The brown eared pheasant Crossoptilon mantchuricum
The plumage of the brown eared pheasants is brown with a bluish-black tinge on the upperparts, shoulders, and wing coverts; the underparts have greyish tinge; the head is shining black, the feathers on the chin and throat, as well as elongated ear feathers are white. The bill is big, yellowish at the base and reddish on the tip; the legs are red, with small spurs. The male’s body length reaches 100 cm, and his tail length, about 55 cm. The female’s plumage is mostly the same, but the head feathers are light brown, and the bill is dark-red. No spurs are seen on the legs.
The brown eared pheasants are found in western China and Inner Mongolia where they inhabit thickets of plants, birch- and stunted pine-woods located at high altitudes. These birds previously lived also in highlands, but with land development for agricultural use, the natural habitat diminished.
