The green pheasant (''Phasianus versicolor''), also known as the Japanese green pheasant, is an omnivorous bird native to the

Japanese archipelago The Japanese archipelago (Japanese: 日本列島, ''Nihon rettō'') is a group of 6,852 islands that form the country of Japan, as well as the Russian island of Sakhalin. It extends over from the Sea of Okhotsk in the northeast to the East Chin ...

, to which it is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

. Some taxonomic authorities consider it a subspecies of the common pheasant, ''Phasianus colchicus''. It is the

national bird This is a list of national birds, including official birds of overseas territories and other states described as nations. Most species in the list are officially designated. Some species hold only an "unofficial" status. National birds See al ...

of Japan. Declared national bird by a non-government body in 1947

Taxonomy and systematics

Some sources claim that the green pheasant is a subspecies of the common pheasant, though others claim that they are separate, though closely related, species. The green pheasant has three subspecies. The nominate subspecies, ''P. v. versicolor'', is called the southern green pheasant or kiji. The Pacific green pheasant, ''P. v. tamensis'', and northern green pheasant, ''P. v. robustipes'', are the other two subspecies. There are some cases of hybrids between the green pheasant and the

copper pheasant The copper pheasant or Soemmerring's pheasant (''Syrmaticus soemmerringii'') is endemic to Japan. The scientific name commemorates the German scientist Samuel Thomas von Sömmerring. Description It is a large pheasant with a rich coppery chestn ...

or common pheasant.

Description

The male (cock) southern green pheasant, ''P. v. versicolor'', has dark green plumage on the breast, neck, mantle, and flanks. The male also has a bluish-purplish hood with clear ear tufts, red wattles, and a long, pale grey-banded tail. The female (hen) is smaller than the male, with a shorter tail, and has brownish-black colored plumage, with dark brown feathers fringed pale brown. The males of this subspecies have the darkest plumage, which is mainly green. The male Pacific green pheasant, ''P. v. tamensis'', has lighter plumage than the nominate subspecies. Its feathers are more purple and blue. The male northern green pheasant, ''P. v. robustipes'', has the lightest plumage and its crown and mantle are more bronze than those of the other subspecies. The females of all three subspecies look much more similar, though, like with the males, the females of ''P. v. versicolor'' normally have the darkest plumage and the females of ''P. v. robustipes'' have the lightest.

Behavior

Diet

In the wild, green pheasants eat small animals, such as worms and insects, grains and plants. They are, in captivity, sometimes fed pellets, seeds, plants and live food.

Breeding

The green pheasants' breeding season starts during March or April and ends in June. Green pheasants can first breed when they are about one year old. One clutch has between six and fifteen eggs. The eggs are incubated for 23 to 25 days. Faisan versicolore MHNT

In culture

In Japan, many people claim that green pheasants are scared by earthquakes and 'scream'. They are the national bird of Japan.

Habitat and distribution

It is found throughout

Honshu , historically called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island se ...

Shikoku is the smallest of the four main islands of Japan. It is long and between wide. It has a population of 3.8 million (, 3.1%). It is south of Honshu and northeast of Kyushu. Shikoku's ancient names include ''Iyo-no-futana-shima'' (), '' ...

, and Kyushu as well as some smaller islands; it has also been introduced in

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...

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 in Hawaii are stable. Populations in Western Europe have perhaps bred with the common pheasant for a number of years and no pure green pheasants exist there any longer. This species has been crossed with the common pheasant on some game farms in North America and released. In its native range, the green pheasant outcompetes introduced populations of common pheasant; despite the two species close relation, they have differing ecological requirements, and the common pheasant is less adapted to the ecology of the green pheasant's range.

Conservation

Though the green pheasant has a decreasing population, its population is not severely fragmented. On a local and national level, they are used for food, sport hunting, specimen collecting and as pets or display animals. None of these practices are found on an international level. The green pheasant is one of the 29 designated 'game species' in Japan. These are the only species that can legally be hunted. A hunting license is required.

Gallery

Phasianus versicolor -Japan -male-8.jpg, Male in Japan Phasianus versicolor(Male female).jpg, Male (left) and female.
Uniform color of male (with no white on neck) and spotted underside of female are characteristic.

References

External links

* gbwf.org
Green Pheasant ''(Phasianus versicolor)''
{{Authority control Phasianus Endemic birds of Japan Birds described in 1825 Taxa named by Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot