Birds
Golden Pheasant
Chrysolophus pictus · also called golden pheasants
Raising a fan-like golden-orange cape around its face until the head briefly disappears behind a wall of colour, a male golden pheasant performs one of the most extravagant courtship displays of any bird, its everyday plumage already among the most vividly coloured on Earth.
Overview
The golden pheasant, Chrysolophus pictus, is an extraordinarily colourful bird native to forest and mountain habitat across central China. Its combination of a golden crest, deep red body, iridescent back, and a raised golden-orange cape used in courtship display, contrasted sharply against the plain, camouflaged females, make it one of the most visually spectacular pheasant species found anywhere in the world.
Too bright to be easy to find
Despite carrying some of the most extravagant colouring of any bird, the golden pheasant remains genuinely difficult to observe in the wild, relying on dense mountain forest cover to stay hidden from predators despite plumage that seems built to be seen.
Status
Least Concern, remaining present across suitable forest and mountain habitat in central China, aided by extensive captive breeding worldwide.
Golden Pheasant: common questions
Why does the golden pheasant raise a cape around its face?
Males of this species raise a fan-like golden-orange cape of feathers around the face and neck during courtship display, briefly obscuring most of the head to present an even more dramatic visual signal to females, a striking addition to an already extraordinarily colourful bird.
Is the golden pheasant easy to see in the wild?
No, despite its extremely bright colouring, this species is relatively secretive and difficult to observe in the wild, generally staying within dense mountain forest cover in central China rather than venturing into open, easily viewed terrain.
Do male and female golden pheasants look the same?
No, males display an extraordinarily colourful combination of a golden crest, deep red body, iridescent blue-green back, and golden-orange cape, while females have plain, mottled brown plumage that provides effective camouflage.
Where does the golden pheasant live in the wild?
This species is native to forest and mountain habitat across central China, though it has additionally become a popular ornamental bird kept in captivity in aviaries and parks worldwide.