Birds
Blood Pheasant
Ithaginis cruentus · also called blood pheasants
Foraging for moss and lichen near the treeline at an altitude few other pheasants could tolerate, a blood pheasant carries vivid crimson splashes across its chest and face, a startling colour pattern that looks almost like a fresh wound against otherwise muted grey-green plumage.
Overview
The blood pheasant, Ithaginis cruentus, is a high-altitude specialist native to forest and mountain habitat across the Himalayas and adjacent mountain ranges of China. Its vivid crimson colour splashes against grey-green plumage, tolerance for altitude higher than almost any other pheasant species, and unusually plant-heavy diet of moss and lichen make it one of the most ecologically specialised and visually distinctive pheasants found anywhere in the world.
A pheasant built for the edge of the treeline
While most pheasants stay within the relative comfort of lower forest, the blood pheasant pushes into alpine scrub and dwarf forest near the treeline, a harsh, high-altitude niche that has shaped both its diet and its social flocking behaviour.
Status
Least Concern, remaining present across suitable high-altitude forest and mountain habitat throughout the Himalayas and adjacent ranges.
Blood Pheasant: common questions
How did the blood pheasant get its name?
This species has vivid crimson-red splashes across the chest, face, and other parts of the body set against otherwise grey-green plumage, an unusual colour pattern resembling fresh blood that gives rise to the species' common name.
How high in elevation does the blood pheasant live?
This species tolerates higher altitude than almost any other pheasant species, living near the treeline in alpine scrub and dwarf forest at the upper edge of vegetation, well above where most other pheasant-family birds are typically found.
What does the blood pheasant eat?
This species feeds mainly on moss, lichen, and the shoots and leaves of alpine plants, a more strictly plant-based diet than the more omnivorous diet typical of most other pheasant species, reflecting the limited food available at high altitude.
Does the blood pheasant live alone or in groups?
This species is social outside the breeding season, forming flocks that move together through high-altitude habitat in search of food, a social structure that likely helps individuals cope with the harsh conditions found near the treeline.