Silver pheasant facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Silver pheasant |
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Lophura
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| Species: |
nycthemera
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The silver pheasant (Lophura nycthemera) is a beautiful bird that lives in forests, mostly in the mountains of mainland Southeast Asia and eastern and southern China. These birds have also been brought to new places by people, like Victoria Island in Nahuel Huapi Lake, Argentina, and Vancouver Island, Canada.
Male silver pheasants are easy to spot with their black and white feathers. Females are mostly brown. Both males and females have bright red skin on their faces and red legs. Their red legs help tell them apart from the kalij pheasant, which has greyish legs. Silver pheasants are often kept by people who raise birds (this is called aviculture). While they are generally common in the wild, some types, or subspecies, are rare and need protection. These include the L. n. whiteheadi from Hainan, L. n. engelbachi from southern Laos, and L. n. annamensis from southern Vietnam.
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What is a Silver Pheasant?
The silver pheasant is a type of pheasant, which is a group of birds known for their colorful feathers. They are part of the Lophura genus, which is like a family group for these birds.
How Scientists Classify Silver Pheasants
When the famous scientist Carl Linnaeus first described the silver pheasant in 1758, he placed it in the Phasianus genus. Over time, scientists learned more about these birds. Today, most experts agree that the silver pheasant belongs in the Lophura genus.
The silver pheasant is very similar to the kalij pheasant. Sometimes, these two types of pheasants can even have babies together, which are called hybrids. Scientists use special tools, like looking at their mtDNA (a type of genetic material), to figure out how closely related different birds are. This helps them decide which birds belong to which species or subspecies.
Different Types of Silver Pheasants: Subspecies
There are 15 different types, or subspecies, of the silver pheasant. Each subspecies might have slightly different looks or live in different areas. Here are some of them:
- L. n. occidentalis – This type is found in south-central China and northeastern Myanmar.
- L. n. rufipes – Known as the ruby mines silver pheasant, it lives in northern Myanmar.
- L. n. ripponi – Rippon's silver pheasant is found in southern Myanmar.
- L. n. jonesi – Jones's pheasant lives from Myanmar to southwestern China and central Thailand.
- L. n. omeiensis – The Szechwan silver pheasant is found in southern Sichuan, China.
- L. n. rongjiangensis – This type, the Kweichow silver pheasant, lives in southeastern Guizhou, China.
- L. n. beaulieui – The Lao silver pheasant is found from south-central China to northern Laos and northern Vietnam.
- L. n. nycthemera – This is the main type, found from southern China to northern Vietnam.
- L. n. whiteheadi – The Hainan silver pheasant lives on Hainan Island in southern China.
- L. n. fokiensis – The Fokien silver pheasant is found in southeastern China.
- L. n. berliozi – Berlioz's silver pheasant lives on the western slopes of the Annamite Range in central Vietnam.
- L. n. beli – Bel's silver pheasant is found on the eastern slopes of the Annamite Range in central Vietnam.
- L. n. engelbachi – The Boloven silver pheasant lives on the Bolaven Plateau of southern Laos.
- L. n. lewisi – Lewis's silver pheasant is found in the mountains of southwest Cambodia and eastern Thailand.
- L. n. annamensis – The Annam silver pheasant lives in the mountain forests of southern Vietnam.
What Do Silver Pheasants Look Like?
Silver pheasants are quite large birds. The biggest males can be about 120 to 125 centimeters (around 47 to 49 inches) long, including their long tails which can be up to 75 centimeters (about 30 inches). Smaller males are around 70 centimeters (about 28 inches) long, with tails about 30 centimeters (about 12 inches). Males can weigh between 1.13 to 2.00 kilograms (about 2.5 to 4.4 pounds).
Female silver pheasants are smaller than males. They are usually 55 to 90 centimeters (about 22 to 35 inches) long, with tails that are 24 to 32 centimeters (about 9.4 to 12.6 inches) long. Females weigh between 1.0 to 1.3 kilograms (about 2.2 to 2.9 pounds).
Male Silver Pheasant Appearance
Males from the northern areas are the largest. They have white feathers on their upper bodies and tails, often with some black marks. Their underparts and the feathers on their heads (called a crest) are a shiny bluish-black. Males from the southern areas look darker. They have more grey on their upper bodies and tails, with lots of black markings. Males get their full adult feathers when they are about two years old.
Female Silver Pheasant Appearance
Female silver pheasants are mostly brown and have shorter tails than the males. Some females have whitish feathers on their undersides with strong black patterns. For example, the L. n. whiteheadi subspecies has these patterns extending to their upper back.
Images for kids
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Male Silver Pheasant
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Female Silver Pheasant
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Silver pheasant in captivity. Note the brown patches, typical of sub-adult males
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Lophura nycthemera - MHNT
