Silver pheasant – This is bird which is closely related to wild chickes, quails and partridges. They were first mentioned thousands ago in Chinese poetry and chronicles. And there are 35 species of pheasant that originate from Asia. Then, the birds are widely distributed in Asia, Europe and North America today.
Silver Pheasant
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What Are Silver Pheasant?
There are many different breeds of pheasants in the worl such as golden phesant, silver pheasant, ringnecked pheasant, reeves’s pheasant, etc. The Silver pheasant (Lophura Nycthemera) is one of those beautiful species of pheasant which is found in the forests, mainly in the mountains of mainland Southeast Asia, and eastern and southern China. Their throat and under parts are glossy and bluish-black while the upper parts are white with black lines. The pheasant females are mostly plain olive and brown above and below – peppered with black.
Silver Pheasant (Lophura Nycthemera) is known as one of most beautiful birds. The males feathers are more beautiful than the females. But, both have their own unique characteristics.
Furthermore, there are about fifteen subspecies of Sliver Pheasant, distributed from east Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, China to the island of Hainan. Widespread and commonly found in most of its ranges, the Silver pheasant is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Some species of this bird live in the wild and the some of them also get protection so that they remain sustainable and protected from irresponsible hunting.
Do You Know The Place Where This Bird Came From?
The silver pheasant (Lophura nycthemera) is a species of pheasant found in forests, mainly in mountains, of mainland Southeast Asia, and eastern and southern China, with introduced populations in Hawaii and various locations in the US mainland.
This pheasant naturally inhabits the forests and mountains, range from South East Asia, Eastern and Southern China. You can find them in more open areas at forest edges, but rarely in dense forests.
Based on the research, there are about 15 subspecies of this pheasant and the species which is the most common in aviculture is Lophura Nycthemera Nycthemera. Actually, there is overlap of other subspecies of silver pheasants and also of the Nepal Kalij and Siamese fireback.
The silver pheasant tends to be found at higher elevations in both grassland and also forest environment throughout mainland Southeast Asia. While their conservation status is listed as of ‘Leas Concern’, their habitat is diminishing and their population finally is declining.
Pheasant Description
Female silver pheasant has smaller body and different color with the male. The female size ranges of 55 – 90 cm, including a tail 24 – 32 cm.
Recognized as a relatively large pheasant, the males of the largest subspecies can reah a total length of 120 to 125 cm, including a tail of up to 75 cm. In the other side, the males of the smallest subspecies barely reach 70 cm in total length, including a tail of about 30 cm long.
In the other side, the silver pheasant hen of all subspecies are notably smaller than their respective males. The size ranges of 55 to 90 cm, including a tail of 24 to 32 cm. In addition, the weight of females can range from 1 to 1.3 kg, smaller than the males with the body mass that can range from 1.13 to 2 kg.
Silver Pheasant Behavior
This birds are fairly quiet. Indeed, they scratch the ground with the feet, and sometimes digs with the bill. But they choose to feed on plant matter such as seeds and fruits. Don’t worry, they will not damage every plants that you have around the aviary. They will not scratch them or eat every leaf as it appears.
Silver Pheasant Feathers
Known as a beautiful bird, this pheasant type has unique feathers colors. The male species are black and white, while the females is mainly brown. Both have a bare face and red legs.
The male is black and white, while the females is mainly brown. Both have a bare face and red legs
The female has brown feathers on the upperparts. On the underparts, the brown feathers are broadly edged creamy-white.
The adult male has white upper-parts and tail, finely streaked black while the underparts are blue-black. The next, is pure white above and blue-black below. On the head, they have bare face and bright scarlet wattles. Besides, they also have long blue-black crest on the rear crown, which elongated feathers extending to the rear neck. They have whitish strong bill and reddish-brown eyes. The legs and feet are red. And each legs shows one medium-sized spur.
How about the adult females? They have brown feathers on the upper-parts. On the underparts, the brown feathers are broadly edged creamy-white. They also have brown upper-tail, whereas the under-tail and outer rectrices are brown streaked creamy-white.
Silver pheasants can make wonderful pets. With the beautiful feathers, they are great addition to any aviary and can live with other birds such as chickens and ducks.
Silver Pheasant Lifespan
The average life expectancy of this species is 15 ot 20 years. In fact, the silver pheasant have low survival rate. According to a certain source, 35% your birds die before they reach the age of 6 to 10 weeks. Only 2 to 3% birds manage to survive to the age of 3 years in the wild.
In the wild, the pheasant die of old age is very difficult to find. If ever, it is so rarely. Why? Because this bird is a prey species. The main predators are foxes, hawks, and owls which hunt the young birds. Even, from the day it is laid in the nest, the egg must face the threat from raccoons and skunks which feed on them.
How To Keep Silver Pheasant As Pet House?
There are several factors that you need to know before deciding to keep silver pheasant as your pet house. See the details below.
The Aviary
Make sure that you provide comfortable aviary to your silver pheasant. Adjust the size with the number of birds you are keeping. And don’t forget to also add the perches and areas for the birds to feel secure.
Silver pheasant are super birds in the aviary. They are hardy birds which are very easy to look after and take care. As they are classified as large birds, it is important to house them in a larger aviary. Don’t forget to consider the floor size. Then, furnish the aviary with high perches and areas for the birds (particularly the hens) to feel secure. In the wild, this bird naturally roost very hing in the forest canopy at night to avoid the predators.
The main diet of pheasant are seeds and fruits. They are also good natural foragers that eat grains, berries, greens, even insects.
Silver pheasant feeds mainly on seeds and fruits, but they also consumes invertebrates. They are fantastic natural foragers eating a diet of berries, seeds, grains, greens, and also insects. In addition, you will also need to give supplement to them with a standard game bird feed. Also don’t forget to always provide fresh water daily.
Silver Pheasant Breeding
The eggs will usually hatch after incubation days about 25 – 26 days. In order to make comfortable surroundings, you can put straw in the nest.
The breeding season can vary based on the range. The hens can lay up to around 20 eggs in one season which are incubated for about 25 to 26 days. It is best to provide them as much natural surroundings as possible.
Silver pheasant chick is precocial which means they are able to feed themselves very soon just after getting hatched.
The chicks will hatch after the incubation (usually after the 25th day). They are precocial that is able to feed themselves very soon. The parents only have to guide them towards the food sources, and protect them against predators. Moreover, the chicks will grow very quickly and it’s better to feed them a high protein diet. They are also able to fly within a days of hatching. The color of silver pheasant chicks are usually covered in brown down very cryptic. Of course, it can be beneficial for them for providing them good camouflage outside of the nest.
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