White Eared-Pheasant Crossoptilon crossoptilon Scientific name definitions

75–96 cm; tail 46–58 cm; male 2350–2750 g, female 1400–2050 g. Unmistakable . Ear-tufts  shorter than those of other eared-pheasants. Female resembles male, but slightly smaller, darker and browner; lacks spurs  (male has single short spur). Iris orange-yellow, bill reddish-horn, facial skin  red and legs  and feet scarlet. Juvenile greyer with buff, chestnut and dark brown markings above and below; tail grey; acquires adult plumage after 8–10 weeks. Plumage pattern varies considerably between white  and slaty-grey races, but relation to geographical distribution is not always clear: race dolani is pale ash-grey overall, including wings, but has foreneck and belly white; <em>drouynii</em>  is variable, some having slate-blue mantle, but others being pale grey or even white above , and tail base is either white or dark; lichiangense closely recalls nominate, but has pale grey tail base and wings.

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Taxon harmani here considered a distinct species on account of mid-grey upperparts and underparts (except for white throat, neck-sides and mid-belly and whitish-grey rump), with white belly patch vs pale grey in morphologically closest form dolani (2); neck greyish-black, causing white throat and narrow white collar to stand out sharply (3); white belly patch vs none (1); slightly smaller size (on small sample, NHMUK, where mean wing 286 vs 310; at least 1). Intergrades among races reported, suggesting that several may be of dubious validity; drouynii found to exhibit individual variation at one site (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Four subspecies currently recognized.

• Tibetan x White Eared-Pheasant (hybrid) Crossoptilon harmani x crossoptilon

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Subalpine coniferous forest, oak, birch, rhododendron and juniper scrub between 3500 m and 4300 m, but down to 2800 m in winter. Appears to prefer areas reasonably close to water, at least in winter (3 Jia, F., Wang, N. and Zheng, G.-M. (2005). Winter habitat requirements of White Eared-pheasant Crossoptilon crossoptilon and Blood Pheasant Ithaginis cruentus in south-west China. Bird Conservation International. 15(3): 303–312 Close ). Forages on low-intensity farmland in some areas (4 Wang, N., Zheng, G. and McGowan, P.J.K. (2012). Pheasants in sacred and other forests in western Sichuan: their cultural conservation. Chinese Birds. 3(1): 33–46. Close ).

Some altitudinal movement recorded. In summer occurs in alpine meadows, in winter descending to subalpine spruce and pine forest, possibly as low as 2800 m; some birds, however, have been seen as high as 4500 m in winter. Escape-flight can take bird considerable distance downhill (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Believed to feed  on lily bulbs and stems and bulbs of wild onions; one crop in Dec was full of juniper berries; seen feeding on rowan/mountain ash (Sorbus). Supplementary feeding by monks  at monasteries  occurs in some areas (5 Pitches, A. (1997). Around the Orient. China. White Eared Pheasant site threatened by copper mine. Bull. Oriental Bird Club. 26: 16. Close ). Flocks of up to 30 recorded feeding in loose association; in past up to 230 individuals together, although local people have recently reported an aggregation of up to 1000 birds in Daocheng, Sichuan (4 Wang, N., Zheng, G. and McGowan, P.J.K. (2012). Pheasants in sacred and other forests in western Sichuan: their cultural conservation. Chinese Birds. 3(1): 33–46. Close ). Feeds by pecking at leaves and digging; may drink from streams in early morning and evening.

Advertising call  is a fast-tempo, raucous , grating “gag, gag, gagerah, gagerah, gagerah, gagerah, gagerah” that is audible over long distances.

Little information from the wild. Considered monogamous. Eggs probably laid in May–Jun; two nests in late May, one in NE Assam (record questioned) at 3300–3600 m; one nest sited on ground under fallen tree in deep forest, constructed of bark and pulp, lined with moss. Two clutches of four and seven pale stone to buff eggs (grey-green in C. harmani), mean size 59·1 mm × 43·5 mm (C. c. drouynii) (6 Lu, X. and Zheng, G.-M. (2000). Why do eared-pheasants of the eastern Qinghai-Tibet plateau show so much morphological variation? Bird Conservation International. 10(4): 305–309. Close ); incubation (in captivity) 24 days, by female alone; chicks have chestnut-brown and rufous down above, creamy yellow below.

Not considered globally threatened. Currently treated as Near Threatened. Formerly considered Vulnerable. CITES I. Species has a large range, but one within which its rather specialized habitat is limited; its distribution is therefore fragmented and its global population believed to be small, estimated to be as few as 20,000 birds (range 10,000–50,000); currently declining. Known from few protected areas , including Wolong National Nature Reserve, but species was afforded special protection by local people in parts of W Sichuan, although this seems to be changing due, in part, to tourism to the region from elsewhere in China (4 Wang, N., Zheng, G. and McGowan, P.J.K. (2012). Pheasants in sacred and other forests in western Sichuan: their cultural conservation. Chinese Birds. 3(1): 33–46. Close ). Threatened by deforestation and hunting for food; a known site for species, holding 300 birds, in NW Yunnan is threatened by development of copper mine, which would probably also lead to increased poaching of this and other species (5 Pitches, A. (1997). Around the Orient. China. White Eared Pheasant site threatened by copper mine. Bull. Oriental Bird Club. 26: 16. Close ). Assessment of species’ status within protected areas should be determined as soon as possible.