The white eared pheasant (Crossoptilon crossoptilon) belongs to the family Phasianidae. The white eared pheasants are distributed in India and China. There four subspecies of these birds. The subspecies C. c. dolani Meyer occurs in China. The subspecies C. c. drouynii occurs in Tibet in China. The subspecies C. c. crossoptilon occurs in India and china. The subspecies C. c. lichiangense is also found in China.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) had categorized and evaluated these pheasant species and had listed them as 'Vulnerable'.
These birds are fairly large, male measuring 75 to 100 cm in length and weighing 2350 to 2750 grams. The tail of the males is nearly 50 cm long. The females are smaller than males and weigh between 1400 to 2000 grams. These birds are prominently whitish and white eared. The bare face skin is red. The tip of the tail and wing feathers are tipped black.
They inhabit subalpine coniferous forests are seen in the elevations between 3500 to 4500 meters. They feed on tubers, bulbs, berries and wild onions. They breed during April to June and the clutch has four to six eggs. They are monogamous.
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| Indian bird - White eared pheasant - Crossoptilon crossoptilon |
| Biological classification | |
|---|---|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Galliformes |
| Family: | Phasianidae |
| Subfamily: | Phasianinae |
| Genus: | Crossoptilon |
| Species: | C. crossoptilon |
| Binomial name: | Crossoptilon crossoptilon |
| Distribution: | alpine meadows of Himalayas; |
| Feeding habits: | tubers, roots, pine needles, juniper berries, wolfberries, seed pods of iris, lily and allium; |
| IUCN status listing: | Vulnerable |
Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:WhiteEaredPheasant.jpg
Author: Snowyowls | License: CC BY-SA 1.0
Current topic in Birds of India: White eared pheasant - Crossoptilon crossoptilon.
