-Lophura swinhoii-

Description:

: Lophura swinhoii: Swinhoe's Pheasant---The Swinhoe's Pheasant is a bird endemic to the undisturbed broadleaf forests of Taiwan below 2,500 meters of elevation. It was discovered in 1862 by Robert Swinhoe. Since then, it's numbers have fallen due to destruction of natural habitat, and was listed as endangered in 1966. The Swinhoe's Pheasant is a very shy bird, often feeding silently and runs off with the slightest disturbance. Because of this characteristic, very little is known about them. The males of the Swinhoe's Pheasant are brilliant blue with a white crest, back, and a pair of long white tail feathers. On the sides are reddish coloring and patches of green, and the legs are red. The hen and chicks are mottled brown throughout for camouflage when incubating. Their average size is slightly larger than the equally rare Mikado Pheasant, about 72 cm for males and 55 cm for females.There are not many sightings of a predator attacking a Swinhoe's Pheasants. There have been records of Crested Goshawks consuming dead pheasants. Various mammals and owls have been known to attack chicks, while snakes and mammals eat the eggs. Usually, an alarmed pheasant will escape either by running away or flying, often downhill. When a hen with chicks are alarmed, a hen calls a warning cry and the chicks hide in nearby vegetation. The hen leads the predator away, then returns and gathers the young together.