Pheasant Taxonomy
What is pheasant taxonomy? Historically, it is the division of species and subspecies into genra of similar birds based on physical and behavioural traits. These classifications can now be modified with the help of molecular (DNA) data.
Historical Divisions
Legend
* Genus
o Species
+ Subspecies
* The Blood Pheasants (Genus Ithaginis)
o Himalayan Blood Pheasant (Ithaginis cruentus
cruentus)
+ Sikkim Blood Pheasant (Ithaginis cruentus affinis)
+ Tibetan Blood Pheasant (Ithaginis cruentus
tibetanus)
+ Kuser's Blood Pheasant (Ithaginis cruentus kuseri)
+ Mrs. Vernay's Blood Pheasant (Ithaginis cruentus
marionae)
+ Greenway's Blood Pheasant (Ithaginis cruentus
holoptilus)
+ Rock's Blood Pheasant (Ithaginis cruentus rocki)
+ Clarke's Blood Pheasant (Ithaginis cruentus
clarkei)
+ Geoffroy's Blood Pheasant (Ithaginis cruentus
geoffroyi)
+ Bianchi's Blood Pheasant (Ithaginis cruentus
michaelis)
+ Beick's Blood Pheasant (Ithaginis cruentus beicki)
+ Mrs. Sage's Blood Pheasant (Ithaginis cruentus
annae)
+ Berezowski's Blood Pheasant (Ithaginis cruentus
berezowskii)
+ David's Blood Pheasant (Ithaginis cruentus
sinensis)
* The Tragopans (Genus Tragopan)
o Western Tragopan (Tragopan melanocephalus)
o Satyr Tragopan (Tragopan satyra)
o Blyth's Tragopan (Tragopan blythi)
+ Eastern Blyth's Tragopan (Tragopan blythi blythi)
+ Western Blyth's Tragopan (Tragopan blythi
molesworthi)
o Temminck's Tragopan (Tragopan temmincki)
o Cabot's Tragopan (Tragopan caboti)
+ Eastern Cabot's Tragopan (Tragopan caboti
caboti)
+ Western Cabot's Tragoipan (Tragopan caboti
guangxiensis)
* The Koklass (Genus Pucrasia)
o Koklass Pheasant (Pucrasia macrolopha)
Common Koklass (Pucrasia macrolopha
macrolopha)
+ Western Koklass (Pucrasia macrolopha castanea)
+ Kashmir Koklass (Pucrasia macrolopha biddulphi)
+ Nepal Koklass (Pucrasia macrolopha nipalensis)
+ Meyer's Koklass (Pucrasia macrolopha meyeri)
+ Orange-Collared Koklass (Pucrasia macrolopha
ruficollis)
+ Yellow-Necked Koklass (Pucrasia macrolopha
xanthospila)
+ Joret's Koklass (Pucrasia macrolopha joretiana)
+ Darwin's Koklass (Pucrasia macrolopha darwini)
* The Monals (Genus Lophophorus)
o Himalayan Monal (Lophophorus impeyanus)
o Sclater's Monal (Lophophorus sclateri)
o Chinese Monal (Lophophorus lhuysi)
* The Junglefowls (Genus Gallus)
o Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus)
+ Cochin-Chinese Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus
gallus)
+ Burmese Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus
spadiceus)
+ Tonkinese Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus
jabouillei)
+ Indian Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus murghi)
+ Javan Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus bankiva)
o Ceylon/La Fayette's Junglefowl (Gallus lafayettii)
o Sonnerat's Junglefowl (Gallus sonnerati)
o Green Junglefowl (Gallus varius)
* The Gallo Pheasants (Genus Lophura)
o Kalij Pheasant (Lophura leucomelana)
+ White Crested Kalij (Lophura leucomelana
hamiltoni)
+ Nepal Kalij (Lophura leucomelana leucomelana)
+ Black-Backed kalij (Lophura leucomelana
melanota)
+ Black Kalij (Lophura leucomelana moffitti)
+ Black-Breasted Kalij (Lophura leucomelana
lathami)
+ William's Kalij (Lophura leucomelana williamsi)
+ Oates's Kalij (Lophura leucomelana oatesi)
+ Lineated Kalij (Lophura leucomelana lineata)
+ Crawfurd's Kalij (Lophura leucomelana crawfurdi)
o Silver Pheasant (Lophura nycthemera)
+ Lewis's Silver Pheasant (Lophura nycthemera
lewisi)
+ Annamese Silver Pheasant (Lophura nycthemera
annamensis)
+ Boloven Silver Pheasant (Lophura nycthemera
engelbachi)
+ Bel's Silver Pheasant (Lophura nycthemera beli)
+ Berlioz's Silver Pheasant (Lophura nycthemera
berliozi)
+ Ruby Mines Silver Pheasant (Lophura nycthemera
rufipes)
+ Rippon's Silver Pheasant (Lophura nycthemera
ripponi)
+ Jone's Silver Pheasant (Lophura nycthemera
jonesi)
+ Western Silver Pheasant (Lophura nycthemera
occidentalis)
+ Lao Silver Pheasant (Lophura nycthemera
beaulieui)
+ Fokien Silver Pheasant (Lophura nycthemera
fokiensis)
+ True Silver Pheasant (Lophura nycthemera
nycthemera)
+ Hainan Silver Pheasant (Lophura nycthemera
whiteheadi)
+ Szechwan Silver Pheasant (Lophura nycthemera
omeiensis)
+ Rang Jiang Silver Pheasant (Lophura nycthemera
rongjiangensis)
o Imperial Pheasant (Lophura imperialis)
o Edwards's Pheasant (Lophura edwardsi)
o Swinhoe's Pheasant (Lophura swinhoei)
o Salvadori's Pheasant (Lophura inornata)
+ Southern Salvadori's Pheasant (Lophura inornata
inornata)
+ Atjeh Salvadori's Pheasant (Lophura inornata
hoogerwerfi)
o Crestless Fireback Pheasant (Lophura
erythrophthalma)
+ Malay Crestless Fireback (Lophura
erythrophthalma erythrophthalma)
+ Bornean Crestless Fireback (Lophura
erythrophthalma pyronota)
o Crested Fireback Pheasant (Lophura ignita)
+ Lesser Bornean Crested Fireback (Lophura ignita
ignita)
+ Greater Bornean Crested Fireback (Lophura ignita
nobilis)
+ Vieillot's Crested Fireback (Lophura ignita rufa)
+ Delacour's Crested Fireback (Lophura ignita
macartneyi)
o Siamese Fireback (Lophura diardi)
o Bulwer's Wattled Pheasant (Lophura bulweri)
* The Eared Pheasants (Genus Crossoptilon)
o White Eared Pheasant (Crossoptilon crossoptilon)
+ Szechuan White Eared Pheasant (Crossoptilon
crossoptilon crossoptilon)
+ Yunnan White Eared Pheasant (Crossoptilon
crossoptilon
lichiangense)
+ Tibetan White Eared Pheasant (Crossoptilon
crossoptilon drouyni)
+ Dolan's Eared Pheasant (Crossoptilon
crossoptilon dolani)
+ Harman's Eared Pheasant (Crossoptilon
crossoptilon harmani)
o Brown Eared Pheasant (Crossoptilon mantchuricum)
o Blue Eared Pheasant (Crossoptilon auritum)
* The Cheer Pheasants (Genus Catreus)
o Cheer Pheasant (Catreus wallichi)
* The Long-Tailed Pheasants (Genus Syrmaticus)
o Bartailed Pheasants (Syrmaticus humiae)
+ Hume's Bartailed Pheasant (Syrmaticus humiae
humiae)
+ Burmese Bartailed Pheasant (Syrmaticus humiae
burmanicus)
o Elliot's Pheasant (Syrmaticus ellioti)
o Mikado Pheasant (Syrmaticus mikado)
o Copper Pheasant (Syrmaticus soemmerringi)
+ Scintillating Copper Pheasant (Syrmaticus
soemmerringi scintillans)
+ Pacific Copper Pheasant (Syrmaticus
soemmerringi subrufus)
+ Soemmerring's Copper Pheasant (Syrmaticus
soemmerringi soemmerringi)
+ Ijima Copper Pheasant (Syrmaticus soemmerringi
ijimae)
+ Shikoku Copper Pheasant (Syrmaticus
soemmerringi intermedius)
o Reeves' Pheasant (Syrmaticus reevesi)
* The True Pheasants (Genus Phasianus)
o Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
+ Southern Caucasus Pheasant (Phasianus
colchicus colchicus)
+ Northern Caucasus Pheasant (Phasianus
colchicus septentrionalis)
+ Talisch Caucasus Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus
talischensis)
+ Persian Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus persicus)
+ Prince of Wales' Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus
principalis)
+ Zarudny's Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus
zarudyni)
+ Bianchi's Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus bianchii)
+ Khivan Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus
chrysomelas)
+ Zerafshan Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus
zerafschanicus)
+ Yarkand Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus shawi)
+ Syr Daria Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus
turcestanicus)
+ Kirghiz Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus
mongolicus)
+ Tarim Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus tarimensis)
+ Kobdo Ring-Necked Pheasant (Phasianus
colchicus hagenbecki)
+ Manchurian Ring-Necked Pheasant (Phasianus
colchicus pallasi)
+ Korean Ring-Necked Pheasant (Phasianus
colchicus karpowi)
+ Shansi Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus
kiangsuensis)
+ Alashan Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus
alaschanicus)
+ Gobi Ring-Necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus
edzinensis)
+ Satchu Ring-Necked Pheasant (Phasianus
colchicus satscheuensis)
+ Zaidan Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus vlangalii)
+ Sohokhoto Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus
sohokhotensis)
+ Sungpan Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus
suehschanenis)
+ Stone's Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus elegans)
+ Rothschild's Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus
rothschildi)
+ Kweichow Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus
decollatus)
+ Tonkinese Ring-Necked Pheasant (Phasianus
colchicus takatsukasae)
+ Chinese Ring-Necked Pheasant (Phasianus
colchicus torquatus)
+ Taiwan Ring-Necked Pheasant (Phasianus
colchicus formosanus)
o Green Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus versicolor)
+ Southern Green Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus
versicolor)
+ Pacific Green Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus
tanensis)
+ Northern Green Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus
robustipes)
* The Ruffed Pheasants (Genus Chrysolophus)
o Red Golden Pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus)
- (including colour mutations)
o Lady Amherst's Pheasant (Chrysolophus amherstiae)
* The Peacock Pheasants (Genus Polyplectron)
o Bronze Tailed Pheasant (Polyplectron chalcurum)
+ South Sumatran Bronze Tailed Pheasant
(Polyplectron chalcurum chalcurum)
+ North Sumatran Bronze Tailed Pheasant
(Polyplectron chalcurum scutulatum)
o Rothschild's Peacock Pheasant (Polyplectron
inopinatum)
o Germain's Peacock Pheasant (Polyplectron germaini)
o Grey Peacock Pheasant (Polyplectron bicalcaratum)
+ Burmese Grey Peacock Pheasant (Polyplectron
bicalcaratum bicalcaratum)
+ Himalayan Grey Peacock Pheasant (Polyplectron
bicalcaratum bakeri)
+ Lowe's Grey Peacock Pheasant (Polyplectron
bicalcaratum bailyi)
+ Ghigi's Grey Peacock Pheasant (Polyplectron
bicalcaratum ghigii)
+ Hainan Grey Peacock Pheasant (Polyplectron
bicalcaratum katsumatae)
o Malay Peacock Pheasant (Polyplectron malacense
malacense)
o Bornean Peacock Pheasant (Polyplectron malacense
schleiermacheri)
o Palawan Peacock Pheasant (Polyplectron emphanum)
* The Crested Argus (Genus Rheinartia)
o Crested Argus (Rheinartia ocellata)
+ Rheinard's Crsted Argus (Rheinartia ocellata
ocellata)
+ Malay Crested Argus (Rheinartia ocellata
nigrescens)
* The Great Argus (Genus Argusianus)
o Great Argus (Argusianus argus)
+ Malay Great Argus (Argusianus argus argus)
+ Bornean Great Argus (Argusianus argus grayi)
+ Double Banded Great Argus (Argusianus argus
bipunctatus)
* The Peafowl (Genus Pavo)
o Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus)
o Green Peafowl (Pavo muticus)
+ Javanese Green Peafowl (Pavo muticus muticus)
+ Indo-Chinese Green Peafowl (Pavo muticus
imperator)
+ Burmese Green Peafowl (Pavo muticus spificer)
References
Beebe, W. 1990. A Monograph of the Pheasants: Volumes I & II. pp. 3-212. Dover Publications Inc, New York.
Beebe, W. 1990. A Monograph of the Pheasants: Volumes III & IV. pp. 3-201. Dover Publications Inc, New York.
Delacour, J. 1977. The Pheasants of the World. pp. 68-382. Spur Publications Saiga Publishing Co, Surrey, England and the World Pheasant Association, Suffolk, England.
Johnsgard, P. A. 1986. The Pheasants of the World. pp. 3-280. Oxford University Press, New York.
The Need for New Groupings Based on DNA Evidence
There have been several studies aimed at determining the order of evolution in the pheasants using molecular/DNA approaches. The preliminary results show that there is a need for re-classification of some species and creation of new groupings.
Phylogeneic Relationships of the Pheasants - Simplified Version
Other Papers on the Subject:
Kimball, R. T., Braun, E. L., Zwartjes, P. W., Crowe, T. M., and Ligon, J. D. 1999. A Molecular Phylogeny of the Pheasants and Partridges Suggests that these Lineages are not Monophyletic. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 11(1): 38-54.
Randi, E., Lucchini, V., Armijo-Prewitt, T., Kimball, R. T., Braun, E. L., and Ligon, J. D. 2000. Mitochondrial DNA Phylogeny and Speciation in the Tragopans. The Auk 117(4): 1003-1015.
Kimball, R. T., Braun, E. L., and Ligon, J. D. 1997. Resolution of the phylogenetic position of the Congo peafowl, Afropavo congensis: a biogeographic and evolutionary enigma. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London 264: 1517-1523.
Akishinomiya, F., Miyake, T., Takada, M., Ohno, S., and Kondo, N. 1995. The genetic link between the Chinese bamboo partridge (Bambusicola thoracica) and the chicken and junglefowls of the genus Gallus. Proceedings of the national Academy of Sciences USA 92: 11053-11056.
