Swinhoe's kalij
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Swinhoe's pheasant (''Lophura swinhoii''), also known as the Taiwan blue pheasant, is a bird of the pheasant subfamily in the fowl family
Phasianidae The Phasianidae are a family (biology), family of heavy, ground-living birds, which includes pheasants, partridges, junglefowl, chickens, Turkey bird, turkeys, Old World quail, and peafowl. The family includes many of the most popular Game (hunti ...
. It is endemic to Taiwan. Along with the
Mikado pheasant The Mikado pheasant (''Syrmaticus mikado'') is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds. Sometimes considered an unofficial ''national bird'' of Taiwan (along with the Swinhoe's pheasant and Taiwa ...
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 (red, white, and blue).


Etymology

The bird was named after British naturalist
Robert Swinhoe Robert Swinhoe FRS (1 September 1836 – 28 October 1877) was an English diplomat and naturalist who worked as a Consul in Formosa. He catalogued many Southeast Asian birds, and several, such as Swinhoe's pheasant, are named after him. Bio ...
, who first described the species in 1862. Locally, the species is known in
Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...
as ''lánfùxián'' (), and in Taiwanese Hokkien as ''wa-koe'' (; also ).


Description

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 Crest or CREST may refer to: Buildings *The Crest (Huntington, New York), a historic house in Suffolk County, New York *"The Crest", an alternate name for 63 Wall Street, in Manhattan, New York *Crest Castle (Château Du Crest), Jussy, Switzerla ...
. 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. A frontal display with the tail fanned is occasionally observed. He also does a wing-whirring display like other ''Lophura'' pheasants.


Habitat

Swinhoe's pheasant is found in the mountains of central Taiwan, where it lives in primary broadleaf forest up to 2,300 m in elevation.


Behaviour

Swinhoe's pheasant eats seeds, fruits, and some insects and other animal matter. Predators include the crested goshawk, white-bellied sea eagle,
Gurney's eagle Gurney's eagle (''Aquila gurneyi'') is a large eagle in the family Accipitridae. It is found in New Guinea and Wallacea, and is an occasional vagrant to Australia. The common name and Latin binomial commemorate the British banker and amateur or ...
, spot-bellied eagle-owl, and the civet and badger. The female lays a clutch of two to six eggs, which are incubated for 25 to 28 days. The young can leave the nest at 2-3 days old. Swinhoe's pheasant is often assumed to be polygynous, as males are often seen with several females, though confirmation is lacking.


Conservation

This pheasant has a small population in a limited range that is shrinking due to habitat degradation.
Logging Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks or skeleton cars. Logging is the beginning of a supply chain ...
is a problem. It was hunted in the past, and some populations were extirpated in the 1960s and 1970s. Today, its global population is estimated to be over 10,000 individuals. Some populations are secure within protected areas, but others may be declining. Alongside the Mikado pheasant and Taiwan magpie, they are sometimes unofficially considered national symbols of Taiwan, which has helped in their conservation and protection. In some areas, such as Dasyueshan National Forest Recreation Area, they are regularly sighted feeding along roadsides, which have become bird-watching hotspots. Often they are fed by bird photographers, which has considered a controversial practice by some conservationists and liable to a fine by park officials.


See also

*
List of protected species in Taiwan A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to: People * List (surname) Organizations * List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America * SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
*
List of endemic species of Taiwan The endemic species of Taiwan are organisms that are endemic to the island of Taiwan— that is, they occur nowhere else on Earth. Percentages of endemic animals of all living species in Taiwan. ---- Percentages of endemic plants of all livi ...
*
List of endemic birds of Taiwan The island of Taiwan, which is located in southeast Asia at the junction of the East China Sea and South China Seas, is home to 30 endemic bird species. Endemic Bird Areas Birdlife International defines Endemic Bird Areas (EBAs) as places where ...


References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q715245
Swinhoe's pheasant Swinhoe's pheasant (''Lophura swinhoii''), 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 Taiw ...
Endemic birds of Taiwan
Swinhoe's pheasant Swinhoe's pheasant (''Lophura swinhoii''), 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 Taiw ...