Our bird this week is the golden pheasant.  It is a popular aviculture bird originally from China, with wide distribution throughout the world due to introduced populations and its inherent adaptability.  In addition to its home turf of mountainous forests in western China, it can be found in several countries in north, central and south America, as well as Europe, Australia and New Zealand.  Interestingly, I thought, there are introduced populations in the UK, including on the Isles of Scilly, small islands off the southeastern tip of Cornwall in the UK.  There is also a population on the Hawaiian island of Maui. 

 

The golden pheasant is mostly tail.  The male has a tail that takes up two thirds of its body length, the female has a proportionally longer tail that is about half of the length of the body.  The female does not have as showy plumage as the male, but as usual, has some pretty cool mottling nonetheless.  Golden pheasants eat grain, leaves and invertebrates on the ground during the day, and roost in trees at night.  In the winter they tend to congregate at the edges of human settlements at the edge of forests, hoping for an easier meal.  They can fly in an ungainly way called “flapping flight” for short distances.  They are missing a pectoral muscle and associated tendons that would allow them to fly more steadily.  As a result, their preferred method of avoiding danger is to run and hide.  Several mutations in coloration have shown up in captive populations, but I am not sure if these also occur naturally or are the result of conditions in captivity.  The golden pheasant appears to be perfectly happy living anywhere it can find favorable conditions, which are pretty broad as long as there aren’t too many stoats about.  

The golden pheasant is thought to be the inspiration for the Chinese mythical creature Fenghuang.  Similar to a chimera, the creature is made up of several different birds or animals, with the golden pheasant providing the head.  This creature first appeared in burial sites 7000-8000 years ago and continued to be a prominent symbol, becoming incorporated into official palace regalia during the Han dynasty (202 BCE-25 CE).  During the Jianjing era (1522-66 CE) of the Ming dynasty, the feathers of the male and female birds, portrayed as a pair, took on additional meaning. 

 

“Their feathers were of the five fundamental colors: black, white, red, green, and yellow. These colors are said to represent Confucius‘ five virtues:

1. Ren: the virtue of benevolence, charity, and humanity;
2. Yi: honesty and uprightness; Yì may be broken down into zhōng, doing one’s best, conscientiousness, loyalty and shù: the virtue of reciprocity, altruism, consideration for others
3. Zhi: knowledge
4. Xin: faithfulness and integrity;
5. Li: correct behavior, propriety, good manners, politeness, ceremony, worship.”

The mythical bird continues to be used widely as an important symbol.  In contemporary Japan, the bird is associated with the royal family, and in South Korea two are used as the symbol of the South Korean president.  

Incidentally, if anyone notices me repeating birds, please let me know.  I pick these without a whole lot of thought, just whatever catches my eye. WordPress is keeping track, I most definitely am not.  

I know its getting real out there, folks.  Please be sure to take time away and time for yourself.  I know it isn’t easy to pull out of a stress spiral, and we have built a supportive community here from which it can be hard to step away even if we’re all politics-ed out.  Take time for yourself, you’re the only you that we’ve got. 

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