Artificial breeding efforts increase rare Chinese pheasant population

Source:Xinhua Published: 2018/8/14 23:38:41

Researchers in Southwest China's Sichuan Province have hatched five Chinese monal chicks, a rare type of pheasant, increasing the number of artificially bred Chinese monals to a global total of 16.

With highly iridescent plumage, the Chinese monal is one of the largest pheasants in the world.

The species is listed as "vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and is under China's highest national-level protection.

The bird is as rare as the giant panda, and covering a similar range.

There are less than 3,000 wild Chinese monals in the world, which mainly live in mountainous areas, at an altitude of 3,000 meters above sea level in the northwest parts of Sichuan, and Qinghai and Gansu provinces and Tibet Autonomous Region.

"The Chinese monal is one of the most difficult species to breed in captivity," said Zhou Caiquan, deputy director of the Sichuan (Baoxing) Protection and Research Center of Chinese Monal.

"Wild Chinese monals are hard to tame. Some birds still avoid people even after decades in captivity. Furthermore, mating and hatching eggs in cages also prove challenging," Zhou said.

Five artificially bred female Chinese monals in the center laid 16 eggs during the breeding season between April and June, and five of them have been successfully hatched.

Read on  

Plucky pheasant survives 'miraculous' 25-mile journey inside a car grille

1:25pm 4th July 2018 

(Updated 1:27pm 4th July 2018)

A plucky pheasant who was hit by a car before getting wedged in the front bumper grille survived a 25-mile journey - and is now back in the wild roaming the countryside!

RSPCA animal collection officer (ACO) Helen Martindale was called to a home in the Tang Hall area of York on Saturday (23 June) after a man discovered a pheasant stuck in the front grille of his car.

ACO Martindale said:

"The motorist discovered the bird when he returned home from a short drive.

"He thinks he hit the bird whilst on the motorway but was unable to stop at the time.

"When he returned home and checked his vehicle he found the bird stuck in the car grille but miraculously still alive!

"I went along and was able to carefully remove the bird from the front bumper of the car and, amazingly, she didn't seem to be injured."

Continued 

Has a rare albino pheasant been spotted in Lancashire?

COLIN AINSCOUGH

Published: 15:12 Wednesday 22 November 2017

While walking her dog on Tuesday morning (November 21, 2017), Tania Harasimiuk captured footage of what she believed to be a rare albino pheasant. Tania was walking her pooch just off Hoghton Lane in Hoghton when she spotted the white shape in the grass nearby.

Tania said: "I felt so lucky to see it, we’ve lived in Hoghton for the past 5 years and recently sold our house and move from the area. "One of our neighbours said he used to see a white crow here too for a while so maybe Hoghton is a special place." Albinism results in white feathers and pink eyes but true albinos are thought to be rare in the wild. True albinism in birds is caused by a genetic mutation resulting in an absence of an enzyme which controls the production of melanin.

Sadly, many albino birds die soon after fledgling due to their poor eyesight. After seeing the footage Alan Wright, Communications Manager for the Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, said: "While there are a number of kinds of pheasant there are no white ones. It is likely to be albino or leucistic, the latter is when the colour has been washed out with dark rather than pink eyes, which are found in albinos."

"Obviously we haven't got a close enough look at this specimen to tell the difference. You will have seen albino - or part albino - blackbirds in your garden. "Some experts say white pheasants are not common but could occur as a result of intensive breeding for shoots and food. The ones that we are seeing round about are obviously escapees, like most pheasants which are not historically native to this country. "Seeing a white pheasant is obviously something different and exciting and again shows the diversity of wildlife that we have in the county."

Video footage and Read more at: 

'Loved-up' pheasant leaves behind his bullying ways

The male bird had been attacking 'everyone and everything' on a farm in Cambridge - until he found a female partner

ANTONIA MOLLOY

Saturday 31 May 2014

They say that love conquers all – and that was certainly the case for a “terrorist” pheasant causing chaos at a farm in Cambridgeshire.

The male bird, who was once prone to chasing “just about everyone and everything”, has changed his ways after catching the love bug, according to his owner.

Anne-Marie Hamilton told the BBC that the pheasant turned up at Wood Farm, in Hail Weston, in March and proceeded to attack her, the dog, visitors and vehicles.

“He has pretty much had a go at everyone and was becoming a real pain,” she said.

But then something rather lovely happened.

Ms Hamilton told the broadcaster: “We were seriously thinking how to get rid of him, but last week he turned up with a hen pheasant.

"We've been terrorist-free for three days and I think it's her influence."

Continued

Henpecked family in fear of 'holy terror' pheasant

An unpleasant pheasant is terrorising a Cambridgeshire farming family and leaving visitors and pets fearful of attack whenever they venture out of doors

By Padraic Flanagan

5:02PM GMT 24 Mar 2014

In scenes worthy of a Hitchcock film, a furious pheasant is besieging a farmhouse and leaving a terrified family too fearful to venture outside without protection.

Farmer’s wife Anne-Marie Hamilton said their feathered terrorist has also been menacing visitors to Wood Farm, attacking vehicles and chasing cats and dogs.

A delivery driver was trapped at the farm in Weston, Cambridgeshire, for 20 minutes after the male bird blocked his path, flew at the bonnet and then chased his van.

Mrs Hamilton, who described the pheasant as “a complete lunatic”, said family and visitors can only venture into the farmyard armed with “a big stick’ to deter the pheasant from attacking.

“It’s an absolute nightmare,” said Mrs Hamilton. “Even when you can’t see him, you can hear him lurking about. He’s never far away so you can’t let your guard down. He’s a holy terror.

Continued

Pheasant surprise as bird survives

A pheasant which became stuck in the grille of a car for more than five hours (Scottish SPCA) 

29 APRIL 2013

A pheasant which was hit by a car and got stuck inside the vehicle's front grille for more than five hours has been released back into the wild.

Animal rescue officers said they were "baffled" as to how the female bird became trapped behind the grille of a brand new Volkswagen Golf.

The car's owner, Derek Wilkinson, realised he hit a bird as he was travelling through Longniddry, in East Lothian, on Thursday, but he assumed it was dead.

Hours later as he was taking rubbish out to the bin at his home near Morningside, in Edinburgh, Mr Wilkinson saw feathers poking out from underneath the front of his vehicle.

The grille was removed by engineers from the RAC and the bird was taken into the care of animal welfare charity the Scottish SPCA.

Rescue officer Steph Grant said: "This pheasant is incredibly lucky to be alive and I'm still baffled as to how she got inside the grille.

"Derek said he realised he had accidentally hit a bird while driving along a road in Longniddry that afternoon but there was nowhere to pull over.

"As the impact was so hard, he assumed it had died and would be lying by the side of the road.

"He didn't notice the pheasant when he returned home but, later on when he was taking out rubbish, he spotted feathers sticking out of the front of his car.

"The RAC came out and removed the entire grille to free the pheasant. In total, we think she had been trapped for around five and a half hours. Remarkably, the only injury she had was slight bruising around one of her eyes."

http://www.independent.ie/world-news/and-finally/pheasant-surprise-as-bird-survives-29229343.html

'It's like something from a Hitchcock film': Elderly couple too scared to leave own home after being terrorised by an angry pheasant

• Ann Hudson, 77, and husband Ben, 79, are only family attacked in Shropshire village
• Daughter Sally-Ann now leaves home with badminton racquet for protection
• The attacks have been going on for four months

Vandalising cars, attacking the elderly and head-butting windows, Phil has become notorious in his home village.

The yob in question? Not a feral teen but a very territorial pheasant.

Residents of Wentnor in Shropshire spoke of their despair yesterday at the bird’s behaviour, with some saying they can’t leave their home for fear of being pecked and chased.

The 2ft tall pheasant, nicknamed Phil, lurks by the home of Sally-Ann Hudson, 44, and her parents Ann, 77, and Ben, 79.

He waits throughout the day and night and swoops when the family dares to emerge.

When they are inside, he head-butts the windows and has even tried to break into the front door. 

The attacks have got so bad Miss Hudson is scared of leaving home without gloves and a badminton racquet to fend him off.

Continued