Pheasants: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan ... - IUCN

pheasants occur from Flores, east of Java at about 8ºS
(green junglefowl), through the equatorial forests of the
Thai-Malay Peninsula, to northeastern China at about
50ºN (koklass, ring-necked pheasant, Reeves’s pheasant,
blue eared-pheasant). The western limit of the group,
excluding the Congo peafowl and all the introduced
populations, is in the Caucasus at about 45ºE (ring-necked
pheasant). Pheasant taxa also occur all along the
Himalayan chain, and extend as far east as Taiwan at
121ºE (Mikado pheasant, Swinhoe’s pheasant) and Japan
at 145ºE (copper pheasant, ring-necked pheasant).
Most pheasant species are dependent on heavily wooded
habitats. These range from lowland tropical rainforest
(e.g., crested fireback) and montane tropical forest (e.g.,
mountain peacock-pheasant) to temperate coniferous
forests (e.g., western tragopan). Some species are found in
more open habitats, such as subalpine scrub (e.g., blood
pheasant), alpine meadows (e.g., Chinese monal), and
grassland (e.g., cheer pheasant).
In general, our level of knowledge about individual
pheasant taxa is poor. The ring-necked pheasant is a
notable exception to this, however, as one of the most
widely introduced of all bird species with considerable
economic importance for sport hunting in Europe and
North America. As a result, it has been the subject of a
great deal of ecological research, leading to a sophisticated
understanding of its behaviour and population biology, at
least in temperate regions outside its native range (Hill and
Robertson 1988a, Hudson and Rands 1988, Robertson et
al. 1993a, 1993b, Woodburn 1993, Robertson 1997).
Sclater’s monal is found in the remote eastern Himalayas, and
little is known of its biology.
© Lynx Edicions
Over the five-year implementation period of the first
edition of this Action Plan, much new work has been
carried out on previously little known species in forms
such as distribution surveys, intensive field research,
taxonomy, and captive breeding. The content of this new
edition reflects any new findings, but the Pheasant Specialist
Group recognises the need to consolidate much of this
material for publication in international journals (see
Project 2 under ‘Global Projects’). Meanwhile, some other
species from particularly remote areas remain poorly
known and, in some cases, there is still very little
information on any aspect of their biology in the wild (e.g.,
Sclater’s monal, Sumatran pheasant).
1.3 Relationship with humans
Pheasants and humans have long been closely associated.
As large and mainly terrestrial birds, they are worthwhile
and easy to trap or shoot, and their meat and eggs provide
rich sources of protein. Sixteen species have been introduced
to locations outside their natural range for purposes as
diverse as enhancing ornamental collections, sport, and
the production of eggs, meat, or feathers (Long 1981).
The ring-necked pheasant is the most widely introduced
pheasant species. It was brought to Europe over 1,000
years ago from Asia Minor and later from China and
Japan (Long 1981), and today is found throughout Europe
and much of the USA. Although originally exploited
mainly for food, it is now one of the most important
gamebirds. In Europe, over 22 million birds are harvested
annually, while in North America about 9.5 million are
taken. The industry surrounding this sport hunting is of
major importance in terms of revenue to landowners and
employment for local people (Aebischer 1997a).
Nearly all pheasant species are exploited to some
degree in their native ranges, usually to provide meat and
eggs as food. The scale of this activity ranges from lowintensity,
subsistence hunting up to levels needed to support
local economies through sustainable use programmes
(Simiyu 1998). The species experiencing the greatest
pressure from hunting in its native range is the copper
pheasant in Japan, which is reared in captivity to provide
birds for sport (Brazil 1991, in litt.).
Pheasants, therefore, yield significant material benefits
to human populations, both locally and internationally,
and this raises the possibility of harnessing these benefits
for conservation purposes. If sufficient economic incentives
can be gained through harvesting and managing pheasant
populations in a sustainable manner, hunted populations
of these species may be safeguarded in the long term.
Aside from the material benefits to be derived from
pheasants, they have been absorbed into human cultural
traditions over the centuries. Several species feature
prominently in the art, religion, social customs, and folklore
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