Edwards' Pheasant

Facts

IUCN ENDANGERED (EN)

Facts about this animal

The total length of the Edwards pheasant is 58-65 cm. Body-weight ranges from 1000 to 1100 g.

The general plumage of the male is dark blue, with a white backward curved crest. The iris is reddish. The face wattles are scarlet with two large lobes above and below. The bill is whitish green and blackish at the base. It has crimson coloured legs.

The female: is chestnut brown and the upper parts are not barred. The whole plumage is very finely and inconspicuously vermiculated with black. The shafts of the feathers are light brown. The orbital skin and the legs are red.

In immatures, the head and neck are greyish brown, the throat pale fulvous; the body feathers chestnut brown, finely vermiculated with black; feathers of mantle with two subterminal dark spots; wing-coverts greyish black at the base, chestnut streaked with black near the end with a blackish V-shaped subterminal marking.

Laying starts at the end of March. Clutches size ranges from four to six eggs, occasionally more. A second laying (and sometimes a third) can occur at intervals of about 2-3 weeks if the eggs have been taken or destroyed. The eggs rosy to creamy buff, with small white pitted spots. 45 x 36mm. Incubation: 21-23 days.

It is assumed that the Vietnamese Pheasant is an inbred form of the Edwards’ Pheasant resulting from considerable forest fragmentation and isolated populations.

The Edwards’ Pheasant can also cross-breed with the Silver Pheasant resulting in a natural hybrid form known as the Imperial Pheasant ( Lophura imperialis).

Did you know?
that an Edwards' pheasant hen can lay up to three clutches if the eggs are removed and placed in an incubator? Average clutch size is 4 to 7 eggs.

Factsheet
Class	AVES
Order	GALLIFORMES
Suborder	PHASIANI
Family	PHASIANIDAE
Name (Scientific)	Lophura edwardsi
Name (English)	Edwards' Pheasant
Name (French)	Faisan de Edwards
Name (German)	Edwards-Fasan
Name (Spanish)	Faisán de Edwards
CITES Status	Appendix I
CMS Status	Not listed

Photo Copyright by
Thaisk

Distribution

Distribution
Range	Viet Nam
Habitat	Rainforest
Wild population	Approx. 250 - 999
Zoo population	1061 registered in the International studbook (end of 2004), of which 199 reported to ISIS (2005)

In the Zoo

How this animal should be transported

For air transport, Container Note 16 of the IATA Live Animals Regulations should be followed.

Find this animal on ZooLex

Photo Copyright by
Frank Wouters

Why do zoos keep this animal

There are probably less than 1000 Edwards pheasants surviving in the wild and the species irs rated Endangered by IUCN. With a view of building up a reserve population, an International Studbook has been established under the WAZA umbrella, and coordinated conservation breeding programmes are operated at the regional level by EAZA and JAZA. The zoo population participating in Studbook and breeding programmes is now larger than the most optimistic estimate for the wild population!

How this animal should be kept

The Edwards’ pheasant is very hardy despite the fact that it comes from a tropical country and it is possibly the only pheasant that often seems to actually like rain.

It is usually kept in outdoor aviaries of at least 15m² for one pair. There are some successful cases of birds living in liberty in big parks (several hectares). The enclosure should include a frost-proof house of at least 3m² for one pair, or at least a suitable cover to protect the birds from heavy rain and wind. The indoor housing doesn’t need to be heated in a temperate climate. A heating lamp may be useful below 0°C.

When designing an aviary it may be worth to ensure that it can be split into two sections in the event of needing to separate the birds, particularly when the hen has chicks.

Sand, natural soil or bark chips are suitable substrates for the aviary, which should be well planted with shrubs. The indoor facilities should be easy to clean and disinfect, such as concrete covered with bark chips. In and outdoors high perches must be in place to allow roosting at night.

Edwards pheasants are fed a standard pheasant diet consisting of pellets mixed with wheat, fruit, and salad. Limestone or grit should be available all the time, especially in the case of bark-covered soil, together with fresh water. The food should be placed in the indoor housing or under a cover in order for it to be protected from rain. Before and during the breeding season the feed should be supplemented with vitamins and mineral powder.

The birds should be dewormed twice a year, usually in February and September.