What is "silver pheasant"

Pheasant \Pheas"ant\, n. [OE. fesant, fesaunt, OF. faisant, faisan, F. faisan, L. phasianus, Gr. ? (sc. ?) the Phasian bird, pheasant, fr. ? a river in Colchis or Pontus.]

1. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of large gallinaceous birds of the genus Phasianus, and many other genera of the family Phasianid[ae], found chiefly in Asia.

   Note: The

   common pheasant, or English pheasant ( Phasianus Colchicus) is now found over most of temperate Europe, but was introduced from Asia. The

   ring-necked pheasant ( Phasianus torquatus) and the

   green pheasant ( Phasianus versicolor) have been introduced into Oregon. The

   golden pheasant ( Thaumalea picta) is one of the most beautiful species. The

   silver pheasant ( Euplocamus nychthemerus) of China, and several related species from Southern Asia, are very beautiful.

2. (Zo["o]l.) The ruffed grouse. [Southern U.S.] Note: Various other birds are locally called pheasants, as the lyre bird, the leipoa, etc. Fireback pheasant. See Fireback. Gold pheasant, or Golden pheasant (Zo["o]l.), a Chinese pheasant ( Thaumalea picta), having rich, varied colors. The crest is amber-colored, the rump is golden yellow, and the under parts are scarlet. Mountain pheasant (Zo["o]l.), the ruffed grouse. [Local, U.S.] Pheasant coucal (Zo["o]l.), a large Australian cuckoo ( Centropus phasianus). The general color is black, with chestnut wings and brown tail. Called also pheasant cuckoo. The name is also applied to other allied species. Pheasant duck. (Zo["o]l.)

   1. The pintail.

   2. The hooded merganser. Pheasant parrot (Zo["o]l.), a large and beautiful Australian parrakeet ( Platycercus Adelaidensis). The male has the back black, the feathers margined with yellowish blue and scarlet, the quills deep blue, the wing coverts and cheeks light blue, the crown, sides of the neck, breast, and middle of the belly scarlet. Pheasant's eye. (Bot.)

      1. A red-flowered herb ( Adonis autumnalis) of the Crowfoot family; -- called also pheasant's-eye Adonis.

      2. The garden pink ( Dianthus plumarius); -- called also Pheasant's-eye pink. Pheasant shell (Zo["o]l.), any marine univalve shell of the genus Phasianella, of which numerous species are found in tropical seas. The shell is smooth and usually richly colored, the colors often forming blotches like those of a pheasant. Pheasant wood. (Bot.) Same as Partridge wood

         1. , under Partridge.

            Sea pheasant (Zo["o]l.), the pintail.

            Water pheasant. (Zo["o]l.) (a) The sheldrake.

         2. The hooded merganser.

The silver pheasant (Lophura nycthemera) is a species of pheasant found in forests, mainly in mountains, of mainland Southeast Asia, and eastern and southern China, with introduced populations in Hawaii and various locations in the US mainland. The male is black and white, while the female is mainly brown. Both sexes have a bare red face and red legs (the latter separating it from the greyish-legged kalij pheasant). It is common in aviculture, and overall also remains common in the wild, but some of its subspecies (notably whiteheadi from Hainan, engelbachi from southern Laos, and annamensis from southern Vietnam) are rare and threatened.