The Swinhoe`s pheasant Lophura swinhoii
The Swinhoe`s pheasant is endemic to the virgin and secondary mountain forests of Taiwan, located at 300 to 2000 m above sea level. Deforestation and hunting resulted in a dramatic decrease in numbers of this species, and in the late 1950 s, it was considered very rare and was included to the first edition of the IUCN Red Book. Soon, reintroduction program was commenced in Taiwan.
The male body length comprises 120 cm; the tail length is 50 cm. The female’s body is 70 cm long, with the tail of 25–30 cm. The male plumage is blackish-blue, except for the purely white colour of the crest, upper back, and central pair of the rectrices; bare facial skin and legs are bright red. The female Swinhoe`s pheasants are brown, with yellow arrow-shaped spots on her back and wings, and red areas around the eyes. Characteristic of this species is white colour of upper tail, upper back, and a small crest. The Swinhoe`s pheasants are monogamous and form stable pairs. The females lay 6 to 15 eggs, incubating them for about 25 days. Both males and females participate in brood-rearing.
