Grain-eating birds

Silver Pheasant

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Silver Pheasant (Lophura nycthemera)

The silver pheasant comes from Southeast and Central Asia, where it inhabits meadows and sparse forests. There is evidence that it was bred as an ornamental bird in China as early as 5,000 years ago. It was brought to Europe in the 15th century.

Also, some species of pheasants have European habitat (Italy, Russia and many other countries). In many states of America, pheasants are also raised, for example, in Montana. In Russia, the bird most often lives in Transcaucasia and the North Caucasus. The pheasants like valleys near the banks of rivers or lakes and areas with dense vegetation.

The male is 120-150 cm long, of which 60-80 cm is the tail, and the female is about 70 cm long, with 25-32 cm tail. The back, chest, belly and neck of the males are black, and the upper side of the body is entirely white. They have angular black patterns on their wings, back and rump, giving them silver appearance. Around the eyes there is red bare skin field with short bangs. Their legs are red with spikes. The females are plain brown in color and have a shorter brown hood on their heads.

This kind of pheasant has 13 subspecies. The female lays 8 to 12 eggs, sometimes 20 light creamy to pink eggs. After the end of the second month, the chicks start eating like adults - millet, oats, barley, sunflower, etc.

The males' hood turns black and blue in color when they become 1-year-old.

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