The Blood Pheasant will get its title from the crimson-colored streaks on its physique – which apparently to some somewhat bizarre or overly imaginative individuals appear to be blood.
The Latin species title cruentus, “blood-stained” has the identical background
Blood Pheasants primarily feed on mosses – not many chook species do that as mosses aren’t very nutritious. But it surely will get them a paper within the Journal of Bryology (bryology is the examine of mosses and liverworts – I can’t faux I knew this earlier than scripting this submit).
Once I confirmed a photograph of the Blood Pheasant to a German hunter, he complained that this pheasant has “no tail”. And eBird calls it a “chunky partridgelike pheasant” – identical gist, I assume.
In winter, Blood Pheasants type flocks which might be comparatively harmonious inside however could battle with different flocks.
One paper recognized the variety of flocks of their analysis space “by tracing their tracks within the snow”. Very Cowboys and Indians.
What are their standards for choosing actual property? Apparently, they like positions decrease within the slopes, a bit additional away from water, with sparse and low shrubbery, and half-sunny, half-gloomy mild. Fairly selective. The paper describing this then daringly means that these preferences is perhaps associated to meals availability.
One of many threats to the Blood Pheasant comes from overgrazing by cattle. So, researchers appeared on the habitat use of Blood Pheasants as associated to the presence of livestock. To their shock, they discovered a optimistic correlation between the presence of blood pheasants and livestock within the breeding season, which they then type of defined away by citing “comparable habitat preferences”.
Blood Pheasants are monogamous, they usually appear to have some type of work-sharing association. Properly, the feminine (proven under) does all of the incubation (source) …
… whereas the male spends extra time watching out for potential risks throughout pre-incubation and incubation, permitting the feminine to spend extra time on feeding, preening, and dusting (source).
Throughout incubation, the females usually go away the eggs as soon as per day for a length of about 7 hours (source), throughout which the temperature of the eggs drops to under 10 levels Celsius for just a few hours. This doesn’t appear to harm the event of the chicks.
And sure, there’s a paper on the whole mitochondrial genome of blood pheasant. Yawn.
To finish the submit, I like to recommend listening to “Blood Soup” by Yeah Yeah Noh. Most likely not containing Blood Pheasant blood, although. However an excerpt from “Prepare to Kansas Metropolis”, a music additionally lined by the Shop Assistants. Or in the event you like Kansas Metropolis however dislike trains, you’ll be able to take heed to “Kansas City” by Okkervil River. Or – in case your preferences go in the wrong way – select “Not in Kansas” by The Nationwide. This music mentions R.E.M., so the final hyperlink right here is to “Oh My Heart“.
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