What are Pheasants? Where are they found?

Pheasants are a group of domestic chicken-size, ground-dwelling birds found in the moist temperate forests and tropical forests of Asia (one of the species, called the Congo peafowl, occurs in Congo, Africa). There are 49 species of pheasants, including the Tragopans, Junglefowl, Peacocks and Peacock Pheasants. Pheasants have characteristically colourful and iridescent feathers. They are classified in the Family Phasianidae in Order Galliformes, Class Aves.

In India, the Pheasant species occur in the Himalayan mountains, from Jammu and Kashmir in the north to the North-Eastern states in the east. Some of the species are - the Western Tragopan, the Cheer Pheasant, the Kalij Pheasant, the Monal and the Eared Pheasant. Pheasant species such as the Red Junglefowl and the Blue Peafowl have a more widespread distribution in the Indian sub-continent. The Grey Junglefowl is found in the forests of southern India.






The Western Tragopan at Kufri Nature Park in Himachal Pradesh, India.

The Blue Peafowl

Peacocks in the spotted deer enclosure at the Zoological Park, New Delhi, India

The Indian peacock is found in deciduous and scrub forests, and in dry grassland habitat near agricultural fields. It is found in the countries of the Indian subcontinent, and is the National Bird of India.

The male peacock has magnificient tail feathers that are used during its courtship display. It is one of the two species found in the Genus Pavo, the other one being the Green Peafowl.

The peacock forages and nests on the ground, but roosts on trees during the afternoon and at night. It eats seeds, insects, fruits and small reptiles. The peahen lays a clutch of 4-8 eggs which hatch after 28 days.

Quiz

The answers to the Quiz can be posted in the Comments section of this post.

The Pheasants of the World – And their Conservation

An all new book on pheasants is going to be out in a few months time.The book, titled 'Conserving Asia's Wildlife Treasure: The Pheasants', is compiled by Anita Chauhan, a postgraduate from the University of Delhi.

Many of the species in this particular Family of birds (Phasianidae) are threatened with extinction in their native habitat due to deforestation and hunting. This book aims to improve awareness among people about the pheasants, to help with the conservation of these species.

The book contains information on the world’s pheasant species in a concise form that will appeal to people from all backgrounds and ages. This introductory book will particularly appeal to college level students of science.

A portion of the earnings from the sale of the book will be donated to conservation projects for pheasants.

Photo blog at Flickr.com : http://www.flickr.com/photos/30654468@N03/

An update:

The pheasants book is now available in online stores-

Flipkart.com
http://www.flipkart.com/pheasants-conserving-asia-s-wildlife-treasure/p/itmdv7yhzzvndwzy?pid=9781482821314&icmpid=reco_pp_same_book_1&ppid=9789383260089

Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Conserving-Asias-Wildlife-Treasure-Pheasants/dp/1482821311/ref=pd_ybh_1