Blood Pheasant

The Blood Pheasant is a compact, high-elevation gamebird of the Himalayas and adjacent mountains of China, named for the crimson-red wash of feathering across its face, throat, breast, and undertail. Unlike the broad, bold patterns of many pheasants, its plumage is finely streaked gray-green overall, with the blood-red highlights standing out as splashes of color against an otherwise subdued, camouflaged base.

• Overall pattern: finely streaked gray-green feathers, a much subtler texture than the broad patterning of most pheasants.
• Face and throat: bright crimson-red feathering, the species' signature field mark.
• Breast and undertail: crimson-red wash blending into the streaked gray body.
• Facial skin: bare red skin around the eye, complementing the red feather patches.
• Legs: red, matching the overall crimson highlights of the plumage.

Males typically show more extensive and vivid crimson patches than females, whose plumage is more uniformly gray-green with less red. Juveniles are duller still, with minimal red coloring until maturity. A single complete molt occurs annually.

Blood Pheasant inhabit high-altitude conifer, rhododendron, and bamboo-understory forest across the Himalayas and into the mountains of southwestern and central China. The species makes modest seasonal elevational movements, favoring higher forest and treeline scrub in summer and lower forest in winter.

This species forages in small flocks on the ground and in low vegetation for seeds, buds, and invertebrates, often at elevations near the treeline. It is generally tame and approachable compared to many other pheasants. Nests are shallow ground scrapes hidden under dense cover. Calls include soft, low chirping and clucking notes used to maintain flock contact.