Chinese bamboo pheasant

Gray and orange head.

Scientific name	Bambusicola thoracicus
English name	Chinese bamboo pheasant
Japanese name	小綬鶏
Class	Aves
Order	Galliformes
Family	Phasianidae
Genus	Bambusicola
Species	thoracicus
Full length	27cm
Distribution	Honshu (south of Hokuriku), Shikoku, Kyushu

Chinese bamboo pheasant Characteristics and Morphology

Slightly less than 30cm in length, looking like a small chicken. Rounded silhouette. Both sexes look the same.
The head is small. Gray-brown feathers extend from the forehead, over the eyes, to the back of the neck. The area from below the eyes to the throat is bright brown. The bill is thick and short. Irises are black. The body is round. The back has dark brown patterns on a brown base. The breast is gray. Tail feathers are short and brown. Legs are close to gray.

Song

The call is traditionally interpreted in Japanese as "Chotto-koi" (Come here a moment), but it actually sounds like "pee" or "kyoo." It is not a particularly loud cry.

Chinese bamboo pheasant Ecology

Habitat

Inhabits snow-free grasslands and farmlands.

Food

Omnivorous; eats plant seeds, fruits, and arthropods.

Life Cycle

Breeds from spring to early summer.

Chinese bamboo pheasant Photos

Chinese bamboo pheasant Photos are introduced.
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Chinese bamboo pheasant Behavior

Forms flocks and acts together from autumn to spring.

Chinese bamboo pheasant Information

Naming

The scientific name "thoracicus" means "of the chest," referring to the gray feathers on its breast.

Introduction to Japan

A bird of the Phasianidae family brought from China in 1919. They were imported as pets in the early 20th century and released in Kanagawa Prefecture.

Chinese bamboo pheasant Found Locations

Yudono River, Hachioji City

It jumped out onto the cycling road along the Yudono River in Hachioji City. It suddenly dashed out from a hedge, and I almost hit it. The two startled partridges ducked into the hedge, but after watching for a while, they came back out onto the road. They were pecking at the ground eating something, but eventually fled warily.