Mikado pheasant

Description

The mikado pheasant ( Syrmaticus mikado ) is an endemic pheasant from the mountainous regions of Taiwan.The species occupies the thick woods,the bamboo groves and the grassy clearings among the conifersof central and southern Taiwan,between 2000 and 3200 meters above sea level.The mikado pheasants often move,feeding in the meantime (a diet composed of various fruits,leaves,vegetation,seeds and invertebrates),similar to the chickens,on the forest floor and on the mountain paths,especially on rainy and foggy days.They often pop out in the open when it rains slightly or after a violent downpour,when they are hidden by fog.These birds tend to remain solitary,both when they are calm and when they are on alert.Pheasants usually tolerate human presence up to a distance of 10-20 meters,from which it is possible to observe them.When they are disturbed,they head slowly and carefully into the surrounding bushes,instead of running away in a panic.If seriously threatened,they can fly over short distances,gliding down from the mountain.The males are territorial and occupy an area of 200-400 meters radius.When they fight for a female or in defense of the territory they issue a call that sounds like ake,ke,ke.The mating season of mikado pheasants is from March to June.The mikado pheasants build their nests,made mainly of dry branches,fallen leaves,blades of grass and feathers,in the cavities of the trees or in the depressions under the rocks.The female usually lays three to eight eggs at once and will be dedicated to their incubation (26-28 days) and to the breeding of the young,once born.Young people usually become independent after six months at most.The males of this species,long-tailed and resplendent,can reach 70 cm in length,while the females,smaller and less showy,measure at most 47 cm.The long,hard and bright feathers of this bird's tail were used by the Taiwanese aborigines as ornaments for headgear.Some mikado pheasants are bred in captivity,but in nature only about 10,000 remain,especially in the Yushan National Park.In the past,the strong hunting pressure had proved to be a problem,but today it is no longer a serious threat.The mikado pheasant is considered almost at risk from the red list of threatened species of IUCN.