81. Lady Amherst's Pheasant (Chrysolophus amherstiae)

Lady Amherst's Pheasant is closely related to the Golden Pheasant and was also introduced to the UK from China, in the 1900s. There is possibly a very small population here still, in the Bedfordshire area, but it has been in decline for a long time and it's uncertain as to whether any are left now. Its preferred habitat is woods with dense thickets, making it another tricky one to spot. The epic tail can be over a metre long, incredible! Like the Golden Pheasant, the male Lady Amherst's Pheasant can fan out the feathers on its nape when displaying.

Lady Amherst's Pheasant, ©Makuahine Pa'i Ki'i, via Flickr Creative Commons.

Lady Amherst's Pheasant sketch.

I'd rather not use a photo of a bird in captivity, but I did want to have a crack at drawing the entire bird rather than just a portrait today. Didn't quite have enough time/space for the whole tail but you get the general idea.