Silver Pheasant

Appearance

This is a relatively large pheasant, with males of the largest subspecies having a total length of 120 to 125 cm, including a tail of up to 75 cm, while the males of the smallest subspecies barely reach 70 cm in total length, including a tail of about 30 cm. The body mass of males can range from 1.13–2 kg. Females of all subspecies are notably smaller than their respective males, with a size range of 55–90 cm in total length, including a tail of 24–32 cm. The body mass of females can range from 1–1.3 kg.

Males of the northern subspecies, which are the largest, have white upperparts and tail, while their underparts and crest are glossy bluish-black. The males of the southern subspecies have greyer upperparts and tail with extensive black markings, making them appear far darker than the northern subspecies. The adult male plumage is reached in the second year.

Females are brown and shorter-tailed than the males. Females of some subspecies have whitish underparts strongly patterned with black, and in "whiteheadi" this extends to the upper mantle.

Naming

There are 15 recognized subspecies of the Silver Pheasant. In taxonomic order:

⤷  "L. n. occidentalis" Delacour, 1948 – Western Silver Pheasant – south central China and northeastern Myanmar
⤷  "L. n. rufipes" – Ruby mines Silver Pheasant – northern Shan State of northern Myanmar
⤷  "L. n. ripponi" – Rippon's Silver Pheasant – southern Shan State of northern Myanmar
⤷  "L. n. jonesi" – Jones's Pheasant – Myanmar to southwestern China and central Thailand
⤷  "L. n. omeiensis" Cheng, Cheng, and Tang, 1964 – Szechwan Silver Pheasant – southern Sichuan in south central China
⤷  "L. n. rongjiangensi" Tan and Wu, 1981 – Kweichow Silver Pheasant – southeastern Guizhou in south central China
⤷  "L. n. beaulieui" Delacour, 1948 – Lao Silver Pheasant – south central China to northern Laos and northern Vietnam
⤷  "L. n. nycthemera" – nominate – southern China to northern Vietnam
⤷  "L. n. whiteheadi" – Hainan Silver Pheasant – Hainan in southern China
⤷  "L. n. fokiensis" Delacour, 1948 – Fokien Silver Pheasant – southeastern China
⤷  "L. n. berliozi" – Berlioz's Silver Pheasant – western slopes of Annamite Range in central Vietnam
⤷  "L. n. beli" – Bel's Silver Pheasant – eastern slopes of Annamite Range in central Vietnam
⤷  "L. n. engelbachi" Delacour, 1948 – Boloven Silver Pheasant – Bolaven Plateau of southern Laos
⤷  "L. n. lewisi" – Lewis's Silver Pheasant – mountains of southwest Cambodia and southeast Thailand
⤷  "L. n. annamensis" – Annam Silver Pheasant – montane forests of southern Vietnam