Golden Pheasant Research Articles

Sarus Crane (Grus antigone) egg is hatched by a domestic hen

Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad, Telangana, India, has been involved in captive breeding programmes, including eggs of silver pheasant (Lophura nycthemera), red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus), kalij pheasant (Lophura leucomelanos) and golden pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus) incubated by domestic hen (Gallus gallus domesticus). It proved successful in almost all cases. Here, we attempted to do the same for the sarus crane (Grus antigone), which is listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, vulnerable species on IUCN Red List 2012, Appendix II of CITES, and Appendix II of the Convention on Migratory Species. It is the largest bird in India and the tallest flying bird in the world.

Experimental inoculation of BFDV-positive budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) with two Mycobacterium avium subsp. avium isolates.

Beak and feather disease virus- (BFDV-) positive (naturally infected) but clinically healthy budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) were inoculated with two isolates of Mycobacterium avium subsp. avium isolated from naturally infected golden pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus) and peafowl (Pavo cristatus). During a period of more than two months after inoculation, samples of cloacal and crop swabs, faeces, and blood were obtained for BFDV and Mycobacterium avium testing with PCR. Birds were euthanized nine weeks after inoculation. All infected budgerigars developed signs typical of mycobacteriosis, but more advanced clinical and pathological changes were visible in the group infected with the pheasant isolate. Only a few cloacal and crop swab samples were positive for Mycobacterium avium subsp. avium despite advanced pathological changes in the internal organs. In the groups infected with mycobacterium isolates the frequency of BFDV-positive samples was higher than in the control group. In the infected groups the frequency of BFDV was substantially higher in the cloacal swabs of birds inoculated with the pheasant isolate than in the peafowl-isolate-infected group.

First Successful Introduction of the Golden Pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus) to the United States

The Golden Pheasant, Chrysolophus pictus (L.), was introduced to Maui, Hawai'i, as recently as the mid-1990s and has been found at three locations on the windward slope of East Maui between 1,700 and 2,400 m in elevation. I contacted researchers, land managers, and hunting guides who worked in areas inhabited by Golden Pheasants from 1990 through 2012 and compiled their notes to determine the approximate time and location of introduction and range of the species, in addition to investigating the possibility of the establishment of the species on Maui. The species was probably released at Waikamoi Preserve, and detection frequency increased there since the discovery of the species in 1996. Evidence of reproduction during 2010–2012 suggests that a small breeding population is established at Waikamoi Preserve. Since the first detection in 1996, the linear range of the Golden Pheasant expanded to two additional areas, Hanawī Natural Area Reserve and Haleakalā National Park, encompassing a dispersal area of at least 10 km. Total area occupied by Golden Pheasants is estimated at around 40 ha at Waikamoi Preserve and 6.5 ha at Hanawï Natural Area Reserve.

The first report of morbidity and mortality in Golden Pheasant, Chrysolophus pictus, due to a mixed infection of Heterakis gallinarum and H. isolonche in Iran

Following deaths in a flock of Golden Pheasants, Chrysolophus pictus, in Mazandaran Province, northern Iran, during June 2008, necropsies of dead birds were undertaken and revealed a heavy mixed infection of Heterakis isolonche and H. gallinarum in the caeca, which were heavily swollen with gross nodules on the surface. Infected caeca were studied histopathologically and surviving birds were treated with fenbendazole 2.5% (20 mg/kg), with a second course 3 weeks later. No further mortality was seen in the flock. This is the first documented report of Heterakis isolonche in Iran, and also the first report of a concurrent infection of 2 species of Heterakis in birds in Iran.

Monitoring wildlife abundance and diversity with infra-red camera traps in Guanyinshan Nature Reserve of Shaanxi Province, China

Ecological indicators or indices have been widely used to simplify and measure complex ecosystems. It is critical to identify suitable indicators or indices to improve monitoring and understanding of complex natural systems. Camera trapping is an objective technique that can provide a large amount of information on wildlife. The purpose of our study is to explore the effective ecological indices for wildlife diversity analysis and monitoring in Guanyinshan Nature Reserve of Shaanxi Province, China. Since July 2009, a total of 18 cameras were installed in the reserve from August 2009 to July 2011, collecting 2115 photo captures during these 24 months. We developed five abundance indices, including relative abundance index (RAI), monthly relative abundance index (MRAI), time-period relative abundance index (TRAI), night-time relative abundance index (NRAI) and species abundance index (N) to integrate the information derived from captures. Results are: (1) 27 species were detected and 6 species had high RAI values of over 79.3%, including takin (Budorcas taxicolor), common goral (Naemorhedus goral), tufted deer (Elaphodus cephalophus), golden pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus), wild boar (Sus scrofa), and mainland serow (Capricornis sumatraensis). (2) MRAI shows a consistent monthly activity pattern of all animals being active in June and July and inactive in February. (3) TRAIs of the most abundant six species show that takin, tufted deer and common goral have the similar daily activity pattern with one peak at dawn and one peak at dusk. The daily activity patterns of golden pheasant and wild boar show that they are most active during the day time, with wild boar being particularly active at noon. NRAIs of mainland serow show the highest nocturnality and of golden pheasant the lowest nocturnality. (4) We estimated abundance of takin, tufted deer and wild boar by using our developed index. The abundance for the three species shows an increasing trend during the 2-year study period, particularly for wild boar. Our results provided an interesting comparison of species diversity and their activity patterns. As trapping continues we will have a consistent source of monitoring data to evaluate changes in species abundance and activities. Therefore, the conclusion is that the methods we used and the indices we developed are capable to estimate species activity patterns and abundance dynamics which are useful for future wildlife management in Guanyinshan Nature Reserve and elsewhere.

Distribution patterns of influenza virus receptors and viral attachment patterns in the respiratory and intestinal tracts of seven avian species

This study assessed the presence of sialic acid α-2,3 and α-2,6 linked glycan receptors in seven avian species. The respiratory and intestinal tracts of the chicken, common quail, red-legged partridge, turkey, golden pheasant, ostrich, and mallard were tested by means of lectin histochemistry, using the lectins Maackia amurensis agglutinin II and Sambucus nigra agglutinin, which show affinity for α-2,3 and α-2,6 receptors, respectively. Additionally, the pattern of virus attachment (PVA) was evaluated with virus histochemistry, using an avian-origin H4N5 virus and a human-origin seasonal H1N1 virus. There was a great variation of receptor distribution among the tissues and avian species studied. Both α-2,3 and α-2,6 receptors were present in the respiratory and intestinal tracts of the chicken, common quail, red-legged partridge, turkey, and golden pheasant. In ostriches, the expression of the receptor was basically restricted to α-2,3 in both the respiratory and intestinal tracts and in mallards the α-2,6 receptors were absent from the intestinal tract. The results obtained with the lectin histochemistry were, in general, in agreement with the PVA. The differential expression and distribution of α-2,3 and α-2,6 receptors among various avian species might reflect a potentially decisive factor in the emergence of new viral strains.

Isolation of a 97-kb minimal essential MHC B locus from a new reverse-4D BAC library of the golden pheasant.

The bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) system is widely used in isolation of large genomic fragments of interest. Construction of a routine BAC library requires several months for picking clones and arraying BACs into superpools in order to employ 4D-PCR to screen positive BACs, which might be time-consuming and laborious. The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is a cluster of genes involved in the vertebrate immune system, and the classical avian MHC-B locus is a minimal essential one, occupying a 100-kb genomic region. In this study, we constructed a more effective reverse-4D BAC library for the golden pheasant, which first creates sub-libraries and then only picks clones of positive sub-libraries, and identified several MHC clones within thirty days. The full sequencing of a 97-kb reverse-4D BAC demonstrated that the golden pheasant MHC-B locus contained 20 genes and showed good synteny with that of the chicken. The notable differences between these two species were the numbers of class II B loci and NK genes and the inversions of the TAPBP gene and the TAP1-TAP2 region. Furthermore, the inverse TAP2-TAP1 was unique in the golden pheasant in comparison with that of chicken, turkey, and quail. The newly defined genomic structure of the golden pheasant MHC will give an insight into the evolutionary history of the avian MHC.

Population genetic structure of golden pheasant Chrysolophus pictus in the Qinling Mountains, China

The golden pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus) is an endemic pheasant of central China and is protected under national legislation. The Qinling Mountains form a natural barrier between northern and southern China. We investigated the population genetic structure using 1123 nucleotides of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control-region from 55 individuals sampled from five populations of gold pheasant in the Qinling Mountains. We found sixteen haplotypes defined by fourteen polymorphic sites. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the haplotypes sampled from the five putative populations did not cluster into separate geographic branches. There was an insignificant genetic differentiation among the putative populations (except GSTS population), probably due to high levels of gene flow. Results from the mismatch distribution and neutrality test analyses indicated the populations did not experience a range expansion over the course of their histories. They also suggested there was no geographical isolation shaped by the Qingling Mountains forChrysolophus pictus.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Chrysolophus pictus (Galliformes: Phasianidae) and a phylogenetic analysis with related species

The 16,678 bp mitochondrial genome of the Chrysolophus pictus has been sequenced in this paper. To determine the phylogentic position of C. pictus with related species within Phasianidae, the phylogenetic tree was reconstructed with the concatenated nucleotide dataset of the 12 heavy-strand-encoded protein genes. The phylogenetic analysis was carried out using maximum parsimony (MP) and Bayesian inference (BI) methods. MP and BI phylogenetic trees here showed similar topology and consistently suggested that C. pictus shared a close relationship with Phasianus versicolor. The results also showed that the Meleagris gallopavo possessed a basal phylogenetic position within Phasianidae, which may imply that it should be classified into the Phasianidae.

Avian pox infection in different wild birds in India

Amplicons of fpv167 and fpv140, of 578 and 1,800 bp, respectively, characteristic of the avipox viral genes, were amplified by PCR using DNA from viruses isolated from eight Indian wild birds. BLAST and phylogenetic analysis of the sequences of the fpv167 and fpv140 amplicons indicated that Fowlpox virus (FWPV) was the nearest phylogenetic neighbour to the viral isolates, from two Indian peacocks (Pavo cristatus), two golden pheasants (Chrysolophus pictus), one silver pheasant (Lopahura nycthemera) and one sparrow (Passer domesticus). However, the two isolates from the Indian little brown dove (Stigmatopelia senegalensis) and the common wood pigeon (Columba palumbus) formed a separate cluster with turkeypox and pigeonpox virus (PGPV) isolates when the phylogenetic tree was constructed using the sequence of fpv167. When the phylogenetic analysis was done using the fpv140 gene sequence both isolates formed a cluster with isolates of PGPV. Thus, the results support that fpv140 gene along with the fpv167 gene should be used for phylogenetic analyses of avipoxviruses for better discrimination of the viruses. Additionally, avian poxvirus isolated from wild birds of India were identical to those reported in Indian domestic birds, and phylogenetically related to avian poxviruses reported from different parts of the world. To our knowledge, this is the first molecular characterization of avian poxviruses infecting different wild birds in India. The study shows that FWPV and PGPV cause infection in wild birds irrespective of the species of birds indicating that these viruses are not species specific. Thus these viruses, which are not host specific have the ability to cause infection in game birds, endangered birds and domestic birds and therefore could spread easily.

Comprehensive Analysis ofN-Linked Oligosaccharides from Eggs of the Family Phasianidae

We have reported a strategic procedure for the preparation of human-type N-linked oligosaccharides targeting hen egg white and yolk. To determine whether the technique is applicable to other avian species, we performed comparative analysis of N-linked oligosaccharides derived from eggs of other pheasant species. Our investigation of the principal oligosaccharides resulted in several major findings: (i) Glycan profiles as well as total yields were different between species and tissues (egg white and yolk). (ii) A common feature of egg white glycans is agalactosylated, hybrid-type, and complex-type oligosaccharides containing bisecting GlcNAc as major components. (iii) Egg yolk of pheasant species contained alpha2-6sialylated, biantennary complex-type oligosaccharides as major components. (iv) Egg yolk of Japanese pheasant and golden pheasant contained unusual persialylated oligosaccharides. Our results suggest that pheasant egg glycomes are significantly different from other avian species, although some common features are present.

Winter diet and digestive tract of the Golden Pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus) in the Qinling Mountains, China

The winter diet and morphological structure of the gastrointestinal tract of the Golden Pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus) was investigated in the Qinling Mountains, Shaanxi Province in 2002/2003. Individual food items in crops were identified by species, where possible, using standard taxonomic methods. The Golden Pheasant consumes exclusively vegetarian foods in the winter, of at least 14 plant species, such as crops and other vegetable species. The digestive tract of the Golden Pheasant is composed of an oesophagus, a stomach, a relatively long intestine measuring 3.4 × standard body length, two fully-developed caeca and a relatively short colon, typical for herbivorous birds. Pebbles of different sizes (0.5-3 mm in diameter) were very frequent in the gizzard. The average dry weight of the pebbles was 10.4±2.5 g and was positively correlated with the weight of digesta in the gizzard (Pearson r=0.747, p＜0.01, n=37). The mucosa surface pH of the digestive tract of the Golden Pheasant was slightly acidic, but higher in the crop and gizzard.

Aves, province of Guizhou, China

We report our inventories of birds observed and collected at three field sites from the province of Guizhou, southeastern China. Our findings detailed herein complement our previous ornithological surveys from Guangxi province, as part of a comprehensive biotic survey of the region. Of 153 total bird species recorded, 17 were new for the province, among which several taxa of conservational importance, such as: Golden Pheasant Crysolophus pictus, Tawny Fish-Owl Ketupa flavipes, Black-breasted Thrush Turdus dissimilis, Fujian Flycatcher Niltava davidii, Red-tailed Laughingthrush Garrulax milnei, and Slaty Bunting Latoucheornis siemsseni. These records provide the most recent insight into the current status of the habitats and the avian biodiversity of an important, yet sparsely surveyed and reported biogeographic region.

Development and characterization of 14 novel microsatellite markers from the golden pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus)

Fourteen polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated from the golden pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus). The average allele number of these microsatellites was 11.14 per locus, ranging from two to seventeen in a group of 31 individuals. The mean observed and expected heterozygosities were 0.763 and 0.722, respectively. The average polymorphic information content value, cumulative discrimination power, overall probability of exclusion with both unknown parents or with only unknown sire for these markers were 0.741, 1.0, 0.9999, and 1.0, respectively. This set of microsatellite markers would provide useful tools for conservation genetic studies of the golden pheasant.

Variable effect of vaccination against highly pathogenic avian influenza (H7N7) virus on disease and transmission in pheasants and teals

Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses can affect many bird species, with disease symptoms ranging from severe morbidity and high mortality to mild transient illness. Much is known about infections in chickens, but for other captive birds the relations between disease symptoms, excretion patterns, and transmission, as well as the effect of vaccination on these relations are not clear. We report results from experimental transmission studies with a highly pathogenic H7N7 virus and two commonly kept bird species (ringed teals and golden pheasants). The results show that depending on the host species the virus can spread in unvaccinated birds with or without disease symptoms. Vaccination reduces disease symptoms markedly, but need not always reduce virus transmission. We discuss the implications for the control of highly pathogenic avian influenza.

Golden Pheasant ( Chrysolophus pictus) in Sweden in the 1740s

The keeping of ornamental birds has a long tradition in Europe. With the increasing access to exotic animals during the eighteenth century, several new species entered the aviculture. Golden pheasants ( Chrysolophus pictus) were imported from China. The earliest record of its presence in Europe is from 1735 in England. A male golden pheasant was also kept by the Princess Louisa Ulrika at her estate outside Stockholm in the mid-1740s. When it died, it was presented to Carl Linnaeus who also gave it a scientific name and description. The Princess’ golden pheasant is the type specimen of the species.

Relative density and habitat use of four pheasant species in Xiaoshennongjia Mountains, Hubei Province, China

Many species of China's Galliformes live in forests and it is often difficult to assess populations of species in these habitats. Such assessments are becoming increasingly important because much of China's forest has been altered through logging and other forms of human activity. After describing and mapping habitat types, we assessed two commonly used methods for counting pheasants (transects and point counts at dawn) in the Xianshennongjia Mountains in the Three Gorges area of Hubei Province in east-central China. Four pheasant species were recorded: Golden Pheasant Chrysolophus pictus, Temminck's Tragopan Tragopan temmincki, Koklass Pucrasia macrolopha and Common (or Ring-necked) Pheasant Phasianus colchicus. Golden Pheasants were detected most often by calls heard during transects and Koklass were recorded mostly during point counts at dawn. Temminck's Tragopan was detected during transects (by sightings) and also by calls at dawn. The relatively few Common Pheasants that were detected were registered mainly during transects. Golden Pheasants were found at the lowest altitudes, closest to human habitation and both Temminck's Tragopan and Koklass lived in various forest types above this. Common Pheasant was found in meadows at higher altitudes. We conclude that the methods used can determine general habitat use, but that no one method is likely to prove sufficient to unravel the detailed pattern of habitat use across all four species. In particular, further study is required to assess the relative importance of different forest types to Golden Pheasant, Temminck's Tragopan and Koklass. It would appear that human impact on the forest has affected the distribution of the pheasant species. For example, Common Pheasant is now absent from low-lying areas and occurs at what appears to be an unusually high altitude in the study area.

Nodular typhlitis associated with the nematodes Heterakis gallinarum and Heterakis isolonche in pheasants: frequency and pathology with evidence of neoplasia.

An investigation related to the frequency and pathology of Heterakis gallinarum and pathology of Heterakis isolonche in pheasants from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was conducted by means of clinical examinations, necropsies, and histopathological analysis in 50 ring-necked pheasants from backyard flocks of 11 localities; also, histological sections of caeca of golden pheasants deposited in the Helminthological Collection of the Oswaldo Cruz Institute (CHIOC) have been considered in the present study. During necropsies, only specimens of H. gallinarum were recovered with a prevalence of 90%, mean intensity of 81.9 and range of infection of 1-413. Gross lesions were characterized by congestion, thickening, petechial haemorrhages of the mucosa, intussusception, and nodules in the cecal wall. Under microscopy, chronic diffuse typhlitis, haemosiderosis, granulomas with necrotic center in the submucosa and leiomyomas in the submucosa, muscular and serosa associated with immature H. gallinarum worms were observed. The examination of histological sections previously deposited in the CHIOC, revealed more severe alterations associated with concomitant infections with H. gallinarum and H. isolonche in golden pheasants, and were characterized by several necrotic areas with cholesterol clefts in the submucosa, giant cell granulomas in the submucosa, and serosa centralized by necrosis and worm sections and neoplastic nodules in the muscular and submucosa.

Phylogenetic relationships of the phasianidae reveals possible non-pheasant taxa.

The phylogenetic relationships of 21 pheasant and 6 non-pheasant species were determined using nucleotide sequences from the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. Maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood analysis were used to try to resolve the phylogenetic relationships within Phasianidae. Both the degree of resolution and strength of support are improved over previous studies due to the testing of a number of species from multiple pheasant genera, but several major ambiguities persist. Polyplectron bicalcaratum (grey peacock pheasant) is shown not to be a pheasant. Alternatively, it appears ancestral to either the partridges or peafowl. Pucrasia macrolopha macrolopha (koklass) and Gallus gallus (red jungle fowl) both emerge as non-pheasant genera. Monophyly of the pheasant group is challenged if Pucrasia macrolopha macrolopha and Gallus gallus are considered to be pheasants. The placement of Catreus wallichii (cheer) within the pheasants also remains undetermined, as does the cause for the great sequence divergence in Chrysolophus pictus obscurus (black-throated golden). These results suggest that alterations in taxonomic classifications may be required for some pheasant species and genera.

Las aves exóticas introducidas y naturalizadas en la Argentina

It is a very common characteristic of man to modify and disturb the natural environment in which he lives. This has been conducted in many disorderly and lawless ways from early times, with the notion of improving conditions for man’s own commodity. The cruel extermination of many species of plants and animals or their uncontrolled introduction to exotic geographical areas, provokes important and severe changes in the universal distribution of certain species. This introduction by man can have dangerous consequences because posterior acclimatization and dispersal mostly leads to negative effects on both the native flora and fauna and the health and economy of mankind. The present paper is a compilation of all information published on the growing problem of the introduction and acclimatization of exotic birds in Argentina. Much new information on the subject is incorporated with contributions by the author and several ornithologists and birdwatchers. The first part of the work gives an outline of some ecological concepts on naturalization of zoological species. Each introduced species has a brief history of its installation in the country, notes on its field identification and its present status. A discussion on the damage and negative consequences on the environment and mankind is given. In Argentina, thirteen species of exotic birds have been introduced and naturalized with different levels of success, namely: Rock Dove, Columba livia; House Sparrow, Passer domesticus; Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos; Greylag Goose, Anser anser; Golden Pheasant, Chrysolophus pictus; Lady Amherst´s Pheasant, Chrysolophus amherstiae; Kalij Pheasant, Lophura leucomelanos; Silver Pheasant, Lophura nycthemera; California Quail, Callipepla californica; Western Greenfinch, Carduelis chloris; Eurasian Goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis; Common Starling, Sturnus vulgaris; and Crested Myna, Acridotheres cristatellus