Copper Pheasant

The Copper Pheasant is a forest gamebird found only in Japan. Adult males are rich coppery chestnut, crossed by fine pale markings, with bare red facial skin and an exceptionally long, banded tail. Females are shorter-tailed and intricately mottled brown, black and buff. Several geographically varying subspecies are recognized across the Japanese islands, making plumage tone and pattern somewhat variable (Wikipedia, general species account; Ornithological Society of Japan checklist).

Copper Pheasants live in lowland and mountain forest, especially where dense undergrowth provides concealment. They walk and feed on the forest floor, taking plant material and invertebrates, and the female nests on the ground. Field research notes that knowledge of their wild breeding ecology remains fragmentary. The nominate subspecies is listed as Near Threatened nationally in Japan (Yamadori Research Group 2011; Japan MOE 5th Red List 2026).