Meet the Golden Pheasant – The Shy Bird That Hides Its Beauty (13 Pics)

Golden Pheasants are shy birds that are difficult to find. They hide in thick woodlands and ran away from disturbance. But when they are found, their beauty is stunning to behold. Red-and-gold males are stunning and unmistakable.

As with many gamebirds the female is rather drab and uninteresting compared with the male. Overall, she is predominantly a mid to golden brown which is closely and heavily barred in black. Unlike the male the female lacks any form of crest or cape. The underparts are less heavily barred and are more of a light buff colour particularly around the area of the lower belly. Juvenile birds are similar to female adults but with less barring. Both adult females and juveniles have brown eyes in contrast to the male's pale irides.