REEVES' PHEASANT

They can be pugnacious. Although, from my experience, the adult bird is more likely to be belligerent towards humans than its mate; as chicks, however, they can be very contentious and should not be put with chicks of other species.

The Reeves' Pheasant comes from central northern China, where it lives in the forested mountains from 1,000 to 6,000 feet (300 to 1,800 meters). However, it became apparent at the World Pheasant Association's International Pheasant Symposium held in Beijing in 1989 that this species was seriously declining in the wild.

There are records of it in captivity as early as 1808. They have been released in pheasant coverts in England and elsewhere and have survived well. They can still be found in areas such as Woburn Park fending for themselves very successfully.

New research funded by the U.K. World Pheasant Association under Professor Wu Zhikang began in 1991, and it is hoped that a new nature reserve will be created shortly to provide badly needed protection for this species. In France and North America many are reared and released for sporting purposes.