Reeves's Pheasant

Syrmaticus reevesii

A truly stunning game bird with a tail that can stretch over 6 feet long, turning heads in forests across Asia and in introduced parts of Europe.

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Visual Identification

Appearance

The Reeves's Pheasant is a striking bird, notable for its extremely long tail feathers in males, which can reach up to 1.8 meters, longer than any other pheasant. Males display a golden-brown body with distinct black-and-white markings, a white crown, and a black-and-white barred tail.

Females are smaller and less colourful, with mottled brown plumage and shorter tails. Both sexes have bare red facial skin, grey legs, and a greenish-grey hooked beak. Males also have short spurs on their feet, which females lack.

Juveniles are mostly the same as females but have lighter forenecks and whitish-streaking on their pale brown breasts. Young males are relatively quick to get the pattern on their tails.

Size

Length

100cm to 210cm

Wingspan

80cm to 90cm

Weight

1000g to 1.7kg

Colours

Male Female

Primary Colour

Brown White Black

Secondary Colour

Buff Rufous Red

Beak Colour

Grey

Leg Colour

Grey

Primary Colour (Female)

Brown Buff

Secondary Colour (Female)

Black

Beak Colour (Female)

Grey

Leg Colour (Female)

Grey

Habitat and Distribution

Habitats

Woodland

The Reeves's Pheasant can be found in Woodland habitats.

Garden

The Reeves's Pheasant is not typically found in Garden habitats.

Wetland

The Reeves's Pheasant is not typically found in Wetland habitats.

Coastal

The Reeves's Pheasant is not typically found in Coastal habitats.

Urban

The Reeves's Pheasant is not typically found in Urban habitats.

Farmland

The Reeves's Pheasant is not typically found in Farmland habitats.

Grassland

The Reeves's Pheasant is not typically found in Grassland habitats.

Desert

The Reeves's Pheasant is not typically found in Desert habitats.

Tundra

The Reeves's Pheasant is not typically found in Tundra habitats.

Rainforest

The Reeves's Pheasant is not typically found in Rainforest habitats.

Mountain

The Reeves's Pheasant can be found in Mountain habitats.

Savanna

The Reeves's Pheasant is not typically found in Savanna habitats.

Distribution

Reeves's Pheasants are endemic to central China, inhabiting temperate mixed forests with dense undergrowth. They prefer areas with a mix of coniferous and broadleaf trees, often in mountainous regions.

Their range extends across several Chinese provinces, including Sichuan, Hubei, and Guizhou. These birds are non-migratory, maintaining their territories year-round within suitable habitat areas.

They have been introduced into the United Kingdom, France and the Czech Republic, where small breeding populations have been established, mainly in lowland forests and occasionally farmland.

Elevation Range

Up to 2,600 meters

Climate zones

Temperate, Subtropical

Distribution Map

This map gives you a rough idea of where you might spot a Reeves's Pheasant. The coloured areas show countries where these birds have been seen.

A few things to keep in mind:

Birds might not be everywhere in the coloured areas, for example, they may be present around the coast of that country
Where birds live can change with seasons and available food
This map is quite simple - it doesn't show exact locations

We're working on making our maps even better! Soon, we hope to show you:

More detailed maps for bigger countries, including state and region
How birds move around during different seasons