Blood Pheasant
Encyclopedia
The Blood Pheasant is the only species in genus
Ithaginis of the pheasant
family. This relatively small, short-tailed pheasant is widespread and fairly common in northern Southasia
. Since the trend of the population appears to be slowly decreasing, the species has been evaluated as Least Concern
by IUCN in 2009.
, about 17 in (43.2 cm) in length with a short convex, very strong black bill, feathered between bill and eye, and a small crest of various coloured feather
s. The colour of the plumage above is dark ash, with white shafts, the coverts
of the wings various tinged with green, with broad strokes of white through the length of each feather, the feathers of the chin deep crimson; on the breast, belly and sides feathers are lance-shaped, of various length, the tips green with crimson margins, collectively resembling dashes of blood
scattered on the breast and belly. The tail consists of twelve sub-equal feathers, shafts white, rounded, the ends whitish, the coverts a rich crimson red.
Both males and females have red feet and a distinct ring of bare skin around the eye that typically is crimson colored, but is orange in a few subspecies. Females are more uniformly colored, being overall dull brown and often with some gray to the nape. Although some of the subspecies
that have been described are highly distinctive, others are not, and some variation appears to be clinal. Consequently the number of valid subspecies is disputed, with various authorities recognizing between 11 and 15. They mainly vary in the plumage
of the males, especially the amount of red or black to the throat, forehead, neck, chest and tail, and the presence or absence of rufous
in the wings.
:
, Sikkim
, northern Myanmar
, Tibet
, and central and south-central China
, where they prefer coniferous or mixed forest
s and scrub areas near the snowline. They move their range depending on the seasons, and are found at higher elevations during the summer. With snow increasing in fall and winter they move to lower elevations.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Ithaginis of the pheasant
Pheasant
Pheasants refer to some members of the Phasianinae subfamily of Phasianidae in the order Galliformes.Pheasants are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments such as wattles and long tails. Males are usually larger than females and have...
family. This relatively small, short-tailed pheasant is widespread and fairly common in northern Southasia
Southasia
'"Southasia"' could mean one of the following:*SOUTHASIA Magazine, an English-language political magazine about South asia, published in Pakistan*Himal Southasian, a news magazine published in Nepal...
. Since the trend of the population appears to be slowly decreasing, the species has been evaluated as Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
by IUCN in 2009.
Description
Blood pheasants have the size of a small fowlFowl
Fowl is a word for birds in general but usually refers to birds belonging to one of two biological orders, namely the gamefowl or landfowl and the waterfowl...
, about 17 in (43.2 cm) in length with a short convex, very strong black bill, feathered between bill and eye, and a small crest of various coloured feather
Feather
Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on birds and some non-avian theropod dinosaurs. They are considered the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates, and indeed a premier example of a complex evolutionary novelty. They...
s. The colour of the plumage above is dark ash, with white shafts, the coverts
Covert (feather)
A covert feather on a bird is one of a set of feathers, called coverts, which as the name implies, cover other feathers. The coverts help to smooth airflow over the wings and tail.- Wing-coverts :...
of the wings various tinged with green, with broad strokes of white through the length of each feather, the feathers of the chin deep crimson; on the breast, belly and sides feathers are lance-shaped, of various length, the tips green with crimson margins, collectively resembling dashes of blood
Blood
Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....
scattered on the breast and belly. The tail consists of twelve sub-equal feathers, shafts white, rounded, the ends whitish, the coverts a rich crimson red.
Both males and females have red feet and a distinct ring of bare skin around the eye that typically is crimson colored, but is orange in a few subspecies. Females are more uniformly colored, being overall dull brown and often with some gray to the nape. Although some of the subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
that have been described are highly distinctive, others are not, and some variation appears to be clinal. Consequently the number of valid subspecies is disputed, with various authorities recognizing between 11 and 15. They mainly vary in the plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
of the males, especially the amount of red or black to the throat, forehead, neck, chest and tail, and the presence or absence of rufous
Rufous
Rufous is a colour that may be described as reddish-brown or brownish-red, as of rust or oxidised iron.The first recorded use of rufous as a colour name in English was in the year 1782....
in the wings.
Subspecies
There are twelve recognized subspeciesSubspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
:
- I. c. affinis (CW BeebeWilliam BeebeWilliam Beebe, born Charles William Beebe was an American naturalist, ornithologist, marine biologist, entomologist, explorer, and author...
, 1912) - SikkimSikkimSikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayan mountains...
region in India - I. c. beicki (MayrErnst MayrErnst Walter Mayr was one of the 20th century's leading evolutionary biologists. He was also a renowned taxonomist, tropical explorer, ornithologist, historian of science, and naturalist...
and Birckhead, 1937]]) - Beick's Blood Pheasant - north central China - I. c. berezowskii (BianchiValentin Lvovich BianchiValentin Lvovich Bianchi was a Russian ornithologist.Bianchi was the Head of the Department of Ornithology at the Imperial Academy of Sciences of Petrograd from 1896 to 1920. He worked mainly on birds from Middle and Central Asia...
, 1903) - Berezovski's Blood Pheasant - mountains of central China - I. c. clarkei (RothschildWalter Rothschild, 2nd Baron RothschildLionel Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild, Baron de Rothschild FRS , a scion of the Rothschild family, was a British banker, politician, and zoologist.-Biography:...
, 1920) - Clarke's Blood Pheasant - southwest China - I. c. cruentus (Hardwicke, 1821) - Himalayan Blood Pheasant - northern Nepal to northwestern Bhutan
- I. c. geoffroyi (VerreauxJules VerreauxJules Pierre Verreaux was a French botanist, ornithologist and professional collector of, and trader in, natural history specimens...
, 1867) - Geoffroy's Blood Pheasant - western China and southeast Tibet - I. c. kuseri (Beebe, 1912) - Kuser's Blood Pheasant - upper AssamAssamAssam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
in India and southeast Tibet - I. c. marioni (Mayr, 1941) - Mrs. Vernay's Blood Pheasant - mountains of southwest China and northeast MyanmarMyanmarBurma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
- I. c. michaelis (Bianchi, 1903) - Bianchi's Blood Pheasant - north central China
- I. c. rocki (RileyJoseph Harvey RileyJoseph Harvey Riley was an American ornithologist.Born in Falls Church, Virginia, Riley was employed at the Smithsonian Institution from 1896 until his death, becoming Associate Curator of the Division of Birds in 1932.-Sources:*...
, 1925) - Rock's Blood Pheasant - southwestern China - I. c. sinensis (DavidArmand DavidFather Armand David was a Lazarist missionary Catholic priest as well as a zoologist and a botanist.-General Biography:...
, 1873) - David's Blood Pheasant - central China - I. c. tibetanus (ECS BakerE. C. Stuart BakerEdward Charles Stuart Baker CIE OBE FZS FLS was a British ornithologist and police officer.-Life and career:Baker was educated at Trinity College, Stratford-upon-Avon and in 1883 followed his father into the Indian Police Service. He spent most of his career in India in the Assam Police, rising to...
, 1914) - Tibetan Blood Pheasant - eastern Bhutan and southern Tibet
Distribution and habitat
Blood pheasants live in the mountains of NepalNepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, Sikkim
Sikkim
Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayan mountains...
, northern Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
, Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
, and central and south-central China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, where they prefer coniferous or mixed forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s and scrub areas near the snowline. They move their range depending on the seasons, and are found at higher elevations during the summer. With snow increasing in fall and winter they move to lower elevations.