A beautiful golden pheasant
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (340019)
Rockingham, Australia
November 3, 2020 7:38am CST
When we visited my sister recently, I was able to get a photo of a golden pheasant that resides there. Isn’t it just a beautiful creature?
It is a game bird and has the taxonomical name of Chrysolophus pictus, from khrusolophos, the Ancient Greek meaning ‘with golden crest’ and ‘pictus’ which is Latin for ‘painted’.
It is native to mountainous forest regions of western China but there are now feral populations in a number of countries. Adult males are 90–105 cm (35–41 in) in length. The tail is two thirds of the total length. The deep orange ‘cape’ can be spread and looks like black and yellow fan and cover all of the face except for the eye. I was very taken with it but I won’t be getting one. I don’t really like caging birds.
17 people like this
19 responses
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
3 Nov 20
such a creature 'f beauty. i'd a friend here, years 'go, who used to raise these'n several other gorgeous varieties 'f 'xotic pheasant. not fer certain their fate when she passed? like yerself, i dislike birds'n cages, though her 'nclosure 'twas quite massive, coverin' near 2 acres.
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@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
4 Nov 20
@JudyEv oh, i know. saddens the heart greatly to see such. i feel the same 'bout our local zoo. tiny 'nclosures fer critters who need way more space. deserve better'n all that concrete'n dirt. i confess i've not been there fer 'bout 14 yrs now.
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@JudyEv (340019)
• Rockingham, Australia
4 Nov 20
@crazyhorseladycx The zoos we've visited recently have been much improved but the one in Vienna was still quite crowded.
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@DocAndersen (54402)
• United States
3 Nov 20
beautiful bird i agree with you on caging birds!
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@JudyEv (340019)
• Rockingham, Australia
4 Nov 20
@DocAndersen I've seen a flock of hundreds of budgerigars (parakeets) in the outback which is where they should be. However, they do seem to adjust to captivity well.
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@DocAndersen (54402)
• United States
4 Nov 20
@JudyEv i suspect they need to be free!
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@FourWalls (68043)
• United States
3 Nov 20
Wow, that’s a long tail! Beautiful bird, too.
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@JudyEv (340019)
• Rockingham, Australia
4 Nov 20
@FourWalls Haha. True - in a long box!!
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@wolfgirl569 (106323)
• Marion, Ohio
3 Nov 20
There are many colors of them here.
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@wolfgirl569 (106323)
• Marion, Ohio
4 Nov 20
@JudyEv Most of the colored ones are in captivity here. But we do see a few plain ones during the summer
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@JudyEv (340019)
• Rockingham, Australia
4 Nov 20
@wolfgirl569 We saw plain ones in England and Ireland. They don't run wild here.
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@xFiacre (13023)
• Ireland
3 Nov 20
@judyev Stunning, but everyone should resist the urge to “own” one. They aren’t ours to own and they look far more spectacular in the wild. There is someone near Portmuck who owns pheasants but they run free and are seen all over the place. They are beautiful.
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@JudyEv (340019)
• Rockingham, Australia
4 Nov 20
I agree. I guess here foxes or eagles would take them if they were running free.
@LindaOHio (178701)
• United States
4 Nov 20
What a beautiful bird. I don't like to see caged birds either, even though I would love to have a Grey Parrot.
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@LindaOHio (178701)
• United States
5 Nov 20
@JudyEv They are extremely intelligent and require a lot of attention.
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@freelancermariagrace (27982)
• Philippines
4 Nov 20
I love everything you post, Judy. 
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@Butterfingers (66583)
• India
3 Nov 20
This is just amazing. Thanks for sharing
1 person likes this
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@JudyEv (340019)
• Rockingham, Australia
4 Nov 20
I would love to see it with its crest all fluffed up.
