Ring-necked Pheasant

Phasianus colchicus mongolicus (Brandt, 1845)

		male
2014-04-10 Almaty. Dendropark.	© Askar Isabekov

Description

Back, especially upper back, rather intensive rich coppery-red colour with well developed green shade. Feathers on crop and upper breast with green shade and usually with underdeveloped, sometimes absent, pattern formed by black terminal borders. Rump and upper tail coverts less red, head more bronze-green, back with more developed green shade than turcestanicus. White collar usually not closed in front, but better developed than turcestanicus.

Distribution

Breeding in Chu river valley, at Balkhash-Alakol and Zaysan depressions, where recorded in middle of XIX century, and not spotted again until its reintroduction to the area in 1983. Over the last few years, settles in West (Chu-Iliyskiye Mts., Zhetyzhol ridge) and in 1998 reappeared at Chokpak Pass and upper reaches of Arys river (basin of Syrdarya river), where it is becoming common.

References

"Птицы Казахстана" том 2. Алма-Ата, 1962. Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005. Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999.