Swinhoe's Pheasant
Lophura swinhoii
The Swinhoe's Pheasant (Lophura swinhoii) is a rare partridges, pheasants, grouse, and alli found in 2 countries, weighing about 1.1 kg. Swinhoe's pheasant, also known as the Taiwan blue pheasant, is a bird of the pheasant subfamily in the fowl family Phasianidae.
About the Swinhoe's Pheasant
Swinhoe's pheasant, also known as the Taiwan blue pheasant, is a bird of the pheasant subfamily in the fowl family Phasianidae. It is endemic to Taiwan. Along with the Mikado pheasant and Taiwan blue magpie, two other Taiwan endemics, Swinhoe's pheasant is sometimes considered an unofficial national symbol for Taiwan, as it bears the colours of the national flag.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The male Swinhoe's pheasant can grow up to 79 cm. He has a glossy blue-purple chest, belly, and rump, white nape, red wattles, white tail feathers, and a white crest. The female is brown marked with yellow, arrow-shaped spots and complex barring patterns, and has maroon outer rectrices. The juvenile male is dark blue with brown and yellow patterns on its wings. Swinhoe's pheasants can also be distinguished from the Mikado pheasant by having red legs. During display, the male's wattles become engorged and he performs a display consisting of a hop followed by running in a circle around females.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, June, August, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in April. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Swinhoe's Pheasant?
- The male Swinhoe's pheasant can grow up to 79 cm. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Swinhoe's Pheasant?
- The Swinhoe's Pheasant is a large sized bird weighing about 1.1 kg.
- Where can you see a Swinhoe's Pheasant?
- The Swinhoe's Pheasant occurs in 2 countries, including Taiwan and China.
- What birds look similar to a Swinhoe's Pheasant?
- The Swinhoe's Pheasant is most easily confused with the Silver Pheasant, the Bornean Crested Fireback and the Siamese Fireback.
- Is the Swinhoe's Pheasant endangered?
- The Swinhoe's Pheasant is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Swinhoe's Pheasant for real
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