The Silver Pheasant, Lophura nycthemera is a large, approximately 125cm long, white pheasant with bare red facial skin, red legs and glossy black below. The male is adorned with white, long, patterned tail and black dropping crest on its crown. At least two years is needed to attain full male plumage. The female is an olive brown with black-tipped crest.

The Silver Pheasant inhabits to the mountain forests of mainland Southeast Asia and China. There are fourteen subspecies of Silver Pheasant, distributed from east Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, China to the island of Hainan and recently seen in Smiths Station, Alabama and Nanaimo, British Columbia.

The nominate subspecies Lophura nycthemera nycthemera of southeastern China and northern Vietnam is the largest and whitest race. The southern subspecies have varying amounts of grey or black markings and shorter tails.

The Silver Pheasant, widespread and a common species in most of its habitat range, is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Gallery

Male

Female