About the Copper Pheasant
The copper pheasant, also known as Soemmerring's pheasant or yamadori (ヤマドリ), is a pheasant endemic to the Japanese archipelago. The scientific name commemorates the German scientist Samuel Thomas von Sömmerring. It is the official bird of multiple Japanese prefectures, cities, and towns. It was commonly hunted for sport throughout the 20th century.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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It is a large pheasant with a rich coppery chestnut plumage, yellowish bill, brown iris, and red facial skin. The female is a brown bird with greyish brown upperparts and buff barred dark brown below. The male has short spurs on its grey legs, while the female has none. Males are between 87.5 centimetres (34.4 in) and 136 centimetres (54 in) long, including the tail, while the female is between 51 centimetres (20 in) and 54 centimetres (21 in) (subspecies scintillating copper pheasant, scintillans). Juveniles have similar plumage to the females.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it lives
When to see it
Peak activity in May · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Elliot's PheasantSyrmaticus elliotiMales are up to 80 cm (31 in) long; they are brown and white with a black throat, chestnut-brown upper parts, white belly, nape and wing bars, red bare facial skin and long rusty-barred whitish tail.
Mrs. Hume's PheasantSyrmaticus humiaeThe pheasant is up to 90 cm (35 in) long with a greyish brown head, bare red facial skin, chestnut brown plumage, yellowish bill, brownish orange iris, white wingbars and metallic blue neck feathers.
Reeves's PheasantSyrmaticus reevesiiMales measure 210 cm (83 in) long and weigh 1,529 g (3.371 lb).
Learn the Copper Pheasant for real
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