The Blue Eared Pheasant (scientific name: Crossoptilon auritum, English name: Blue Eared Pheasant) is a bird of the Pheasant family.

The blue-horse chicken is a rare and precious bird, and it is a national second-class protected animal. Its feathers are beautiful and can be used for decoration, which is very popular in the international market. The blue horse chicken has a red head on the side, white ear feathers, protruding on the top of the neck, blue-gray throughout, and the central tail feathers are long and raised. The tail feathers are scattered and drooping like a ponytail, hence the name Blue Horse Chicken. It is also called horned bird and grouse.

Characteristics The blue-horse chicken is a large chicken. The total length is about 90 cm. The body feathers are blue-gray, with metallic luster, scattered like hair. The top of the head and the occiput are densely covered with black down feathers; the two clusters of white ear feathers are short-horned; the bare skin on the face is bright red. The flight feathers are brownish with a metallic purple-blue rim. The central tail feathers are long and upturned, the feather branches are scattered and drooping like a ponytail, the base of the tail feathers on both sides is white, and the rest are purple-blue. Mouth reddish, feet coral red. Iris - orange; mouth - pink; feet - red.

The blue pheasant is dressed in shiny blue-grey feathers like a gorgeous velvet cloak. The mouth and the side of the head are crimson, especially eye-catching, the ear feathers are white, protruding diagonally back, like a snow-white scarf being gently swept by the breeze, the long central tail feathers are raised upward, and the soft and fine feather branches are Scattered down like a horse's tail.

【Geographical distribution】

Distribution range

Endemic to north-central China.

【Distribution status】

Globally near threatened (Collar et al., 1994). Common endemic, distributed in eastern and northeastern Qinghai, southern Gansu, Ningxia, northeastern Tibet (Tanggula Mountains) and northern Sichuan at an altitude of 2000-4000 meters. The remaining distribution areas of the Helanshan population in Ningxia and Inner Mongolia are quite different.

The blue-horse chicken is a bird in the alpine and cold regions. It is only produced in China. It lives in the northeast and east of Qinghai, the Qilian Mountains in the northwest of Gansu and the south, the Helan Mountains in Ningxia and the north of Sichuan. The blue-grey plumage is bluish-gray throughout. The side of the head is crimson and the ear feather clusters are white. The branches of the central tail feathers are draped down and fluffy like a ponytail. The blue-horse chicken inhabits spruce and oak forests at an altitude of 2500-3400 meters, or among the shrubs of willows and golden plums. Migrates down to watery mountain valleys or open thicket grasslands after autumn. Usually formed in groups, ranging from 10-30 in each group. During the breeding season from March to June, blue-horse chickens often hide among the branches or among the grass and are not easy to be found. At this time, they are dispersed and paired, one male and one female. When in heat, there is a fight between males. Females lay their eggs in slightly depressions on the ground in shaded groves, ranging from 6-12 per litter. After the breeding season, they live in flocks again.

Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia, Sichuan and other places. They like to live in cold alpine areas, inhabiting dense spruce and oak forests at a higher altitude of 2000-3000m, or among the shrubs of willows and wax plums. After autumn, as the snow line moves down, they migrate to valleys with water. or open thicket grasslands.

【Life Habits】

Inhabits alpine mountains, often in clusters in forests and shrubs. Mainly eat plant food, but also eat insects. Like other breeders, they live in small groups in open alpine meadows and cypress and rhododendron bushes at high altitudes.

The blue-horse chicken often forages in flocks, using its strong, curved beak to dig into plant roots, seeds, insects, etc. When foraging for food, they make noises while eating, one after another. There are often many excavated soil nests and messy footprints where the blue-horse chickens are active. There is little activity at noon, and it is hidden in the thickets. It is the most active time in a large area before dusk. At night, they live in groups on densely branched trees. They have keen vision and hearing, and run quickly when in distress to avoid the enemy. I don't fly very often, and I can't fly for a long time. The blue-horse chicken's wings are degraded and are not good at flying.

Blue horse chickens like to live together in groups of 10-30. They usually start their activities at dawn and go to the middle of the woods to forage, mainly plant food. When calling, it raises its head and bows its neck, with a graceful posture, and its voice is thick and loud; it hides in the bushes at noon, rarely comes out to move, and becomes active again in the evening; it flocks on lush trees at night, and it jumps instead of flying. , jumping from the lower branch to the higher branch, all the way to the branch near the top.

Calls: Frightened males make gela-gelage calls. The calls of male birds during courtship are wu, wu, wu or ga, ga. When frightened, both male and female birds make ziwo-ge, ziwo-ge calls.

【Growth and reproduction】

In late March every year, blue horse chickens are gradually divided into small groups; pairing begins in early April. During this period, males fight fiercely for mates. Male and female are inseparable after pairing, and their nests are mostly in dense bushes or slightly concave places. The nests are disc-shaped and extremely simple. It is generally composed of leaves, branches, thatch, and moss, which are cushioned with feathers, which are warm and comfortable. Eggs are laid in May, 5-13 per litter, the eggs are oval, light green or light brown, slightly brown spots, weighing about 45-58 grams, the female birds hatch the eggs, the male birds move around, the incubation period is 26 days or so. The chicks grow rapidly, the 4-month-old chicks are similar in size to the adults, and they can lay eggs the following spring.

Breeds between April and June, during which time they live in pairs. Eggs are laid on the ground under shaded bushes, 6-12 per nest, gray-brown or pale turquoise. Has light brown spots. The incubation period is 26-27 days.

【Conservation Status】

Endangered Level

National Key Protection Level: Level 2

Effective Year: 1989

Effective Date: 1996

Endangered Factors

Habitat Destruction: Habitat destruction, especially major habitats Mass deforestation of fir forests.

Overhunting: Indiscriminate hunting.