 PHOTO: JEAN HOWMAN |
PHOTO: JEAN HOWMAN |
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The Mikado Pheasant, while less colorful than most other species, is nevertheless a most attractive bird. The cock is predominantly a metallic blue-black color, with bars of white across the wing coverts, rump, and tail, and prominent, red wattles around the eye. They come only from the island of Taiwan where they live in the mountains at around 6,000 to 10,000 feet (1,800 to 3,000 meters).
While primarily a bird of the thick forest, they seem able to adapt well to secondary bamboo growth. Although they are listed as an endangered species, they appear to be keeping their numbers fairly steady. As with all the Syrmaticus group, they are a hardy and fairly easy aviary bird. Although Mikados are no larger than the other pheasants in the genus, their eggs are almost double in size. This species was first recorded in 1906 and first reared in 1913. Early observations indicated that they required considerable amounts of green food, but I have never really found this to be the case. They became very scarce between the wars, but a small, fresh importation in the 1950s led to a major revival in their numbers in captivity. |
| Avicultural Notes | |
| Minimum aviary size | 200 sq. ft. (18.5 m2) |
| Status in captivity | Good |
| Full adult plumage | First year |
| Egg clutch size | 5 - 10 eggs |
| Incubation Period | 27 days |
| Feeding Habits | Normal pheasant diet |