused with golden-purple or coppery tones, particularly in fresh plumage. On the elongated flank feathers, this metallic terminal band often extends across the full width of the feather tip and may form a narrow border along the lateral margins;[215] the sides of the breast are often paler and more buffy. The female resembles that of P. c. colchicus but is slightly darker and more heavily patterned, particularly on the underparts; the nape and mantle are faintly mottled with dark green rather than purple.
Pronounced clinal variation in the plumage and in the frequency of white markings occurs throughout the range.[218] From the south and west towards the northeast, the proportion of males exhibiting white collars and white superciliary stripes increases progressively. Recorded frequencies of white collars and white superciliary stripes include: Datong river valley (4%/9%), Lanzhou (5%/-), Lixian (7%,-), Minxian (12%,-), Minqin (P. c. sohokhotensis, 20%/20%), Longxi (20%/15%), Tianshui (22%/22%), Wushan (23%/9%), Gangu (25%/15%), Xiji (33%/33%), Xi'an (33%,-), Zhouzhi (40%,-), Haiyuan (43%/29%), Longde (43%/43%), Shangxian (50%,-), Taibai (71%/14%), Zhuanglang (87%/50%), Huayin (100%/67%), Huating (100%/78%). In specimens from the southern part of the range (Zoigê, Gannan, Longnan, and Zeku), the dark green colouration occupies approximately 50-67% of the chest; in some individuals it extends uninterruptedly to the black abdomen, approaching the condition seen in P. c. suehschanensis, although the upperparts are less richly coloured. The hindneck and mantle are golden-yellow, suffused with copper-red, and the lower back is chestnut-purple. In specimens from the northern and northeastern parts of the range (Tianshui, Xi'An, and the Liupanshan region), the dark green area usually occupies only 20-33% of the chest, and some birds lack dark green on the upper breast entirely. Towards the north, the lower back becomes progressively paler chestnut, while the hindneck and mantle become more purely golden-yellow and lose much of the copper-red suffusion. In the Minqin region (P. c. sohokhotensis), the golden colouration on the upper back is particularly intense. Whether these clines represent geographic variation within P. c. strauchi, gradual intergradation with neighbouring forms, or a combination of both remains unresolved. Populations from the Liupanshan and Longdong regions show especially strong development of (anteriorly interrupted) white collars and, in some areas, white superciliary stripes, and have been variously referred to P. c. torquatus, interpreted as hybrids between P. c. strauchi and P. c. torquatus, regarded as transitional to northern forms, or treated as an intermediate population between P. c. strauchi and P. c. kiangsuensis; their taxonomic position remains uncertain (see discussion under P. c. kiangsuensis: Birds on Longdong Loess Plateau and in the Guangzhong Plain).[219][253][254][255]
Despite this extensive geographic variation, typical P. c. strauchi can generally be distinguished from neighbouring forms by the following combination of characters. P. c. strauchi differs from P. c. kiangsuensis in having bluish-grey lateral rump feathers that largely lack the green suffusion present in P. c. kiangsuensis, and dark brown undertail-coverts with chestnut tips rather than chestnut undertail-coverts marked with black. It differs from P. c. suehschanensis and P. c. decollatus in having narrow wedge-shaped blackish-green apical markings on the upper-back feathers rather than the large blackish-green apical blotches characteristic of those taxa. Compared with P. c. suehschanensis, the mantle and upper back are generally more golden-yellow and less chestnut-brown, whereas in P. c. decollatus they are even paler, being light brownish-yellow. The flank feathers of P. c. strauchi are typically copper-red, darker than the brown-yellow flanks of P. c. decollatus. Hybrids between P. c. strauchi (or P. c. suehschanensis) and P. c. decollatus, historically referred to as "berezowskyi";[251] occur south of Hui County (Longnan, Gansu). The upper back feathers of these birds bear large, blackish-green apical blotches resembling those of P. c. decollatus and P. c. suehschanensis, rather than the narrower wedge-shaped markings typical of P. c. strauchi. These hybrid birds further differ from typical P. c. strauchi in having a rich, shining, golden-brown breast sharply demarcated from the neck colour; chest feathers narrowly margined with steel-blue; whiter scapulars with reduced black vermiculation; broad buffy-rufous rather than chestnut margins; and a buffy yellowish-brown rather than fiery orange mantle; and paler buffy golden-brown flanks. The lower rump is more strongly suffused with blue, and the tail is whitish-grey rather than yellowish-grey, washed with rufous.[251]
Photographs: Photographs are available from Qinghai,[256][257][258][259][260] Gansu,[261][262][263][264][265] and Shaanxi.[266][267]
Measurements: Male wing length: Przevalski:[238] 241–251 mm; Ogilvie-Grant:[2] 239 mm; Beick:[268] n = 8: 230–257 mm (mean 240.8 mm); Delacour:[13] 240–250 mm; Vaurie:[14] n = 10: 229–252 mm (mean 243.5 mm); Zheng:[219] n = 10: 225–240 mm (mean 232.2 mm); Zheng:[12] n = 10: 218–240 mm (mean 225 mm); Liu et al.:[255] n = 20: 210–255 mm; Liu et al.:[218] n = 29: 210–257 mm (mean 234.4 mm); Zheng:[269] n = 7: 212–232 mm.
Distribution:[230][219][212][247][218] Central China, including northeastern Sichuan, southern Shaanxi (central Qinling Mountains), eastern Qinghai (east and south of Qinghai Lake), and southern and central Gansu north to the Datong River. In Qinghai, the range extends west to Menyuan, Datong, Huangyuan, Gonghe, Guinan, Guide, and Zêkog, and includes the shores of Qinghai Lake. To the north, populations generally regarded as typical P. c. strauchi occur south of a line connecting Lenglongling, Xiyinghe (both in Sunan County), Bairi, Lanzhou, Yuzhong, Zhuoni, Zhouqu, Huixian, and Fengxian. The eastern limit lies approximately at Yangxian and Zhenba in Shaanxi, while the southern limit includes Maqu and Wenxian in Gansu and extends through Jiuzhaigou, Chengkou, Nanchong, Nanbu, Wanyuan, Guangyuan, Nanjiang, and Zoige in Sichuan. The subspecies also occurs in the Baishuijiang National Nature Reserve in Wenxian County, on the northern slopes of the Min Shan Range.[270] Across a broad zone extending north to Dingxi, Tianshui, Zhouzhi, and Xi'an (and possibly farther north), east to Shangxian, and throughout the Liupanshan Mountains north to Haiyuan County, P. c. strauchi intergrades with a population of uncertain taxonomic identity. P. c. strauchi also occurs west of the Guanshan Mountains, the southern extension of the Liupanshan range in Gansu.[255] In the Guanzhong Plain, P. c. torquatus may extend into the region from the east and P. c. kiangsuensis from the north, both potentially interacting with P. c. strauchi populations to the south. In the northern Liupanshan Mountains, the unidentified population may instead be related to pheasant populations occurring east of the Helan Shan. South of Qinghai Lake, P. c. strauchi approaches the range of P. c. vlangallii. Its relationships with P. c. sohokhotensis and P. c. edzinensis remain unclear. In the south, it intergrades with P. c. suehschanensis and with P. c. decollatus, and in the southeast, near the Henan border, possibly also with P. c. torquatus.
Habitat:[241][219][247][9] This subspecies inhabits open woodland with shrubs and adjacent meadows in mountainous regions. It is most common at elevations of 1,000–1,500 m but may occur as high as 3,100 m. It is particularly abundant in river valleys, whereas it becomes scarce or disappears entirely in the upper reaches of rivers where woodland is sparse. It also occurs seasonally in agricultural landscapes. Along the Jing River in the loess region, Przevalsky found the pheasants numerous in dense thickets of saxaul (which here reached enormous sizes), tamarisk, and desert poplar. In the gorge of the Daheba River ("Baga-gorgi"), a left tributary of the Huang-He south of Qinghai Lake, he observed them in dense riverside thickets and forests dominated by tall willows (Salix sp.), sea-buckthorn (Hipophae rhamnoides), and, to a lesser extent, poplars (Populus simonii). The adjacent ravines supported dense shrub communities composed of caragana (Caragana frutescens), wild roses (Rosa sp.), cotoneaster (Cotoneaster sp.), barberry (Berberis sp.), meadowsweet (Spiraea sp.), sibiraea (Sibiraea sp.), honeysuckle (Lonicera sp.), and boxthorn (Lycium chinense). In the Baishuijiang National Nature Reserve, P. c. strauchi exhibits pronounced altitudinal migration. It winters in the foothills, moves upslope in March to breed in the mid-montane zone, and descends again in October or November.[270]
2.2.4. Phasianus colchicus sohokhotensis (Sohokhoto grey-rumped pheasant)
Authority and original description: Buturlin, S. A. 1908.[271]
Type locality: Sohokhoto Oasis, southern Alashan (north-central China), ca. 100 km north of the eastern Nan Shan foothills.[271]
Protonym and synonyms:[272]
- Phasianus strauchi sohokhotensis Buturlin, S. A. 1908 — protonym
Local names: 雉鸡阿拉善亚种 (Chinese: Alashan subspecies of Common Pheasant)
Description:[215][273][271][253] This subspecies generally resembles P. c. strauchi but is on average paler. According to Bianchi (who treated this subspecies as a variety of P. c. strauchi) and Buturlin, the most distinctive features are the stronger golden sheen of the upper back and the lighter, golden-rufous colouration of the sides of the breast and flanks, which are less intensely copper-red than in P. c. strauchi.[215][271] The metallic black terminal bands on the elongated flank feathers usually occupy most, but not the entire width of the feather tip, whereas in typical P. c. strauchi they often extend across the full width and may even form a narrow border along the lateral margins of the feather.[215] The crown is copper-green. White superciliary stripes are usually absent, although Liu and Sun (1992) found traces of them in one out of five specimens from Minqin.[218] The white neck collar is generally absent, vestigial, or narrow and interrupted anteriorly;[271] Liu and Sun likewise recorded a collar in one out of five specimens from Minqin.[218] The upper chest is dark green, whereas the remainder of the chest is dark copper-red with violet reflections. Liu et al. (1984), based on three adult males collected in the Tengger Desert near Minqin, confirmed the paler flanks, more golden upper back, and reduced extent of the black terminal flank markings noted in the original description. They additionally found the subspecies to be overall paler than P. c. strauchi, with broader and more conspicuous white "V"-shaped markings on the upper back and scapulars, a dark golden-brown breast with a purplish gloss rather than a coppery-red one, and narrower inverted anchor-shaped black markings at the feather tips.[253] The female does not differ appreciably from that of P. c. strauchi. Delacour (1951) described P. c. sohokhotensis as possessing broad white superciliary stripes and a broad white collar, and stated that the dark flank markings were larger than in P. c. strauchi.[13] These characters differ markedly from the original descriptions of Bianchi and Buturlin, which emphasised reduced black flank markings and made no mention of conspicuous white head or neck markings.[215][271] Subsequent examinations of specimens from Minqin likewise failed to confirm Delacour's diagnosis.[253][218] Because the taxon was originally described from very limited material, and because both its geographic variation and the extent of individual variation remain poorly documented, the validity and diagnostic limits of P. c. sohokhotensis have repeatedly been questioned and require further study.
Photographs: A photograph possibly representing this subspecies is available from Jinchuan Xiaxi (Yongchang County, Jinchang City).[274]
Measurements: Male wing length: Liu et al.:[253] 235–245 mm.
Distribution: This subspecies is currently known only from the Sohokhoto Oasis (= Minqin Oasis), near Minqin between the Tengger and Badain Jaran deserts. The oasis lies north of the Liangzhou Oasis and forms the terminal oasis of the Shiyanghe river basin. By the late 20th century, environmental conditions in the Minqin oasis had deteriorated considerably, resulting in extensive desertification.[275] Kozlov recorded pheasants attributable to P. c. sohokhotensis around 1900 on both the northwestern and southeastern margins of the oasis.[273] The distribution of this subspecies outside the Minqin Oasis remains poorly known. It may also occur in other oasis systems of the Shiyang River basin, including Liangzhou, Yongchang, Jinchuan, and Babusha, but this has not been confirmed. It is conceivable that the subspecies occurs locally along the northern foothills of the Qilian Shan, where it may come into contact with P. c. strauchi, but no reliable data are currently available. The taxonomic identity of the pheasant populations inhabiting the Ningwei Plain Oasis remains unknown, as do the relationships between P. c. sohokhotensis and P. c. alaschanicus in Alxa Left Banner, and between P. c. sohokhotensis and P. c. edzinensis in the Heihe River basin.
Habitat: The subspecies inhabits oasis habitats within arid desert regions. The known localities lie at approximately 1,250 m above sea level. Kozlov observed the birds in January roosting during the evening in trees growing along irrigation ditches bordering cultivated fields. At night, they occupied the margins of remnant woodland, whereas during the day they sheltered in scattered shrubs near Chinese grave sites after feeding. On the eastern outskirts of Sokhohoto, pheasants were reportedly more numerous, apparently owing to the presence of extensive grazing lands supporting a mosaic of grassland, shrubland, and woodland vegetation.[273]
Note: A 2013 mitochondrial DNA study recovered the Minqin population as a distinct lineage and supported the recognition of P. c. sohokhotensis, estimating divergence from P. c. strauchi at approximately 150,000–230,000 years ago.[276]
2.2.5. Phasianus colchicus satscheuensis (Satchu grey-rumped pheasant)
Authority and original description: Pleske, T. E. 1892.[277]
Type locality: North of the Nan Shans.[277]
Protonym and synonyms:[278]
- Phasianus satscheuensis Pleske, T. E. 1892 — protonym
Local names: 雉鸡祁连山亚种 (Chinese: Qilian Shan subspecies of Common Pheasant)
Description:[277][8][14] This subspecies is a pale and distinctive form, characterised by exceptionally light upperparts that give a markedly desert-adapted appearance. Pleske originally compared it with Amur pheasants referred to at the times as P. c. torquatus, which correspond to what is now recognised as P. c. pallasi.[277] The crown is pale greenish-grey, and the white superciliary stripes are absent or only faintly indicated. The white neck collar is narrow and broadly interrupted across the foreneck, forming only about two-thirds of a complete ring. The upperparts are paler than in any other subspecies of the Common Pheasant. The broad margins of the scapulars range from pale sandy-brown to pale cinnamon-brown and may show a faint golden-red sheen in certain light conditions; on the scapulars nearest the wing they are glossy pale cinnamon, whereas those farther back are deeper wine-cinnamon in colour. The scapulars bear large creamy-white central patches, and the secondaries are extensively marbled, the pattern extending almost to the feather margins. The rump is conspicuously pale greyish-blue and the wing-coverts are pale bluish-grey edged with very pale fawn. The underparts remain relatively dark, with the crop and chest coppery-red to copper-orange. The chest feathers are metallic copper-orange to rust-red and distinctly edged with velvety black, whereas in P. c. pallasi such black margins are lacking. The flanks are golden-yellow, while the feather margins of the lower underparts are predominantly greenish rather than pure blue, and the centre of the belly is reddish-brown. Compared with P. c. pallasi, this subspecies further differs in the paler sandy-brown scapular margins, the extensively marbled secondaries, the pale greyish-blue wing-coverts, and the dark rust-red feathers of the vent and lower flanks with a purplish sheen. The female is exceptionally pale, with a yellowish-cream ground colour and pinkish tones on the neck and chest. The upperparts are even paler than in P. c. shawii and P. c. tarimensis, while the neck feathers are conspicuously reddish-brown.
Photographs: Photographs are available from Dunhuang (Gansu): from Dunhuang Airport,[279] and from Erdaoquan, Dunhuang (敦煌，二道泉).[280]
Measurements: Male wing length: Hartert, Delacour:[8][13] n = 5: 237–251 mm; Sushkin:[281] 248–255 mm; Liu et al.:[218] n = 3: 232–238 mm (mean 235.6 mm).
Distribution:[241][282][277] This subspecies is restricted to northwestern Gansu, where it inhabits the oases and wetland habitats of the Shule River basin and the Dunhuang region north of the Nan-shan. During the expeditions of the Grum-Grzimailo brothers, it was recorded in considerable numbers in Guazhou (formerly Anxi, 瓜州), Xiaowan (小宛), Shuangtabao (双塔堡), Bulongji (布隆吉), Sidaogou (四道沟村), and Sidun (四墩). Historically, it was particularly common in the Dunhuang (Satchu) oasis and throughout the lower Shule River basin between Jiuquan (酒泉) and Lake Haraqi (Halachi, 哈拉湖, 40°29′N 94°21′E), formerly the terminal lake of the Shule River northwest of Dunhuang. The lake was dry for much of the period between 1960 and 2017. (This lake should not be confused with the larger Hara Lake in the Qaidam basin.) The Shule River basin was formerly a well-watered region supporting extensive riparian forests. From east to west, its principal watercourses include the Baiyang, Shiyou, Changma (the upper course of the Shule river), Yulin (Tashi), and Danghe rivers, all descending from the Nan Shan into the desert. According to Przevalski,[241] the pheasant did not occur along the Danghe River; however, according to Hartert,[8] citing Kozlov,[273] it did. The present distribution of P. c. satscheuensis remains poorly documented, as much of its historical range has undergone severe desertification. Nevertheless, the subspecies continues to occur in the vicinity of Dunhuang. To the east it approaches the range of P. c. edzinensis in the Heihe River basin, and recent observations suggest that their ranges may overlap locally.
Habitat:[241][282][277] The subspecies inhabits river valleys, marshes, oases, and lakeside wetlands at elevations of approximately 600–2,150 m above sea level. Near Sidun, the vegetation was reported to include species of Salsola, Salicornia, Karelinia, Sophora, Nitraria, Lycium, Alhagi, sedge (Carex), Lactuca, Limonium, Hedysarum, Artemisia, and Tanacetum.
2.2.6. Phasianus colchicus edzinensis (Gobi grey-rumped pheasant)
Authority and original description: Sushkin, P. P. 1926.[281]
Type locality: Lower Edzin-gol, central Gobi.[281]
Protonym and synonyms:[283]
- Phasianus colchicus edzinensis Sushkin, P. P. 1926 — protonym
Local names: 雉鸡弱水亚种 (Chinese: Ruo Shui subspecies of Common Pheasant)
Description:[281] This subspecies closely resembles P. c. satscheuensis, but differs in its more contrasting scapular pattern and paler underparts. The crown is greenish-grey, and weak white superciliary stripes are usually present. The white neck collar is narrow and broadly interrupted on the foreneck. The margins of the scapulars and interscapulars are darker than in P. c. satscheuensis, varying from mikado-brown to fawn rather than cinnamon or cinnamon-buff, and show a stronger fiery gloss. The centres of these feathers are pure white rather than creamy white. The chest is coppery-red with little or no green gloss; the black margins of the chest feathers are narrow and interrupted at the tips, whereas in P. c. satscheuensis they are broader and form a continuous border. The female resembles that of P. c. satscheuensis but is slightly darker overall, with more strongly marked chest, flank, and upperpart patterning.
Photographs: Photographs are available from Heihe Wetland National Nature Reserve, Gansu.[284][285][286][287]
Measurements: Male wing length: Sushkin:[281] 240–250 mm; Zheng:[12] n = 1: 220 mm.
Distribution:[281] This subspecies inhabits the oases of the lower Ruo Shui (also known as the Ejin River, Edzin-Gol or Heihe River) in western Inner Mongolia, northern China. The Heihe drainage lies between the Shule River basin, inhabited by P. c. satscheuensis, and the Shiyang River Basin, inhabited by P. c. sohokhotensis, and extends northward to the China–Mongolia border region. Historically, P. c. edzinensis was common in the wetlands surrounding Juyan Lake. However, the lake dried up in 1961 and only began receiving water again after 2005. Pheasants currently occurring in the middle and lower reaches of the Heihe river system are generally assigned to P. c. edzinensis, but it remains unclear whether they represent the original Edzin Gol population, a southward displacement of that population following habitat loss in the Juyan basin, or birds that have historically interacted with neighbouring P. c. satscheuensis. The relationships of P. c. edzinensis with P. c. satscheuensis to the west and with P. c. sohokhotensis and P. c. alaschanicus to the east remain poorly understood.
Habitat:[288][281] The subspecies inhabits river valleys, marshes, oases, and lakeside wetlands. Kozlov described the Edzin Gol valley as supporting riparian woodlands dominated by three principal tree species: desert poplar (Populus euphratica), oleaster (Elaeagnus), and willow (Salix). Along the margins of the valley occurred extensive stands of tamarisk (Tamarix), nitrebush (Nitraria schoberi), box-thorn (Lycium ruthenicum), dogbane (Apocynum pictum), Zygophyllum brachypterum and camel thorn (Alhagi maurorum). Historically, the banks of the Edzin Gol were covered by dense, nearly impenetrable woodland and scrub, much of which was later cleared for pasture.
2.2.7. Phasianus colchicus alaschanicus (Helan Shan grey-rumped pheasant)
Authority and original description: Alferaki, S. N.; Bianchi, V. L. 1908.[289]
Type locality: Western foothills of the Ala-Shans (=Helan Shan).[289]
Protonym and synonyms:[290]
- Phasianus alaschanicus Alferaki, S. N.; Bianchi, V. L. 1908 — protonym
Local names: 雉鸡贺兰山亚种 (Chinese: Helan Shan subspecies of Common Pheasant)
Description:[289][5] This subspecies is paler than P. c. kiangsuensis and typically shows fairly broad white superciliary stripes (although narrower than the diameter of the eye), or at least traces of them, together with a narrow white collar extending around the nape and sides of the neck but remaining open across the anterior third of the neck. In most other respects, it resembles P. c. strauchi. The crown is copper-green. According to the original description, the upper back is golden-yellow with triangular metallic blue or green terminal markings. The scapulars and tertials are dark chestnut-brown to maroon, contrasting sharply with the flame-golden upper back, a feature that led Alferaki, Bianchi, and Buturlin to compare this subspecies with P. c. decollatus. The upperwing-coverts are glaucous-grey, the rump is glaucous-green, and the pale golden-yellow flank feathers bear metallic blue terminal spots. In P. c. satscheuensis, by contrast, the scapulars and tertials are sandy-brown and grade gradually into the golden-yellow colouration of the upper back. The female of P. c. alaschanicus resembles that of P. c. strauchi. The distinction between P. c. alaschanicus and P. c. kiangsuensis remains unclear. According to Riley, P. c. alaschanicus resembles P. c. kiangsuensis from Shanxi, but differs in having the mantle and flanks yellow-ochre to pale-ochre rather than fiery cinnamon-rufous, and in possessing much narrower red margins on the scapulars.[252] In light of the variation documented in P. c. strauchi, the presence or absence of a white collar and superciliary stripes does not appear to constitute a clear-cut subspecific character. Additional material is needed to assess the consistency and taxonomic significance of these traits. Together with P. c. sohokhotensis, P. c. alaschanicus remains one of the least well-known and most poorly documented subspecies.
Photographs: No photographs that can be assigned confidently to this subspecies are currently available.
Measurements: Male wing length: Xing et al.:[291] n = 1: 245 mm.
Distribution:[289] This subspecies has been recorded from desert oases of the Alxa Left Banner region in north-central China, particularly near the western foothills of the Helan Shan in south-central Inner Mongolia and adjacent Ningxia. The taxonomic identity of the pheasants inhabiting the Helan Shan and the oases east of the range, including the Yinchuan Plain, remains uncertain. Likewise, it is unknown whether pheasants occur in the desert oases of Alxa Right Banner (which lies west of Alxa Left Banner, reflecting the traditional Chinese directional convention), and, if present, to which subspecies they belong. The relationships and possible contact zones among P. c. edzinensis, P. c. sohokhotensis, and P. c. alaschanicus across the Alxa region remain inadequately documented. It is conceivable that the pheasant populations inhabiting the Ningwei, Yinchuan, and Houtao plain oases are related to P. c. alaschanicus. The Houtao oasis occupies the great bend of the Yellow River and is bordered by Lang Shan to the north, the Yinchuan Plain Oasis to the south, the Ulan Buh Desert to the southwest, and Baotou to the east. However, available evidence is insufficient to evaluate these potential relationships.
Habitat:[289] This subspecies inhabits oasis habitats embedded within arid and semi-arid desert landscapes.
2.2.8. Phasianus colchicus kiangsuensis (Shansi grey-rumped pheasant)
Authority and original description: Buturlin, S. A. 1904.[292]
Type locality: Eastern China (erroneous). The type specimen was probably brought from Kalgan (Zhangjiakou) and most likely originated in the mountainous areas of northwestern Hebei and northern Shanxi.[292] As Buturlin himself noted, "kiangsuensis" is a misnomer, as this subspecies does not occur in Jiangsu (=Kiangsu).[5]
Protonym and synonyms:[293]
- Phasianus holdereri kiangsuensis Buturlin, S. A. 1904 — protonym
- Phasianus schensinensis Buturlin, S. A. 1905 — junior synonym
- Phasianus gmelini pewzowi Alferaki, S. N.; Bianchi, V. L. 1908 — junior synonym
Local names: 雉鸡内蒙亚种 (Chinese: Inner Mongolia subspecies of Common Pheasant)
Description:[292][5][7][294] This subspecies is more richly coloured than P. c. hagenbecki, P. c. pallasi and P. c. karpowi, with a darker, dark bronze-grey-brown crown and a usually narrower white collar. The collar is highly variable, generally complete but sometimes interrupted on the foreneck. The superciliary stripes are narrow and inconspicuous, often only faintly developed. The upper back and flanks vary from golden-yellow or golden-brown to rich, leathery golden-orange. The margins of the scapulars are darker, deep chestnut-rufous with purplish gloss. The black markings at the flanks are even darker than those of P. c. karpowi. The chest is copper-red to brownish-red; the anchor-shaped black terminal markings on the chest feathers vary from narrow but conspicuous to nearly obsolete. The female has a greyish-brown ground colour and is heavily marked on the upperparts and flanks.
Note: Distinguishing this subspecies from P. c. karpowi and P. c. torquatus, and especially from P. c. alaschanicus, can be difficult. In addition, northern populations of P. c. strauchi intergrade with an as yet unidentified form characterised by white supercilium stripes and a white collar, while the identity of the pheasant populations inhabiting the western Ordos plateau and the Loess plateau east of the Liupan mountains remains uncertain. The situation is further complicated by the apparent introduction of P. c. torquatus into parts of the range of P. c. kiangsuensis, and by the substantial range expansion of P. c. karpowi following agricultural development in formerly arid regions. As a result, populations referable to P. c. karpowi and P. c. kiangsuensis now occur sympatrically over a considerable area. The subspecific identity of populations between Baotou and Bayannur, and southward to Wuhai and Yinchuan, as well as their relationships and possible zones of intergradation, remains to be clarified.
Photographs: Photographs are available from Yungcheng Salt Lake (Shanxi),[295][296][297] from Yangquan City (Shanxi),[298] and from Taiyue Shan National Forest Park (Shanxi).[299]
Measurements: Male wing length: Delacour:[13] 240–255 mm; Zheng:[219] n = 10: 223–242 mm (mean 233.0 mm); Zheng:[12] n = 10: 220–235 mm (mean 226.5 mm); Liu et al.:[218] n = 14: 225–245 mm (mean 234.7 mm).
Distribution:[292][5][300][294] The range includes western Hebei, the mountainous western fringes of Beijing, all of Shanxi, western parts of northern and central Shaanxi, and central Inner Mongolia. In northeastern China, it inhabits the Lüliang and Taihang ranges, extending into the northeastern Ordos desert and adjacent southeastern Inner Mongolia, and westward to the Wuliangsuhai wetlands. To the east, it reaches the mountain ranges north and west of Beijing, where it intergrades with P. c. karpowi. In Hebei, P. c. kiangsuensis populates the Taihang mountains in the west, whereas P. c. karpowi inhabits the Yanshan Mountains in the north. Pheasants occurring in Beijing are generally assigned to P. c. karpowi, while P. c. torquatus occurs in the Hebei plain in southeastern Hebei south of Beijing. In Inner Mongolia, P. c. kiangsuensis is distributed along the Yinshan Mountains and the adjacent piedmont shrublands.[301] In Shaanxi, P. c. kiangsuensis was reported during surveys conducted between 1956 and 1963 from the Loess Plateau, including Tongchuan, Huangling, Luochuan, Ganquan, Yan'an, Nanniwan, Zichang, and Suide, as well as from the Ordos Plateau in Dingbian and Yichuan.[302] However, later studies reported pheasants identified as "P. c. torquatus" from Ningxia[303] and from the foothills of the Liupan Mountains.[304] In the Mu Us Desert region of northern Shaanxi, P. c. kiangsuensis was recorded in the eastern part, around Shenmu, whereas birds identified as "P. c. torquatus" were reported from the western part, around Dingbian.[305] Pheasants identified as "P. c. torquatus" have also been reported from the eastern side of the Guanshan Mountains, a southern branch of the Liupan Range. The taxonomic identity of many of these western populations remains uncertain and requires further study.
Birds on Longdong Loess Plateau and in the Guangzhong Plain: In a 1984 publication, specimens from the Qingyang region (Huachi, Heshui, Ningxian) and the Pingliang region (Zhuanglang, Huating) of the Longdong Loess Plateau, including 10 adult males, were described as follows: "Unlike strauchi, these birds had golden upper backs, dark green lower backs and rumps, and yellowish-brown central rump feathers. The upper breast lacks dark green, appearing pale reddish-copper, similar in colour to the lower breast. The feather margins bear broad anchor-shaped black markings. The flank feathers are pale golden-yellow, with large, "m"-shaped black terminal markings. All males possess a white neck ring, slightly interrupted at the foreneck. They resemble the East China subspecies [P. c. torquatus], but lack a white supercilium. Unlike P. c. kiangsuensis, which occurs in northern Shaanxi, they possess an interrupted neck ring and lack a white supercilium.".[253] However, in a 1992 publication, specimens from Huating, Heshui, and Ningxian collected between 1963 and 1983 were re-discussed, and it was stated that "males show 100% occurrence of white eyebrow stripes and white collars; the collar is interrupted at the front of the neck; the upper back is golden yellow with some chestnut; the breast is pale reddish-copper and lacks dark green; the flanks are golden yellow with large, "m"-shaped black markings at the feather tips".[255] This description directly contradicts the 1984 account regarding the presence of white superciliary stripes. A further study published in 1992 reported that all nine specimens from Huating possessed a white collar and seven showed a white supercilium, whereas among eight specimens from Zhuanglang, seven possessed a white collar and four a white supercilium.[218] The taxonomic identity of these populations therefore remains uncertain. Their characters warrant comparison not only with P. c. torquatus but also with P. c. alaschanicus and P. c. kiangsuensis, all of which may exhibit white superciliary stripes. In the Guangzhong Plain east of the Longdong Plateau, P. c. torquatus may extend westward from eastern China, while P. c. kiangsuensis may extend southward from northern Shaanxi and Shanxi, both potentially interacting with P. c. strauchi. Among the three specimens from Huayin, all possessed a white collar, and two showed white superciliary stripes. In Xi'an, two of six specimens possessed a white collar, and none showed white superciliary stripes; in Zhouzhi, six of fifteen specimens possessed a white collar, and none showed white superciliary stripes.[218]
Birds on Western Ordos Plateau and in the Hetao Plain: The subspecific identity of pheasants occurring east of the Helan Shan and along the Yellow River valley north of Yinchuan remains unclear and may involve multiple taxa, including P. c. kiangsuensis. Birds from the Wuliangsu Lake region appear to represent a heterogeneous assemblage showing characters of P. c. kiangsuensis, P. c. karpowi, and possibly an additional, as yet unidentified form. The unidentified form reportedly possesses white superciliary stripes and a narrow white collar interrupted on the foreneck. Some birds show thin, inconspicuous superciliary stripes; a pale green crown; a pale golden back with black shaft streaks; scapulars broadly edged purplish-chestnut; a copper-orange breast with a metallic sheen and narrowly black-edged feathers; and orange-yellow flanks with large black terminal spots. Additional birds show a well-developed supercilium, a copper-green crown, a brownish-yellow back with black shaft streaks, and a hazel-coloured breast with a purplish sheen and black feather margins.[306] These populations may involve influences from P. c. edzinensis and P. c. alaschanicus, although their precise taxonomic status remains unresolved. Likewise, pheasants occurring south of the Helan Shan, around Zhongwei, appear to belong to an unidentified population that may show affinities to P. c. sohokhotensis or P. c. alaschanicus. The pheasants inhabiting the Liupan mountains of Ningxia (Longde, Xiji, Haiyuan) appear to represent an intergrade population between P. c. strauchi and this unidentified form. In addition, recent observations suggest that P. c. kiangsuensis is entering the Ordos Plateau from the east along transport corridors.
Habitat:[5][300][294] The subspecies occupies a wide range of habitats, including mountain scrub, grasslands at forest edges, reedbeds along rivers and lakes, and hilly areas adjacent to farmland. In Shanxi, the subspecies occurs at elevations of approximately 350 to 2,800 m above sea level.
2.3. Torquatus group (Eastern Grey-rumped Pheasants)
This group is widely distributed across eastern China, extending south to northernmost Vietnam and north to the Strait of Tartary region, with an isolated population in north-western Mongolia. It is notably absent from Hainan. Most pheasants introduced into North America belong to this group. In males, the crown is characterised by bronze rather than copper-green tones, and ranges from dark green without orbital lines, as in P. c. decollatus, to pale bronze-brown or pale bronzy chromium-green framed with white orbital lines in the northern forms. The white neck ring varies from broad and conspicuous in the north-east, as in P. c. pallasi, to absent in the south-west, as in P. c. decollatus. The wing-coverts range from tan to light grey and may appear almost white in some individuals. The mantle and flanks typically exhibit a rather sharp and contrasting transition from straw-yellow, ochre-yellow, or golden yellow to the richer colouration of chest and breast. The lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts are greyish-bluish-olive, with a transverse pattern on the lower back. The chest varies from copper-red to pale brownish-red; in P. c. decollatus it is rich purple-red, and it exhibits broad black feather margins, a feature shared with P. c. hagenbecki. Black apical markings on the flank feathers are restricted to the central portion of the feather tips and never expand into full apical bands across the entire feather width, unlike in the western grey-rumped pheasants. The belly is matt black. The tail feathers are olive, with reddish feather margins and broad dark transverse bands.[40] Females are dark and resemble those of the Caucasian group, although they are somewhat paler. The back bears black spots with reddish and ochre margins, while the streaked patterning of the feather edges is weakly developed. The underparts are light sandy-ochre with faint dark streaking.[40] Average wing length in males is smallest in P. c. decollatus (~235 mm), similar among P. c. karpowi, P. c. torquatus, and P. c. takatsukasae (~239 mm), considerably larger in P. c. pallasi (~247 mm), and largest – by a considerable margin – in P. c. hagenbecki (~261 mm), which is the largest of all subspecies of P. colchicus. The inclusion of P. c. hagenbecki within the Torquatus group has been questioned.[28]
2.3.1. Phasianus colchicus hagenbecki (Kobdo grey-rumped pheasant)
Authority and original description: Rothschild, L. W. 1901.[307]
Type locality: Kobdo Valley, Mongolia.[307]
Protonym and synonyms:[308]
- Phasianus hagenbecki Rothschild, L. W. 1901 — protonym
Local names: Зэрлэг гургуул (Mongolian: Wild Pheasant), 雉鸡科布多亚种 (Chinese: Kobdo subspecies of Common Pheasant), Кобдинский фазан (Russian: Kobdo Pheasant)
Description:[307][14] This subspecies is the largest known subspecies of the Common Pheasant and one of the palest members of the traditionally recognised Torquatus group. It is characterised by a very broad, complete white neck collar, usually wider anteriorly than posteriorly, and attaining its maximum width on the sides of the neck, broad white superciliary stripes, a pale chromium-green or greyish-green crown (sometimes with a bronze tinge), and a generally straw-yellow ground colour to the body plumage. The scapulars are pale rufous buff. The feathers of the lower back and upper rump have a creamy-white ground colour, with two green sub-terminal transverse bands and two smoky-black bars on the concealed central portion of each feather, giving the lower back and rump a distinctly mottled appearance. The wing-coverts are blue-grey. It closely resembles P. c. pallasi, but generally lacks the white patch below the ear-coverts, which is present in only about 10% of individuals. In addition, the black margins of the breast feathers are considerably broader, forming a continuous reticulate pattern, and the neck collar is typically even broader than in P. c. pallasi. Females resemble those of P. c. pallasi but are slightly darker and exhibit more extensive markings on the breast and flanks.
Photographs: Photographs are available from Hovd Province (WWF Mongolia),[309] from Har-Us (Hovd),[310] and from smaller islands on the Khovd River.[311][312][313][314]
Measurements: Male wing length: Rothschild: 260 mm;[307] Delacour:[13] 260–265 mm; Vaurie:[14] n = 4: 250–270 mm (mean 260 mm).
Distribution:[177][307] This subspecies is isolated in the northern Gobi Altai of western Mongolia. Its current distribution extends from Khar-Us Lake (Khar-Us Nuur) along the Kobdo River (Khovd Gol) valley to Achit Lake (Achit Nuur). Historically, its range encompassed much of the Khovd River basin, extending from approximately the mouth of the Sagsay River west of Uujim,[315] through the vicinity of Ölgii southward to the reed beds of Khar-Us Lake and the birch groves of the Zereg depression (Zereg sum). It also occurred in the delta of the Böhmörön River south of Baishint, north of Achit Lake,[315] as well as in the deltas of the Tes and Torkholig (Torgalyk) rivers east and north of Uvs Lake, respectively.[316][317] According to Sushkin, the subspecies was never recorded in the Üüreg Lake basin and was also notably absent from all tributaries of the Khovd River.[315] It has since disappeared from much of its former range. Since the 1990s, the principal population in the Khovd River basin has declined markedly, while the continued presence of pheasants in the lower Böhmörön remains unconfirmed. Only small, fragmented populations are known to persist, including at the foothills of Tsambaragav in Erdeneburen, in Nariin Gol Bag between Khar-Us Lake and Khovd (1,185 m),[318] and on small islands within the Khovd River.[319]
Habitat: The Khovd River basin lies within an arid steppe zone. The subspecies inhabits riparian habitats characterised by sandy soils, willow stands, birch groves, mixed birch-poplar woodland, thickets of Caragana and sea-buckthorn, and extensive reedbeds. It is most commonly associated with dense shrub vegetation on the numerous islands of the Khovd River and with reed and sedge beds along the shore of Achit Lake.[177][316] In the Böhmörön delta, Sushkin reported pheasants inhabiting dense thickets composed of low yellow birch (Betula microphylla), tall willows, and sea-buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides), interspersed with meadow openings dominated by tall grasses. These habitats were locally marshy and hummocky, with patches of saltmarsh and bare sand, and were dissected by numerous channels of the Böhmörön River.[315] Pheasants occupied the densest portions of these thickets and were frequently encountered in areas inhabited by wild boar.[315] The subspecies generally occurs at elevations between 900 and 1,500 m but may ascend to approximately 1,700 m.[315]
2.3.2. Phasianus colchicus pallasi (Pallas's Grey-rumped pheasant)
Authority and original description: Rothschild, L. W. 1903.[320]
Type locality: Restricted type locality, lower Sidemi (= Narva) River.[320]
Protonym and synonyms:[321]
- Phasianus torquatus pallasi Rothschild, L. W. 1903 — protonym
- Phasianus torquatus mongolicus Rothschild, L. W. 1901 — junior synonym
- Phasianus alpherakyi Buturlin, S. A. 1904 — junior synonym
- Phasianus alpherakyi ussuriensis Buturlin, S. A. 1904 — junior synonym
Note: Pallas (1831) provided the earliest account of a pheasant form corresponding to a population later treated as P. c. pallasi, referring to it descriptively as "varietas mongolica", but without formally establishing a subspecific name.[322] In 1844, Brandt subsequently established P. mongolicus for the Kyrgyz pheasant. Because Pallas had earlier used the epithet mongolicus in a descriptive sense, Rothschild (1901) initially considered the name preoccupied and proposed P. brandti for Brandt's taxon, providing a description of Pallas' birds as P. torquatus mongolicus.[307] He later (1903) concluded that Pallas had not validly established a competing name, rendering brandti a junior synonym of mongolicus, and introduced P. torquatus pallasi for Pallas' form. Ironically, the name mongolicus is now applied to a form that does not occur in Mongolia, whereas pallasi does occur there.
Local names: Маньчжурский фазан (Russian: Manchurian Pheasant), Уссурийский фазан (Russian: Ussuri Pheasant), 雉鸡东北亚种 (Chinese: Northeast subspecies of Common Pheasant), 북꿩 (Korean: Northern Pheasant), 만주꿩 (Korean: Manchurian Pheasant)
Description:[277][323][324][11] The plumage is dominated by yellow and copper-brown tones. The crown is pale bronze-brown with a sandy-yellow or rusty-fawn tinge and a faint greenish gloss. It lacks the rich, dark base of P. c. karpowi and has a matte, unvarnished appearance. It is bordered by broad white superciliary stripes tinged with brownish-buff, which nearly meet across the forehead. In most males, a small white patch is present below the ear-coverts. The white neck collar is very broad and complete. For birds from North Korea that Mori considered pure P. c. pallasi, the collar measured 2.3-4.0 cm (mean 2.9 cm) in width anteriorly and 0.9-2.0 cm (mean 1.3 cm) posteriorly.[323] The mantle and flanks are pale straw-yellow. The scapulars bear large white or greyish-white central patches narrowly bordered black, and broad light cinnamon-chestnut outer margins. The wing-coverts are bluish-grey, ash-grey, or sandy-grey. The secondaries have broad, unmarked margins with the marbled pattern largely confined to the feather centres. The chest is pale brownish-red with a faint metallic purple gloss. Black feather margins are weakly developed, often restricted to the sides of the feathers and sometimes nearly absent. The rump appears greenish in the median portion and lavender-blue to pale grey on the sides.[277] The feathers on the lower flanks and vent are ochre-yellow. Compared with P. c. hagenbecki, P. c. pallasi is darker, with a browner crown and more golden-yellow body plumage. The white patch below the ear-coverts is considerably more frequent, being absent in only about 18% of individuals, and the black margins of the breast feathers are much less pronounced.[14] P. c. pallasi differs from P. c. karpowi and P. c. torquatus in its broader superciliary stripes, broader and more complete white collar, generally paler and less glossy plumage, usually smaller black markings on the flanks, and a longer and paler tail on average. Females resemble those of P. c. karpowi but are lighter overall. The head, neck, and upper chest are buff with a reddish tinge, the throat is whiter, while the central portions of the mantle and scapular markings are more strongly suffused with rufous. Like P. c. karpowi, the females have dark brown or dark hazel irises.
Photographs: Photographs are available, for example, from Olginsky District, Primorsky Krai (Russia),[325] from Konstantinovsky District, Amur Region (Russia),[326][327] and from Heilongjiang (China): Harbin City,[328][329][330] and Jiamusi City.[331][332][333][334]
Measurements: Male wing length: Mori (North Korea):[323] n=5: 226–249 mm (mean 231 mm); Taka-Tsukasa (North Korea):[324] 226–248 mm; Dementyev:[11] n = 16: 245–260 mm (mean 246.2 mm); n = 11: 247–278 mm (mean 259.5 mm); Delacour:[13] 248–270 mm; Vaurie:[14] n = 10: 239–253 mm (mean 247 mm); Zheng:[12] n = 5: 235–245 mm; Liu et al.:[218] n = 7: 226–245 mm (mean 241.2 mm); Ma et al.:[335] n = 42: 228–247 mm (mean 233.6 mm).
Distribution:[10][336][11] P. c. pallasi occupies southeastern Siberia (Ussuriland and southern Amurland), northeastern China, extreme eastern Mongolia, and the mountainous regions of northern and eastern North Korea, reaching southward into northeastern South Korea within a broad zone of intergradation with P. c. karpowi. Its range extends across the east and south slopes of the Greater and Lesser Khingan Mountains and adjacent lowlands. The core range comprises Heilongjiang, northern Jilin, the Amur basin, the Ussuri region, and the Kaema Plateau and northeastern Mountains of North Korea. Southward, towards the Korean Peninsula, it intergrades extensively with P. c. karpowi. In the Tieling region, both karpowi- and pallasi-like phenotypes occur at comparable frequencies, and intergrades have been recorded as far south as 37° N on the Korean Peninsula (see under P. c karpowi).[323][337][338] In Russia, the subspecies is distributed throughout the Ussuri basin and the South Ussuri region. It reaches the lower Ussuri River and occurs locally near its confluence with the Amur, but apparently does not extend north of Vladimir Bay along the Sea of Japan coast. Expansion northward and northeastward has been facilitated by forest clearance and the secondary growth of shrubby habitats. Along the Amur, the range extends to Chernyaevo and Yekaterino-Nikolskoye, formerly reaching as far as Blagoveshchensk. Near Kumara, pheasants also occur away from the river valleys and reach approximately 52°30' N in the Selemdzha valley. The largest Russian population occurs in the Zeya-Bureya depression. Pallas also recorded the subspecies along the Argun River and in the vicinity of Abagaytuy.[336] It occurs in the Sungari basin, limited here by the Greater Khingan. In Primorye, P. c. pallasi is primarily associated with the western low-mountain region, extending into the foothills and middle sections of the major river valleys, but is absent from the continuous forested massif of the Sikhote-Alin. It breeds on the Borisovskoye (Shufanskoye) basalt plateau in southwestern Primorye, in the lower Bikin river basin as far upstream as Verkhniy Pereval, and in the upper reaches of the Bolshaya Ussurka (Iman) River basin. The subspecies occurs throughout much of the middle and lower Ussuri valley, on the Khanka-Razdolnoye Plain, and in the extreme southwest of Primorye. Along the Sea of Japan coast, it inhabits the developed river valleys north to the lower Serebryanka (Sankhobe) River near Terney, with more irregular occurrence in the lower Kema, Amgu (Amagu), and Samarga river basins. It also breeds on several islands in Peter the Great Bay, including Russky, Popov, Reineke, and Putyatin islands, as well as on Askold Island, where it was introduced in 1875, and on Furugelm Island.[339][336] Yamashina (1939) referred specimens from Hulunbuir, Heihe, Qiqihar, Harbin, Mudanjiang, Ning'an, Jilin, Shenyang (Mukden), Anshan, and Linxi to P. c. pallasi (including the synonymic form "alpherakyi").[338] The subspecies was also recorded along the Chinese–North Korean border on the Yalu River near Chunggang, along the Tumen River southwest of Musan, in Hoeryong, and in Namyang, in the Hunchun River valley, and on the North Korean coast in Chongjin, Myongchon, Kimchaek, Hamhung, and Wonsan.[323] In the Myohyang Mountain Range and on the Kaema Plateau of North Korea, Mori observed only subspecies P. c. pallasi.[323] On the Korean Peninsula, the southern limit of the range lies within a broad zone of intergradation with P. c. karpowi, extending south to approximately Kaesong. Mori recorded pallasi-type birds east of the Taebaek Mountains at Hamhung, Wonsan, and Uljin, and west of the Taebaek Mountains at Nyongbyon, Namch'on, Pocheon, and Yangju.[323] The subspecies also breeds in extreme eastern Mongolia, where it occurs in the valleys of the Nömrög and Degee rivers within Numrug National Park,[316] throughout the Khalkh River valley and its tributaries from the foothills of the Greater Khingan to the delta, and in the Avdrant region along the Chinese border at approximately 118°E.[317]
Habitat:[11][339][336] The subspecies primarily inhabits floodplain forests and wetlands associated with broad river valleys and lakeshores. Typical habitats include poplar and willow woodlands with dense undergrowth, tall grasses, and shrubby thickets, as well as oak forests with a well-developed shrub layer. In Primorye, breeding birds occupy a wide range of open and semi-open habitats, including agricultural margins, lightly wooded landscapes, oak woodlands on hillsides, and dry ridges surrounded by extensive marshes and wet meadows. Outside the breeding season, pheasants concentrate in agricultural areas, particularly rice, soybean, and maize fields, as well as in vegetable gardens. P. c. pallasi is partial migratory. Northern and northwestern populations move southward from Russia into Manchuria during winter, whereas reverse movements into Russia have occasionally been recorded in late summer and autumn, possibly in response to seasonal food shortages in northeastern China. Mori similarly hypothesised that Korean populations of P. c. pallasi descended southward from northern highlands during winter and generally occupied more mountainous habitats than P. c. karpowi in areas of overlap.[323] Such seasonal movements may have contributed to the development and maintenance of the broad zone of intergradation between P. c. pallasi and P. c. karpowi.
2.3.3. Phasianus colchicus karpowi (Korean grey-rumped pheasant)
Authority and original description: Buturlin, S. A. 1904.[340]
Type locality: Te-lin, southern Manchuria.[340]
Protonym and synonyms:[341]
- Phasianus karpowi Buturlin, S. A. 1904 — protonym
- Phasianus karpowi buturlini Clark, A. H. 1907 — junior synonym
- Phasianus torquatus quelpartis Momiyama, T. 1926 — junior synonym
Local names: 雉鸡河北亚种 (Chinese: Hebei subspecies of Common Pheasant), 한국꿩 (Korean: Korean Pheasant), Корейский фазан (Russian: Korean Pheasant)
.jpg)
Description:[4][5][342][323][324] The crown is oily bronze-brown to brownish-olive, with a yellowish or ochre wash. Due to the pale ochre-bronze tipping over the dark base, it may appear lighter than in P. c. torquatus.[13] The white superciliary stripes are usually well developed and are often tinged with dark rusty-red or maroon-red along their upper margins. A white spot below the ear-coverts is absent. Although La Touche[343] reported white ear-spots to be common in pheasants sold during winter at the Chinwangtao (Qinhuangdao) market, Hartert[8] noted that many birds offered there originated from the Harbin region and were therefore referable to P. c. pallasi. The white neck collar is broad anteriorly and narrower posteriorly, often showing a distinct lateral constriction that produces a characteristic "kink" where the collar reaches its greatest width along the sides of the neck. This collar pattern resembles that of P. c. pallasi, although the collar is generally lower and narrower. The upper back, sides of breast, flanks, and sides of belly are golden-brown to ochraceous-orange. Feathers of the upper back bear dark green shaft wedges and margins. Those of the upper breast are edged dark green, while the lower sides of the breast and the flanks possess large dark-green spots. The scapulars are broadly edged, dull chocolate-red to purplish-carmine, and exhibit white spots interspersed with black speckles. The wing-coverts are mostly bluish-grey. The rump is olive-green to brownish-olive, whereas in P. c. pallasi it tends to be more greenish lavender-blue; the upper rump exhibits buff and dark bluish-green markings. The upper tail-coverts are greyish-green, on the sides tinged with dark orange. The tail is olive, crossed by black bars and suffused greyish-maroon along the sides. The breast is fiery copper-red, narrowly margined dark blue and sometimes bearing only a small apical spot. Compared with P. c. pallasi, the male is typically darker and more richly coloured and possesses a narrower white neck collar. In Korean specimens from south of the Taebaek Mountains, which Mori regarded as representative of P. c. karpowi, the collar measured 1.2-2.0 cm (mean 1.5 cm) anteriorly and 0.4-0.6 cm (mean 0.5 cm) posteriorly.[323] In plumage colouration, P. c. karpowi is intermediate between P. c. pallasi and P. c. kiangsuensis. It closely resembles P. c. torquatus but differs in its richer colouration, particularly on the back and flanks, which are golden-brown rather than pale buff, and in its broader white superciliary stripes and neck collar, especially at the foreneck. The female has very dark brown upperparts marked with black and buff and showing metallic purplish gloss. The underparts are buff-ochre, the flanks light brown with large black V-shaped markings and broad buff margins. The iris of the female is dark brown or dark hazel, like that of P. c. pallasi,[324] but unlike the yellowish iris of P. c. kiangsuensis females.
Photographs: Photographs are, for example, available from Chifeng (Inner Mongolia, China),[344][345][346][347][348] Jilin (Jilin, China),[349] Anshan (Liaoning, China),[350] Baishi Reservoir Wetland, Chaoyang (Liaoning, China),[351] Lüshunkou District, Dalian (Liaoning, China),[352][353] Dongsong-eup, Cheorwon-gun (Gangwon-do, South Korea),[354] Wadong-dong, Paju-si (Gyeonggi-do, South Korea),[355] and Seopae-dong, Paju-si, (Gyeonggi-do, South Korea).[356]
Measurements: Male wing length: Kuroda (Tsushima islands):[342] n=10: 226–243 mm; Mori (southern South Korea):[323] n=7: 227–239 mm (mean 234.2 mm); Taka-Tsukasa:[324] 232–257 mm; Delacour, Zheng:[13][219] 240–260 mm; Zheng:[12] n = 10: 217–235 mm (mean 228.5 mm); Huang:[357] n = 5: 235–245 mm; Liu et al.:[218] n = 8: 223–240 mm (mean 235.3 mm); Zheng:[269] n = 7: 236–250 mm.
Distribution:[4][8] This subspecies occurs in northeastern China, including extreme southern Heilongjiang, Jilin, northern Liaoning, eastern Inner Mongolia, and northern Hebei, as well as throughout much of the Korean Peninsula, predominating south of the principal zone of intergradation with P. c. pallasi. It is also present on Jeju Island and Tsushima Island.[342] Introduced populations occur in Japan[358] and Taiwan.[359] In northern Hebei, P. c. karpowi is distributed in the Yanshan Mountains, including the regions of Chengde, Tangshan, and Qinhuangdao.[300] It occurs throughout Beijing and Tianjin. In eastern Inner Mongolia, it inhabits the Hanshan Mountains (a spur of the Greater Khingan Mountains) in Chifeng and the Qilaotu Mountains, an eastern extension of the Yanshan range.[301] In Liaoning, it is widespread and apparently absent only from the estuaries of the Yingna and Diyin rivers in the Dalian region.[357][360] In northeastern China, the subspecies occurs from the upper Sungari (Songhua) basin south to Liaoyang, and extends westward into the middle and lower Liao River valleys. It has occasionally been recorded in the southernmost part of the Russian Ussuri Region. In addition, birds referable to P. c. karpowi have been recorded in Shandong Province, where the subspecies co-occurs with P. c. torquatus, from Binzhou (Donghai, Beihai, and Pucheng Reservoirs), Dizhou (Huadian in Qihe County), Dongying (Hekou District), Jinan Airport, Qingdao (Lingshan Island), Donggang District of Rizhao (Shijiusuo, Dashan Island, Pingshan Island), Yantai, and Zibo. It occurs as a passage migrant in the Yellow River Delta and on Chaolian Island, as a summer visitor on the Cheniushan Island, and as both a summer visitor and passage migrant in the eastern suburbs of Jining (Rencheng District).[361] Some Shandong populations may be derived from historical introductions originating from the Liaodong Peninsula. P. c. karpowi intergrades extensively with P. c. pallasi on the Korean Peninsula and in northeastern China. The principle zone of intergradation extends approximately from 37° N to 40° N in Korea. Mori considered this zone to reflect the southward spread of P. c. pallasi along the Taebaek Mountain system and its subsidiary ranges. Intermediate birds were observed at Uljin, Chungju, Yangju, Cheorwon, Kombullang, Wonsan, Hamhung, and Sinuiju,[323] and the zone continues northward through Jilin into southern Heilongjiang. After correcting for the approximately 18% of pure P. c. pallasi males that lack a white ear spot, Morikawa's 1925 data indicate that the proportion of birds showing karpowi phenotype increased southward:[337] approximately 12-25% around Jilin and Changchun, about 30% near Siping, and roughly 45-60% in the Tieling, Shenyang, and Liaodong peninsula regions. By contrast, only about 20% of males in the Dandong region, on the border between China and North Korea, exhibited the karpowi phenotype, whereas approximately 80% did so in North Pyongan, northwestern North Korea. Morikawa further suggested that many apparently pure P. c. karpowi in Dalian on the southern Liaodong Peninsula originated from birds introduced from Incheon. These birds may subsequently have spread northward towards Tieling and Jilin, interbreeding with P. c. pallasi. P. c. karpowi also intergrades with P. c. kiangsuensis in the mountains north and west of Beijing, and with P. c. torquatus south of Beijing and Tianjin, and in Shandong. In recent decades, birds showing the karpowi phenotype have additionally been reported from the northwestern bend of the Yellow River, including Bayannur and Wuhai. The subspecies composition on the Ordos Plateau and adjacent Yellow River basin remains poorly understood.
Habitat:[9] P. c. karpowi primarily inhabits hilly and low-mountain landscapes, typically between 150 and 600 m elevation, where slopes are covered with shrub vegetation, including coniferous thickets and deciduous scrub. In South Korea, near Ulsan, pheasants were found in landscapes consisting of terraced rice fields interspersed with hills 15–150 m high and separated by narrow valleys. During winter, birds were consistently associated with hillsides covered by dense shrub vegetation, particularly low coniferous thickets 60–120 cm in height. Farther north, between Tumen and Yalu rivers, the subspecies occupies sparsely wooded hills 150–600 m high dominated by oak and birch, as well as cultivated valleys and adjacent slopes. In Jilin, it inhabits a wide variety of habitats below 1,400 m, including broad-leaved forest, secondary woodland, plantations, farmland, shrublands, grassland, and wasteland, showing a particular preference for hilly areas dominated by secondary oak forest.[362] In the Beijing region, pheasants breed in higher mountain areas during summer and descend to foothills or plains in autumn. Near Baihuashan Forest Farm, breeding birds move to mountain slopes above 1,200 m during the breeding season.[363] In Liaoning, the subspecies is most frequently encountered in mountainous and hilly grasslands, shrublands, valley meadows, forest-edge grasslands, and reed marshes. Throughout northeastern China, seasonal elevational movements are common: birds occupy higher elevations during summer and shift to foothill shrublands, cultivated areas, reed marshes, and hilly shrub in autumn. Following snowfall, they retreat into dense grassland and shrub cover within more secluded open woodland, later returning to more open habitats.[357]
2.3.4. Phasianus colchicus torquatus (Eastern Chinese grey-rumped pheasant)
Authority and original description: Gmelin, J. F. 1789.[364]
Type locality: China, ex Latham. Restricted type locality, southeastern China.[364]
Protonym and synonyms:[365]
- Phasianus torquatus Gmelin, J. F. 1789 — protonym
- Phasianus holdereri gmelini Buturlin, S. A. 1904 — junior synonym
Local names: 雉鸡华东亚种 (Chinese: East China subspecies of Common Pheasant)
Description:[8][9] The crown of the male is glossy olive-green to greyish bronze-green, while the nape is dark glossy green (in contrast, the crown and occiput of the more northern P. c. karpowi are distinctly bronze-brown with warm ochre undertones). The superciliary stripes are creamy white and usually fairly broad, extending from the forehead to the base of the metallic green-blue ear tufts, although they may be reduced or absent in some individuals. A white neck collar is always present, although its degree of completeness varies. The collar is only exceptionally interrupted behind the neck,[8] whereas in front, above the crop, it is interrupted in approximately half of males and markedly constricted in the remainder.[14] The collar is considerably narrower than in P. c. karpowi but broader and more distinct than in P. c. kiangsuensis. The mantle feathers are broadly edged in brownish-yellow to golden-yellow. These margins are edged bluish-black and separated from the whitish to brownish-white feather centres by a black band; each feather also bears a bluish-black terminal shaft mark. The scapulars are broadly bordered reddish-brown, with a glossy purplish-red outer margin separated from the central feather surface by a narrow violet line. The rump and upper tail-coverts are pale bluish-grey, sometimes darker, often showing a violet sheen in certain light conditions. The central lower back is greenish, the feathers being edged greenish-grey and marked with pale yellow-brown centres, black spotting and vermiculations. The posterior upper tail-coverts are yellowish-green and bear a large bright rusty-yellow patch on either side. The crop and upper chest feathers are broadly bordered, fiery red-brown, becoming more golden red-brown on the sides, with a purplish gloss. Individual feathers are very narrowly margined in black and bear an elongated triangular shaft mark near the tip. The flanks are straw yellow, each feather terminating in a rounded blue-black spot but lacking distinct terminal margins. The centre of the underparts is black with greenish steel-blue edging. The central tail feathers bear relatively broad black transverse bands that grade into chestnut towards the outer margins of the feathers. These bands are less broad than those reported for P. c. formosanus and P. c. decollatus. During the breeding season, abrasion of the black margins of the mantle feathers and, particularly, of the pale blue and greenish margins of the rump and lower back feathers exposes the feather centres and causes the brownish-yellow colouration to fade, substantially altering the appearance of the upperparts.[8] The subspecies exhibits a north-south cline. Towards the south, the neck collar becomes progressively narrower and increasingly incomplete, while darker yellow tones on the mantle and flanks become more frequent. Females have a pale greyish-fawn ground colour. The chin, cheeks, and upper throat are whitish to whitish-tawny. The upper back feathers are reddish at the base, becoming black distally and edged with pinkish fringes.
Photographs: Photographs are, e.g., available from Songfancun (Panxin Town, Luoshan County Xinyang, Henan),[366] from Majia River Wetland, Nanle County (Puyang City, Henan),[367][368] from Gongqing Forest Park in Shanghai (darker morph),[369] from Jiujiang (Jiangxi),[370] from Shenzhen (Guangdong),[371] and from Nanling National Nature Reserve (Guangdong).[372][373][374][375]
Measurements: Male wing length: Ogilvie-Grant:[2] 234 mm; Hartert, Dementyev, Vaurie:[8][11][14] n = 10: 240–254 mm (mean 246 mm); Delacour:[13] 240–255 mm; Wu:[214] n = 32: 223–241 mm (mean 230.5 mm); Liu et al.:[218] n = 21: 222–247 mm (mean 235.7 mm).
Distribution: P. c. torquatus is distributed throughout much of eastern and southeastern China, extending from the lower Yellow River basin in Shandong and Henan south to the China–Vietnam border region. Its range includes Hebei, Shandong, Henan, Shaanxi, Ningxia, Anhui, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan, Hubei, Guizhou, Fujian, Guangdong, and Guangxi. In Hebei, the subspecies is confined to the southeastern lowlands. In Hunan, it is restricted to areas south of the Wuling mountains.[376] In Guizhou, it has been recorded from Xingyi, Wangmo, Ceheng, Rongjiang, Huishui, Pingtang, Luodian, and Congjiang counties.[214] In Guangdong, it is distributed in the northern mountainous regions, including Lechang, Yangshan, Lianshan, Yingde, Qingyuan, Huaiji, and Lianxian counties.[377] The subspecies intergrades extensively with neighbouring forms. Hybridisation with P. c. karpowi and P. c. kiangsuensis occurs north of the Yellow River; with P. c. strauchi in the Guanzhong Plain; with P. c. decollatus near the rapids of Yichang,[250] in western-central Hunan,[376] and across a broad zone east and south of the Red Basin of Sichuan, including the Huishui–Pingtang region of Guizhou;[214] with P. c. takatsukasae in Guangxi and southern Guangdong; and with P. c. elegans in the Xingyi region of Guizhou.[214] Intergradation with P. c. rothschildi may also occur along the southeastern margins of the Yungui Plateau. The taxonomic identity of pheasant populations inhabiting the Loess Plateau north of the Guanzhong Plain and the region east of the Helan Shan remains uncertain, although these birds are phenotypically closest to P. c. torquatus.
Habitat: The subspecies occupies three principal habitat types: extensive riverine reedbeds, often forming dense stands up to 5 m tall; low, 30–60 m high rolling hills, covered with scrub oak, chestnut, and pine, or dense grass undergrowth; and cultivated lowlands dominated by rice, wheat, or millet.[9] In Zhejiang, P. c. torquatus is widespread in mountains and hilly terrain, where it inhabits shrubland, bamboo forest, grassland, forest-edge habitats, tea plantations, mixed woodland, and coniferous forest, often in close association with agricultural land.[378] In Guizhou, the subspecies occurs between approximately 250 and 2,100 m elevation. In Guangdong, it inhabits shrubby slopes in low hills and mountains, showing a preference for dense thickets and grassy slopes adjacent to cultivated areas.[377]
2.3.5. Phasianus colchicus takatsukasae (Tonkinese grey-rumped pheasant)
Authority and original description: Delacour, J. T. 1927.[379]
Type locality: Langson, Tonkin (Vietnam).[379]
Protonym and synonyms:[380]
- Phasianus colchicus takatsukasae Delacour, J. T. 1927 — protonym
Local names: 雉鸡广西亚种 (Chinese: Guangxi subspecies of Common Pheasant), Trĩ đỏ khoang cổ (Vietnamese: Ring-necked Red Pheasant)
Description:[379][236] P. c. takatsukasae represents a dark southern derivative of P. c. torquatus, characterised by a greatly reduced supercilium and neck collar. The male closely resembles P. c. torquatus but is generally darker and more richly coloured throughout. The flanks and upper back are a deeper yellow-golden, the breast is dark-red, and the chestnut areas of the scapulars and greater wing-coverts are darker and more maroon in tone. The lower back is darker and browner, while the purplish margins of the tail feathers are more strongly developed. The whitish superciliary stripes are greatly reduced and often vestigial. The white neck collar is incomplete both anteriorly and posteriorly. Feathers of the upper back are bordered tawny-brown and terminate in black tips. The chest feathers are reddish-brown, each bearing a narrow black shaft streak and a distinctly bilobed tip. The scapulars possess broad reddish-brown margins. The lower back and rump are greenish-brown with irregular transverse black and pale-brown barring. The tail is yellowish-green, crossed by black transverse bands bordered in purplish-brown. The margins of the central rectrices and the outer edges of the remaining tail feathers are purplish-brown with a bluish sheen. The belly is dark brown with a reddish wash, most pronounced on the upper abdomen. The flanks are bright orange-yellow, each feather marked distally by a triangular black streak. The female resembles that of P. c. torquatus but is darker overall and exhibits fewer, larger markings. The chin and throat are greyish-yellow with dark-brown streaking. Notably, the female iris is reported to be brown, which is unusual among the southeastern Chinese subspecies.
Photographs: No photograph that can be confidently assigned to this subspecies is currently available online.
Measurements: Male wing length: Vo, Delacour:[236][13] 225–245 mm.
Distribution:[379][236] P. c. takatsukasae has been reported from southeastern China, including the low and middle mountain ranges of the region around Beihai City, southwestern Guangxi, and extreme southeastern Yunnan, as well as from northeastern Vietnam (eastern Tonking), including Lang Son, Cao Bằng, and Quảng Ninh provinces.[236] The subspecies has been reported to intergrade with P. c. torquatus in Guangxi and southern Guangdong. Birds from Lạng Sơn in eastern Tonkin are considered typical takatsukasae, whereas those from Ngan Son in northeastern Tonkin have been referred to P. c. torquatus. The precise distribution of P. c. takatsukasae remains poorly understood. Its current status in Vietnam is uncertain, and it is unclear whether viable populations persist there. Delimitation of the taxon in southern China is further complicated by the incomplete understanding of geographic variation within P. c. torquatus itself. Consequently, the extent and nature of intergradation between these forms remain unresolved. The taxonomic status of P. c. takatsukasae also requires further study in relation to P. c. rothschildi, which occurs farther west within the same general region. More broadly, the relationships among the widespread subspecies P. c. elegans, P. c. decollatus, and P. c. torquatus and the more localised forms P. c. rothschildi and P. c. takatsukasae remain insufficiently understood, particularly about possible zones of hybridisation.
Habitat: This subspecies inhabits hilly and mountainous terrain and is typically encountered on grassy slopes at elevations of approximately 800 m above sea level. It also occurs in woodland habitats, including groves and pine forests.[236]
2.3.6. Phasianus colchicus decollatus (Kweichow grey-rumped pheasant)
Authority and original description: Swinhoe, R. 1870.[381]
Type locality: Type from the market at Chunkingfu, Szechuan (Sichuan, China).[381]
Protonym and synonyms:[382]
- Phasianus decollatus Swinhoe, R. 1870 — protonym
- Phasianus colchicus hemptinnii La Touche, JDD 1919 — junior synonym
Local names: 雉鸡贵州亚种 (Chinese: Guizhou subspecies of Common Pheasant)
Description:[381][2][9][14] The male resembles P. c. torquatus, but is more richly coloured overall and typically lacks a white neck collar.[2][9] Occasionally, individuals show traces of a collar in the form of white spots or bands on the nape feathers, particularly in populations approaching the range of P. c. torquatus.[2][14] According to Hartert, indications of a white collar are not rare; some birds may even show a distinct narrow collar, typically interrupted both anteriorly and posteriorly, and only exceptionally anteriorly alone.[7][8] Superciliary stripes are always absent.[7] The crown is dark glossy green rather than pale bronze-green. The upper back is pale golden, the feathers marked with thick black shaft wedges that may show a narrow yellowish median streak,[381] while the chestnut scapulars contrast strongly with the lighter plumage of the upper back. The chest is richly coppery-red, with very broad black feather margins that typically exhibit a dark green rather than purplish gloss.[9] The greenish neck plumage terminates abruptly at the upper breast, forming a sharp line of demarcation with the coppery breast, in contrast to the more gradual transition seen in P. c. strauchi and allied forms.[220] The flanks are pale brownish yellow, with the feathers narrowly tipped black, the black apical markings being much less extensive than in P. c. strauchi. The lower back, rump, upper tail-coverts, and dorsal surface of the tail resemble those of P. c. suehschanensis rather than P. c. strauchi in both colouration and pattern. The tail shows relatively broad black transverse bars compared with P. c. torquatus, approaching the condition seen in P. c. formosanus.[381] Females resemble those of P. c. kiangsuensis and P. c. strauchi, but differ from the latter in having larger and more conspicuous black markings on the scapulars, wing-coverts, and lower back.[2][9] In the northern part of the range, males tend to be darker with broader wedge-shaped apical spots and somewhat paler scapulars (form "berezowskyi"; see under P. c. strauchi).[5] Hybrids with P. c. torquatus typically possess dull yellowish to rusty-golden upper back and flanks with black markings, a purplish breast, lack white superciliary stripes, and may occasionally show a partially or completely developed white neck collar.[220] In areas of contact with P. c. elegans, hybrids typically combine the rich copper-red chest of P. c. decollatus with a maroon to brownish-maroon back with fine black lines and golden-brown to chestnut-brown flanks resembling those of P. c. elegans. The flank markings may resemble either parental form.[229] Hybrids with P. c. rothschildi similarly retain the characteristic copper-red breast of P. c. decollatus, whereas the upper back and flanks are more similar to those of P. c. rothschildi and the black flank markings again may resemble either parental form.[229]
Photographs: Photographs are, e.g., available from Sichuan,[383] from Deyang (Sichuan),[384][385][386][387] from Chengdu (Sichuan),[388] from Qinglong Lake (Chengdu, Sichuan),[389][390] and from Longtou Temple Park (Chongqing, Yubei District).[391][392][393]
Measurements: Male wing length: Swinhoe:[381] 235 mm; Ogilvie-Grant:[2] 234 mm; Delacour:[13] 227–235 mm; Zheng, Liu et al.:[12][218] n = 3: 230–242 mm (mean 237.3 mm); Wu:[214] n = 36: 228–247 mm (mean 235.6 mm).
Distribution:[2][9][14] P. c. decollatus occurs in central China, including eastern Sichuan, Chongqing, southwestern Hubei, northwestern Hunan, northeastern Yunnan, and northern and central Guizhou. Its distribution is centred on the Red Basin of Sichuan and adjacent hill country, extending southeastward into the Wu River drainage. A possibly isolated population also occurs in the Hanzhong Basin of southern Shaanxi. In Sichuan, the subspecies has been recorded from Pidu, Emeishan, Cuiping, Xuzhou, Ya'an, Tianquan, Baoxing, and Huaying; in Chongqing, from Wanzhou, Wushan, and Xiushan.[230] In Hunan, it is confined to the Wuling mountain region of the northwest, including Longshan, Yuanling, Zhongfang, and Zhangjiajie.[376] In Guizhou, it occurs in Chishui, Xishui, Zunyi, Suiyang, Jiangkou, Guiyang City, Qingzhen, Huishui, Guiding, and Leishan. In the Xingyi region it transitions to P. c. elegans, whereas in the Huishui– Pingtang area it grades into P. c. torquatus.[214] In Yunnan, it is known from the lower mountain regions of northeastern Yunnan, including Daguan, Yiliang, and Zhenxiong counties in the eastern Zhaotong region.[217] The subspecies intergrades with neighbouring forms. Hybridisation with P. c. torquatus occurs near the Yichang (Ichang) Gorges in Hubei and between the Wuling Mountains and the Xuefeng Mountains in Hunan; more generally, contact with P. c. torquatus occurs along the northeastern and southeastern margins of its range.[220] In Guizhou, the Huishui–Pingtang region forms a transition zone with P. c. torquatus.[214] Hybrids with P. c. elegans have been reported from Yongshan County in eastern Yunnan;[229] furthermore, a transition zone between the two forms occurs in the Xingyi region of Guizhou.[214] Hybrids with P. c. rothschildi occur in Yiliang County in the eastern Zhaotong region.[229] In the mountains along the northern and northwestern margins of its range, P. c. decollatus also intergrades with P. c. strauchi and P. c. suehschanensis (including the form "berezowskyi", see under P. c. strauchi). Hybrids with the former occur in the Fujiang river valley, whereas hybrids with the latter occur in the Minjiang river valley.[2][220] The population of the Hanzhong Basin in southern Shaanxi appears to represent an isolated northern outlier and occurs in contact with P. c. strauchi, which occupies the surrounding higher mountains.
Habitat: Within the Sichuan basin, P. c. decollatus inhabits low hilly terrain bordering rivers, generally occurring below 900 m elevation, although it may ascend to approximately 1,200 m south of Chongqing.[220] In Guizhou it occurs between 350 and 1,560 m,[214] and in Hunan between 800 and 1,500 m.[376] Where it occurs alongside P. c. torquatus (for example, near the Yichang Gorges), P. c. decollatus generally occupies higher elevations, typically above 800 m. In contrast, where it occurs alongside P. c. strauchi, P. c. suehschanensis, or P. c. elegans, it tends to occupy the lower elevations. In the hybrid zones with P. c. strauchi and P. c. suehschanensis, hybrids have been recorded at considerably higher elevations, between approximately 1,200 and 2,700 m.[2][220] In central and southwestern Baoxing, P. c. decollatus has been reported at elevations of 1,500–2,200 m, whereas P. c. suehschanensis, which is restricted to northern Baoxing, occupies considerably higher elevations during summer.[247] The subspecies characteristically inhabits shrub-covered hillsides, open woodland bordering cultivated land, and grassy slopes on mountain spurs. It generally avoids forested areas and shows a preference for bushy fields and scrub habitats.[2][220]
2.4. Formosanus group (Taiwan pheasants)
This group is endemic to Taiwan. It resembles the Torquatus group, but males are distinguished by an anteriorly broadly interrupted white neck ring and by whitish to pure white flank feathers, which bear black apical spots and often narrow black margins. The chest feathers are broadly margined black, producing a conspicuous scaly appearance, a feature shared with P. c. decollatus and P. c. hagenbecki of the Torquatus group. The mean male wing length (~230 mm) is smaller than that of any subspecies in the Torquatus group.
2.4.1. Phasianus colchicus formosanus (Taiwan grey-rumped pheasant)
Authority and original description: Elliot, D. G. 1870.[394]
Type locality: Formosa (= Taiwan).[394]
Protonym and synonyms:[395]
- Phasianus formosanus Elliot, D. G. 1870 — protonym
Local name: 環頸雉台灣特有亞種 (Traditional Chinese: Taiwan endemic subspecies of Ring-necked Pheasant), 雉鸡台湾亚种 (Chinese: Taiwan subspecies of Common Pheasant)
Description:[394][8][324] The crown and occiput are pale greyish to ochraceous-ash with a greenish sheen, contrasting with the metallic blue-green feathers of the surrounding head and neck; in some lighting conditions, they may appear silvery-grey. The white superciliary stripes are narrow and may sometimes be indistinct or absent. A narrow but generally well-defined white neck collar is present, characteristically interrupted on the foreneck by a gap of approximately 3 cm; this feature is useful for distinguishing pure individuals from hybrids. The upper back is yellowish-buff to yellowish-white, with the outer margins of the feathers and a large triangular apical shaft-mark brilliant metallic green. The scapulars bear conspicuous, broad, glossy chestnut margins. The lower back and rump are patterned in black, creamy-yellow, and dark green, with pale greenish-grey terminal areas. As noted by Hartert,[8] the metallic green bands preceding the greyish feather tips are considerably broader than in P. c. torquatus and may appear bluish in certain light, producing a more contrasting pattern. The chest is deep chestnut-red, appearing purplish in certain lighting; the feathers are margined with dark metallic blue and bear a triangular apical mark of the same colour. The flanks are white to creamy buff; each feather bears a black apical spot with a metallic blue gloss and is often narrowly margined black. The abdomen is blackish, separated from the pale flanks by a deep chestnut band formed by the inner webs of the lowermost flank feathers. The central tail-feathers are pale green centrally and chestnut along the margins, with the green areas crossed by broad, closely spaced black transverse bands that become chestnut towards the feather edges. The lateral tail feathers are similar, but the inner webs are mottled buff and black, and the terminal portion of the outer web lacks barring. The iris is often pale yellowish-white. Compared with typical P. c. torquatus, the male is generally paler, with characteristically whitish-buff flanks and a straw-coloured mantle, and has broader black tail bars, a character shared with P. c. decollatus. The female resembles that of P. c. torquatus but is considerably darker, greyer, and more heavily marked with reddish-brown and blackish-brown patterning, particularly on the head, neck, and underparts, and not infrequently shows scattered glossy dark-green feathers. Both sexes are smaller than those of the mainland subspecies in all measured dimensions.[396]
Photographs: Photographs are available from Tainan City,[397][398][399][400][401][402] Dadu Mountain (Taichung City),[403][404] Zhiben Wetland (Taitung),[405] the Nan'ao River Mouth (Yilan County),[406][407] and National Dong Hwa University (Hualien).[408][409]
Measurements: Male wing length: Elliot:[394] 241 mm; Hartert:[8] n = 6: 220–237 mm; Taka-Tsukasa:[324] 233–243 mm; Yamashina:[410] n = 6: 219–226 mm; Delacour:[13] 220–245 mm; Zheng:[12] n = 1: 230 mm; Wang:[411] n = 11: 231.2 ± 6 mm; n = 3: 230.0 ± 3 mm; Taiwan Forest Affairs Bureau:[412] n = 9: 214–258 mm (mean 237.6 mm).
Distribution:[359][412] P. c. formosanus is endemic to Taiwan and occurs primarily in lowland and foothill regions, being largely absent from the central mountain ranges. In a survey in 2004, it was observed in Fenglin, Chishang, Sheding, Shanhua, Xinshi, Shanshang, and Quinquangang. Historically, ring-necked pheasants were widely distributed across the plains and hills of Taiwan, except in the northwestern part of the island, where they were rare. Populations remained abundant until the mid-twentieth century, after which they declined sharply. The principal threat to the subspecies is extensive hybridisation with introduced pheasants. During the 1960s and 1970s, P. c. karpowi was released in the Jianan Plain for hunting purposes, while additional genetic introgression resulted from escaped farm-reared birds, including P. c. karpowi, P. c. torquatus, and hybrid stock imported from the USA. Since 1986, the Kenting National Park Administration has conducted restoration research within the park to assess the distribution of remaining wild populations and the extent of genetic contamination.[411] During the 1990s, repeated reintroductions were carried out in the Longzipu area, although these met with limited success with a 35-day post-release survival rate of approximately 20%.[411] Genetic surveys conducted in 2004 found that the population at Qingquangang (Taichung International Airport) retained a pure formosanus genotype, whereas evidence of introgression was detected in approximately 14% of the individuals sampled in the Tainan region and 7-10% of birds on the eastern side of the island.[396][359] By 2023, only three relatively stable populations remained.[413] One occupies the eastern side of Taiwan from Nan'ao in Yilan County south to Xianglan in Taitung County. Two additional populations occur on the western side of the island: a southern population extending from southern Chiayi to Zuoying in Kaohsiung, and a northern populations on the Dadu Plateau in Taichung.[413] The latter has been affected by the expansion of Taichung International Airport, necessitating the translocation of birds from the airport grounds to habitats near the Dadu and Dajia rivers using trained dogs and tamed goshawks.[413] A high nesting density was recorded in the Zhiben Wetlands of Taitung in 2018.[414] P. c. formosanus is listed as Critically Endangered in the National Red List of Taiwan's Birds (2020).[415] Active conservation education programmes in schools and local communities, combined with ecological monitoring, are currently being implemented to help prevent the extinction of this subspecies.
Habitat:[412] The subspecies inhabits plains, riverbeds, hills surrounding the river terraces, agricultural land, and open woodland. It is particularly associated with tall grassland, miscanthus stands, shrubland, reedbeds, and other dense herbaceous vegetation. It also occurs in a variety of lowland agricultural habitats, including orchards, early-season fields of sugarcane, peanuts, and sweet potatoes, abandoned farmland, and sandy riverbanks. Nesting material is obtained from Bidens pilosa and Chromolaena odorata communities, as well as from vegetation in abandoned agricultural land. During periods of winter snowfall, birds seek shelter in dense sedge (Cyperaceae) vegetation associated with wetlands and other water bodies.
Note: Birds occurring on Kinmen Island are not referable to P. c. formosanus. They originate from introductions of mainland stock and are of uncertain subspecific composition.[416] Available photographs indicate substantial hybridisation between red-rumped and grey-rumped pheasant forms.[417][418]