Animal
Golden pheasant
A bird of Chinese forests whose male has a golden crest, red plumage and a long tail.
Langue du contenu
A golden crest and red areas of plumage identify the male golden pheasant. His tail extends the silhouette, while the female is more modestly coloured, mainly brown. The difference between the sexes is therefore much greater than in many other birds. The male reaches about a metre in total length, but this includes the tail rather than measuring the body alone.
The species naturally inhabits mountain forests in central and western China, with dense scrub and bamboo. Even a brightly coloured bird can be difficult to spot in such vegetation. It searches for food on the ground during the day, moving high into a tree for the night. Its diet includes seeds, fruit and buds, as well as insects and other small invertebrates.
During courtship, the male spreads his feather collar and displays it to the female, turning and performing a sequence of movements. Calls and displays of plumage are parts of the same courtship behaviour. Once breeding begins, the female cares for the offspring. In Lubin Zoo's collection, the golden pheasant represents a large group of pheasants with different colours and shapes of ornamental feathers.
Pour les enfants
A male golden pheasant has a golden crest on his head, red feathers on his body and a long tail. The female looks different: she is mainly brown. Two birds of the same species can therefore look very unlike one another.
Their wild relatives live in China's mountain forests among thick vegetation and bamboo. During the day, a pheasant searches for food on the ground. It eats seeds, fruit, buds and small invertebrates. At night, it chooses a place high in a tree, using the ground and branches at different times.
When courting a female, the male spreads an ornamental collar of feathers and performs a display. Later, the female cares for the young. The male's long tail greatly changes his outline: his total length is much greater than the length of his body alone.
Question 1 sur 2
Where does a golden pheasant spend the night?
- Emplacement
- Bird Trail - pheasant aviaries