Lady Amherst's Pheasant

The Lady Amherst’s pheasant cock is a most incredible sight to behold. It has striking, specular colouring and richly contrasting plumage with long tail feathers measuring up to 115 cm long. It is an especially favoured species of private hobbyists and breeders, as well as conservation zoos. The female is smaller than the male. She is very successful at camouflaging herself among bushes and shrubs on account of her inconspicuous, strong red brownish colouring and the black bands across her body. Pheasants are gamebirds native to China, Tibet and Myanmar. In these regions, they live in mixed woodland and bamboo forests at altitudes of up to nearly 4,600 meters. Their diet consists of invertebrates, fruits and plant shoots. Typically, pheasants forage for their food in the morning and the evening. In winter, they form colonies together comprising up to 30 birds.