Blood Pheasant Ithaginis cruentus

Blood Pheasant Ithaginis cruentus

Male Blood Pheasant, Thrumsing La, Mongar, Bhutan, April 2008 - click for larger image

Bhutan

The Blood Pheasant is distributed from Tibet to central China. It is found at between 3,200 and 4,400 metres in sub-alpine scrub, rhododendron scrub and pine and juniper forests.

There is a large number of sub-species (12 according to Avibase and 14 according to HBW) with quite a noticeable variation in plumage particularly the amount of red and black on the males. Much of the variation is clinal so that, for example, the sub-species I. c. affinis is often subsumed into the nominate sub-species.

Male Blood Pheasant, Cheli La, Paro, Bhutan, March 2008 - click for larger image

These photos show the sub-species I. c. affinis in photos 3, 4 and 6 while photos 1, 2 and 5 show the sub-species I. c. tibetanus where the male is very different showing much more red on the underparts and red rather than black on the forehead.

Photos 5 and 6 are of females.

There is more information available via Avibase.

Female Blood Pheasant, Thrumsing La, Mongar, Bhutan, April 2008 - click for larger image

Female Blood Pheasant, Cheli La, Paro, Bhutan, March 2008 - click for larger image

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