Red Golden Pheasants

Red Golden Pheasants (Chrysolophus pictus) — also called the Golden Pheasant or Chinese Pheasant — is one of our most popular exotic pheasant breeds and one of the most colorful gamebirds. In addition to their stunning colors, Red Golden Pheasants are hardy and easy to raise. 

The male Red Golden Pheasant is a brilliant display of primary colors — with a scarlet red body; yellow-gold eyes, bill, crest, back and legs; green on its upper back; and shimmering blue on its wings. Adult males can reach 40 inches in length, with his tail measuring nearly two thirds of it's overall length. The Red Golden pheasant's most impressive feature is its layered cape of golden feathers. Each layer of golden heathers is edged in black and appears striped from a distance. During mating, the cape expands to cover the bird's face in an impressive display. 

Female Red Golden Pheasants are much more subdued in appearance and are a dull, mottled brown color similar to other pheasant breeds.  

These caped, or "ruffed", pheasants are similar to the Yellow Golden Pheasant and the Lady Amherst Pheasant. 

Red Golden Pheasants are originally native to the western mountain of China. Today they are commonly seen in zoos, private collections, and feral flocks can be found across the U.S., United Kingdom and beyond. Their natural habitats are conifer forests with sparse undergrowth. These exotic pheasants are ground feeders — eating grains, leaves and small inverebrates — and roost in trees or aviary perches at night.  

The average lifespan of the Red Golden Pheasant is around five to six years in the wild, and as much as 20 years in captivity.