Green pheasant
| Green pheasant | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Male in Japan | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Galliformes |
| Family: | Phasianidae |
| Subfamily: | Phasianinae |
| Genus: | Phasianus |
| Species: | P. versicolor |
| Binomial name | |
|
Phasianus versicolor Vieillot, 1825 |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Phasianus colchicus versicolor |
|
Phasianus colchicus versicolor
The green pheasant (Phasianus versicolor), also known as Japanese green pheasant, is native to the Japanese archipelago, to which it is endemic. It was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the common pheasant. It is the national bird of Japan.
The male (cock) has dark green plumage on the breast, neck, mantle, and flanks. The male also has bluish-purplish hood with clear ear-tufts, red wattle, and long, pale grey-banded tail. The female is smaller than the male, with a shorter tail, and has brownish black colored plumage, with dark brown feather fringed pale brown.
It is found throughout Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu as well as some smaller islands; it has also been introduced in Hawaii and (unsuccessfully) in North America as a gamebird. It inhabits woodlands and forest edges, brush, grassland, and parkland.
This species is common and widespread throughout its native range. It often frequents farmlands and human settlements. The introduced populations on Hawaii are stable. Populations in Western Europe have perhaps bred with the Common Pheasants for a number of years and no pure Green Pheasants exist there any longer. This species has been crossed with the Common Pheasants on some game farms in North America and released.
Male in Japan
Male (left) and female.
Uniform color of male (with no white on neck) and spotted underside of female are characteristic.
egg
Japanese Green Pheasant may be hunted in their native Japan between November 15th and February 15th, by those in possession of a valid hunting license issued by the prefecture in which the hunting is carried out. ( a valid Japanese Firearms Permit is required if one wishes to use an air rifle or shotgun to hunt with. The bag limit is two male pheasants per day. No shooting of females is permitted.
...
Wikipedia