Syrmaticus ellioti
Elliot's Pheasant, *Syrmaticus ellioti*, is a strikingly beautiful long-tailed pheasant endemic to southeastern China, instantly recognizable by the male's dramatic plumage. Males typically measure 80-100 cm in length, with an impressive tail accounting for 40-55 cm of that, and weigh between 1.1-1.3 kg. Their brilliant crimson-chestnut plumage is offset by a white belly, prominent white scapulars, and a long, sharply barred black and white tail, complemented by a bare scarlet facial patch. F...
Found primarily in evergreen and mixed broadleaf forests, and sometimes coniferous woodlands, inhabiting mountainous regions and steep terrain typically between 200 and 1900 meters elevation.
Omnivorous, feeding primarily on a variety of seeds, berries, roots, leaves, and a significant portion of invertebrates, foraging by scratching and pecking the forest floor.
Elliot's Pheasants are diurnal ground-dwellers, spending most of their active hours foraging and typically roosting in trees at night. They employ a 'scratch and flick' technique to unearth food items from the forest floor, constantly on the move through dense undergrowth. Males are generally ter...
Elliot's Pheasant is endemic to the mountainous regions of southeastern China, with its range spanning several provinces. Historically, and currently, populations are found in Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hunan provinces. This species is non-migratory, maintaining res...
Near Threatened
- Elliot's Pheasant was named after Daniel Giraud Elliot, an American ornithologist, and was first described by Robert Swinhoe in 1872 based on specimens collected by Père Armand David. - The male's tail, sometimes over half his total body length, features distinctive black and white barring that...