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ZooNooz Article - september 2005
Phantastic pheasants
Flashes of colour in the undergrowth make the new rainforest a vibrant place to visit, writesDARCY SHEDDEN.
Photographs Robert
Dockerill and Jo Nevin
Illustration Glenda Jones
Some of the most spectacularly
beautiful animals on display in
the new Wild Asia exhibit are the
exquisite pheasants and peafowl.
In the Palm Aviary we have Golden
Pheasants and a breeding pair of
Kalij Pheasants, while the Lady
Amherst's Pheasants and the Javan
or Green Peacock and Peahen will
reside with the langurs (leaf-eating
monkeys) in their new enclosure.
Lady Amherst's Pheasant |
Pheasants and peafowl are
some of the 175 species belonging
to the Phasianidae family - a group
of fowl-like birds that are generally
ground dwelling and characterised
by stubby bills, short wings, large,
rounded bodies, long legs and
elaborate tails. The males are often
brilliantly coloured and prone
to posturing while the females
are generally plainer - providing
perfect camouflage for sitting
on a nest on the ground. True
Pheasants, along with other birds
such as snowcocks, francolins,
partridges and quails belong to one
sub-grouping in this family, while
peafowl are placed into another
separate group. The domestic
chicken is also a relation!
Pheasants have been well known in England since about 1050 and they were introduced into Australia and the United States in the late 18th century.
All of the world's pheasants,
with the exception of the very
rare Congo Peacock, originated in
Asia. Images of the birds appear
in ancient Chinese paintings and
tapestries and feature in early
Chinese folklore. It is also said that
the pheasant was brought back to
Europe by Jason and the Argonauts
when on their search for the
Golden Fleece. The ancient Greek
myth of the Phoenix is thought to
be based on the Golden Pheasant.
This magical creature lived for
exactly 500 years, burst into flame
and turned to ashes. It was then
reborn into renewed beauty and
immortality.
Pheasants have been well
known in England since about
1050 and they were introduced into
Australia and the United States in
the late 18th century. Our first birds
were imported directly from Asia
for their ornamental value.
Golden Pheasant |
In their natural Asian habitat,
very little is known about these
birds as they are extremely
secretive and rarely seen, living in
remote areas from the Himalayan
mountain tops to steep valleys and
dense jungles. Peacocks seem to
prefer the lower river and open
woodland areas, and are sometimes
found close to cultivated areas.
Both pheasants and peafowl spend
a great deal of their lives on the
ground, scratching for insects
(especially termites), seeds and
worms. They usually congregate in
pairs or small groups. They have
excellent hearing and vision and if
a predator or an intruder is nearby,
their first reaction is to freeze or
silently disappear into the scrub.
If further disturbed, they will fly
strongly, straight up into the air. It
is this ability that enables them to
get into the tops of trees to roost
at night, however a flight of any
distance is extremely difficult for
them with their low wing-to-body
ratio. These birds do not migrate
far from their home territory - the
furthest distance travelled is a walk down from the high regions of the mountains during winter, or to find the closest source of water.
These birds are considered sacred in their native India.
Golden Pheasants live in the mountains of Central China and are undoubtedly one of the most beautiful of all the pheasants, with a gold head, vivid, rust-coloured breast, green and gold back, and deep red and blue wings. Their long, curved tail feathers are black and cream with cinnamon-coloured specks. The gold and black neck ruff is raised and shown in its full glory during the mating display, where the male presents his magnificent, broadside view to the hen as he twirls in circles and leaps wildly into the air. The Lady Amherst's Pheasant from north-east Burma is a close relative of the Golden Pheasant (they can actually interbreed). The male is also renowned for his colourful black and white plumage, iridescent green and blue back and a dash of red in the tail. The Lady Amherst's Pheasant is sometimes called the Flower Pheasant. The Kalij Pheasant of Nepal is more subtly understated but is still beautiful, being primarily blue with a long crest, red face-wattles, a ridge-shaped tail and very distinctive spurs on the legs.
Javan Peacock |
Indian Peacocks have long been free wanderers around Taronga, their iridescent blue colouring, exquisite tail displays and characteristic mayour call providing a thrilling encounter for our visitors. These birds are considered sacred in their native India. Javan Peafowl are endangered and unique in this family because the female is as beautifully coloured as the male - with a blue face, green throat, bronze body and green and brown wings. Missing in the female though is the peacock 'tail' - which in reality, is not a tail at all. This magnificent display, showing its distinctive 'eyes';, is actually made up of fifty elongated back feathers.
Peacocks lose and regrow their tail feathers each year, so...if you are lucky enough to find a discarded one, treasure it as a sign of good fortune!
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