The Blood Pheasant, Ithaginis cruentus, is
the only species in genus
Ithaginis of the pheasant
family. This relatively small,
short-tailed pheasant is widespread and fairly common in eastern
Himalayas, ranging across India, Nepal and Bhutan,
where they prefer coniferous or mixed forests 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.
Blood pheasants have the size of a small fowl, about 43 cm
in length with a short convex, very strong black bill, feathered
between bill and eye, and a small crest of various coloured
feathers. 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.
Blood
Pheasant, Ithaginis cruentus
Photo © François Bernar, Belgium
http://www.gbwf.org
|
Subspecies:
Ithaginis cruentus affinis - Sikkim region in
India
I. c. beicki - Beick's Blood Pheasant - north
central China
I. c. berezowskii - Berezovski's Blood Pheasant
- mountains of central China
I. c. clarkei - Clarke's Blood Pheasant - southwest
China
I. c. cruentus - Himalayan Blood Pheasant - northern
Nepal to northwestern Bhutan
I. c. geoffroyi - Geoffroy's Blood Pheasant -
western China and southeast Tibet
I. c. kuseri - Kuser's Blood Pheasant - upper
Assam in India and southeast Tibet
I. c. marioni - Mrs. Vernay's Blood Pheasant
- mountains of SW China and NE Myanmar
I. c. michaelis - Bianchi's Blood Pheasant -
north central China
I. c. rocki - Rock's Blood Pheasant - southwestern
China
I. c. sinensis - David's Blood Pheasant - central
China
I. c. tibetanus - Tibetan Blood Pheasant - eastern
Bhutan and southern Tibet |
Great
Argus, Argusianus argus
Great
Argus, Argusianus argus
Photo © Peter Stubbs
http://www.gbwf.org
|
The Great Argus,
Argusianus argus (also known as Phoenix
in some Asian areas) is a brown-plumaged pheasant with
a small blue head and neck, rufous red upper breast, black
hair-like feathers on crown and nape, and red legs.
The male is among the largest of all pheasants. He measures
160–200 cm in total length, including a tail of 105–143
cm,
and weighs 2.–2.75 kg. It has very long tail feathers.
The male's most spectacular features are its huge, broad and
greatly
elongated secondary wing feathers decorated with large ocelli.
The female is smaller and duller than male, with shorter
tails and less ocelli. She measures 72–76 cm in total
length, including a tail of 30–36 cm, and weighs 1.6–1.7
kg.
Young males attain adult plumage in their third year.
The Great Argus is distributed in the jungles of Borneo, Sumatra
and Malay Peninsula in southeast Asia. It feeds on
forest floor in early morning and evening. Unusual among Galliformes,
the Great Argus has no oil gland and the hen lays
only two eggs.
Great
Argus, Argusianus argus
Photo © Peter Stubbs
http://www.gbwf.org
|
Though the Great Argus is not as colorful as other pheasants,
its display surely ranks among the most remarkable.
The male clears an open spot in the forest and prepares
a dancing ground. He announces himself with loud calls to
attract
females, then he dances before her with his wings spread
into two enormous fans, revealing hundred of "eyes"
while his
real eyes are hidden behind it, staring at her.
Despite displays similar to polygamous birds and though
the Great Argus is thought to be polygamous in the wild,
it is actually monogamous.
Male
Great Argus calling and displaying to female
Video and Auduo: World Pheasant Association
Audio: BBC Natural History Unit
www.arkive.org
|
The scientific name of the Great Argus was given by Carolus
Linnaeus in reference to the many eyes-like pattern on its
wings. Argus is a hundred-eyed giant in Greek mythology.
Due to ongoing habitat loss and hunted in some areas, the
Great Argus is evaluated as Near Threatened on the
IUCN Red List. It is listed on Appendix II of CITES.
