The blue eared pheasant Crossoptilon auritum
The blue eared pheasant dwells in the forests of central China. These sedentary birds live in coniferous and deciduous forests in mountain valleys. The blue eared pheasant is a rather big bird: its body length reaches 95 to 97 cm, with females being a little smaller. The plumage has bluish-grey coloration, with ashen to dark-blue on the wing feathers and velvet-black on the crown. The bill is white; the legs are crimson, short and strong, with spurs. The tail (54 cm in length) consists of 20 to 24 feathers and is rather soft, resembling a brush. This species is characterized by long white ear coverts and the absence of sexual dimorphism (which is unusual for other pheasants). The eared pheasant form stable pairs, and both males and females take care of the offspring. This species mostly feed on berries, green shoots, larvae and insects, molluscs, worms, and other invertebrates. To get the food these birds dig small holes of almost 30 cm in depth. In spring, pairs are formed, and the males establish nesting and mating territories. The eared pheasants rarely fight with each other. There are 6 to 12 eggs in a clutch, which are incubated by the female for 26 days.
