The blue eared pheasant (''Crossoptilon auritum'') is a large, up to long, dark blue-gray
pheasant
Pheasants ( ) are birds of several genera within the family (biology), family Phasianidae in the order (biology), order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera na ...
with velvet black crown, red facial feathers appearing as bare skin, yellow
iris
Iris most often refers to:
*Iris (anatomy), part of the eye
*Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess
* ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants
* Iris (color), an ambiguous color term
Iris or IRIS may also refer to:
Arts and media
Fictional ent ...
, long white ear coverts behind the eyes, and crimson legs. Its tail of 24 elongated bluish-gray feathers is curved, loose, and dark-tipped. Both sexes are similar with the male being slightly larger.
The blue eared pheasant is found throughout mountain forests of central
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
. Its diet consists mainly of berries and vegetable matter.
One of the most common and numerous
eared pheasants, the blue eared pheasant is evaluated as of least concern on the
IUCN Red List
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biol ...
of Threatened Species.
See also
*
List of endangered and protected species of China
The endangered species of China may include any wildlife species designated for protection by the national government of China or listed as endangered by international organizations such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Sp ...
References
External links
BirdLife Species Factsheet
{{Taxonbar, from=Q278987
blue eared pheasant
The blue eared pheasant (''Crossoptilon auritum'') is a large, up to long, dark blue-gray pheasant with velvet black crown, red facial feathers appearing as bare skin, yellow iris, long white ear coverts behind the eyes, and crimson legs. Its tai ...
Birds of North China
Birds of Central China
Endemic birds of China
blue eared pheasant
The blue eared pheasant (''Crossoptilon auritum'') is a large, up to long, dark blue-gray pheasant with velvet black crown, red facial feathers appearing as bare skin, yellow iris, long white ear coverts behind the eyes, and crimson legs. Its tai ...