Lady Amherst's pheasant
Amazing fact
Male Lady Amherst's pheasants have ornamental feathers with a scale-like pattern on the back of the neck.
上野動物園
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An illustration based on the real animal.
A little discovery to share.
Male Lady Amherst's pheasants have ornamental feathers with a scale-like pattern on the back of the neck.
THE REAL WORLD
The real Lady Amherst's pheasant
- Scientific name
- Chrysolophus amherstiae
- Japanese name
- ギンケイ
- Group
- Birds
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Galliformes
- Family
- Phasianidae
- Genus
- Chrysolophus
This bird lives in thickets of bamboo and dwarf bamboo in China, at higher elevations than the golden pheasant.
The male has a black-and-white body and a red crest, and its long white tail with black bars really stands out.
In the spring-to-summer breeding season, the male spreads his ornamental feathers to court the female. The female is plain brown all over.
How the Lady Amherst's pheasant lives
It eats insects, tree buds and seeds.
上野動物園Basic data
- Size
- Total length: males 130–173 cm, females 66–68 cmWingspan: 70–85 cm
- Weight
- males 675–850 g, females 624–804 g
- Diet
- Insects, tree buds, seeds, and other foods
- Range
- China (Yunnan and northern Sichuan)
Where the Lady Amherst's pheasant has been recorded
Records: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY 4.0 records, retrieved 2026-11-07). Map: Natural EarthSee the records on GBIF
Watch wild animals from a distance. Do not touch or feed them, and take care of the places where they live.
Names around the world
- 日本語
- ギンケイ
- 简体中文
- 白腹锦鸡
- 繁體中文
- 白腹錦雞
- 한국어
- 은계
- Español
- Faisán de Lady Amherst
- Français
- Faisan de Lady Amherst
- Deutsch
- Diamantfasan
- Português (Brasil)
- Faisão-de-lady-amherst
- Italiano
- Fagiano di Lady Amherst
- العربية
- تدرج السيدة أمهيرست
- Bahasa Indonesia
- Pegar Lady Amherst
- Русский
- Алмазный фазан
Names come from Wikidata and iNaturalist records. Where a language has no recorded name, we use the scientific name.
Sources and how we check
- 上野動物園 — ギンケイChecked: 2026-11-03
We check each fact against its source. The illustrations simplify how the real animal looks.
The classification (class, order, family, genus) follows Wikidata records, checked against GBIF. Classifications can change as research goes on.
The basic data are the values given in each source. They vary with how the animal is measured, whether it is male or female, and whether it lives in the wild or in captivity.
This page was translated from the original Japanese with the help of AI.
Report a mistakeWhen you meet the Lady Amherst's pheasant, look for this
- Look for the glossy green feathers on the male's back.
Animals do different things from day to day, so you may not always see this.
上野動物園EXHIBIT INFORMATION
Places that keep or show the Lady Amherst's pheasant
Zoos, aquariums and other places whose official websites say they keep or show this animal.
Displays can change with the animals’ health and the seasons. Check each facility’s official website before you go.
RELATIVES
Others in Phasianidae
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