The bright colors and flashy breeding displays of pheasants have long attracted interest in keeping them in captivity. Peacocks have likely been kept for thousands of years in India, with records of an Indian Emperor living in 320 CE coming from a family of “peacock tamers.” There are records of both peacocks and ring‐necked pheasants being kept in medieval times in Europe [1]. Other Asian pheasant species appear to have arrived in Europe in the mid eighteenth century, with golden pheasants arriving by 1740. The same species was later kept in the United States at Mount Vernon by George Washington around 1787 [1]. By the Victorian era, pheasants were popular in avicultural collections and treatises on their care and management were written with a mix of natural history and husbandry [2]. They continue to be popular in aviculture today.

Pheasants are almost entirely Asiatic in origin, with species inhabiting a diverse array of habitats ranging from lush tropical forests to frigid, sparsely vegetated montane slopes [3]. There is a single African species, the Congo peafowl (Afropavo congensis). Human movements and translocations of species have led to stable feral populations of Indian peafowl worldwide. In the United Kingdom, there are feral populations of Reeves’s and golden pheasants.

Ornamental pheasants are generally those other than the ring‐necked pheasant, which is raised as a gamebird in the United States. Ornamental pheasant species kept in aviculture can be paradoxically common in captivity but rare in the wild – the Edwards’s pheasant (Lophura edwardsi) is likely extinct in Vietnam yet is easily obtained in aviculture. In contrast, blood pheasants (Ithaginis cruentis) are not uncommon in the wild yet but are rare in aviculture. There are 16 total genera of pheasants, but not all are commonly kept.

Ruffed pheasants are extremely common in captivity and include the Lady Amherst (Chrysolophus amherstiae) and the golden pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus) (Figures 18.1 and 18.2). In the yearly census performed by the World Pheasant Association, the golden is generally the best represented species of pheasant behind the Indian peafowl. This brightly colored species is quite hardy, and has several color morphs which have been attained through captive breeding [4].

The genus Gallus contains the junglefowl, of which there are four species. The ancestor of the domestic chicken, the red junglefowl (Gallus gallus) is considered an ornamental pheasant and is kept in many collections. In individuals not genetically contaminated with domestic chickens, the males undergo a molt into a drabber “eclipse” plumage outside the breeding season.

There are three species of peafowl within two different genera. The Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus) is likely the most commonly kept ornamental pheasant species worldwide (Figure 18.3). There are many different color and pattern mutations that have been developed, and the United Peafowl Association recognizes an impressive 225 such varieties. Birds which are descendants of hybrids between Indian peafowl and green peafowl (Pavo muticus) are called Spalding. The green peafowl is much less commonly kept in captivity than the Indian peafowl. The Congo peafowl (A. congensis) is primarily kept within zoological collections.

Other common species include the silver pheasant (Lophura nycthemera), Reeves’s pheasant (Syrmaticus reevesii), Temminck’s tragopan (Tragopan temminkcii), and gray peacock pheasant (Polyplectron bicalcaratum) (Figures 18.4–18.6).

18.1 Husbandry

Many ornamental pheasant species are inexpensive, easily obtained, and somewhat hardy. All are generally kept in large, planted aviaries, the layout of which may vary depending on the temperament of the species. Indian peafowl are an exception and are often allowed to free roam. It is common for many different species to be kept at a single facility. A visual barrier is often placed from the ground to about 18–24 in. in height between adjacent aviaries to prevent fighting between pens and reduce pacing.

In designing aviaries, the hardiness of the species being kept is generally taken into account. Many species of pheasants do well even in extremely low temperatures, but species with tropical distributions such as the crested fireback (Lophura ignita), peacock pheasants (Polyplectron spp.), and argus (Argusianus argus) are sensitive to cold and must be offered heated shelter in winter to prevent frostbite or death [5].

Some pheasant species may be destructive in a planted aviary, as they tend to dig. The eared pheasants (Crossoptilon spp.), cheer (Catreus wallichii), and monals (Lophophorus spp.) are especially well known for this [5]. The use of wire mesh close to the floor of the aviary may help protect grass from destruction.

Hybridization is a significant concern in ornamental pheasant species and care should be taken that members of closely related species are not kept together as hybrids within and between different genera are reported. The most common hybrid is likely that of the golden and Lady Amherst pheasants (C. pictus x Chrysolophus amherstiae) and many individuals presented as representatives of these species may carry genes of the other from past hybridization. Silver pheasants (L. nycthemera) have been reported to hybridize with other Lophura and the Swinhoe’s pheasant (Lophura swinhoii) has been reported to hybridize with the copper pheasant (Syrmaticus soemmerringii) and cheer (C. wallichii) [4]. The Reeves’s pheasant (S. reevesii) has hybridized with the cheer, silver, ring‐necked (Phasianus spp.) and golden pheasant [4].

Specific research into the dietary requirements of ornamental pheasants is generally not available and captive diets may vary widely between aviculturalists. Aviculturalists will base captive diets upon inferences drawn from the natural history of the species and recommendations from others who have successfully kept the same species. Most captive pheasants are maintained on diets based around pelleted feeds designed for poultry, with a seasonal rotation of the type of pellet offered. Breeder pellets of 17–20% protein may be offered during the breeding season, while a maintenance pellet of 13–15% protein may be used outside this season. Chicks are generally started on a high‐protein crumble of 28–30% protein, which is dropped to a grower ration of 20–24% protein when about 1 month old and eventually they are placed on a maintenance pellet by the fall, along with the adults [5].

Some species may have a greater preference for fresh greens and vegetables or insects and this can serve as good dietary enrichment. In a study evaluating the impact of the consumption of fresh green vegetables on golden pheasant egg production, egg yolk antioxidants and fecal corticosterone, diets containing 5.0% greens led to higher egg production and egg yolk antioxidant content and lower fecal corticosterone compared to diets containing 1.4% or 2.7% greens [6]. A similar study revealed that 5.0% greens in the diet led to increased retention of carotenoids, nitrogen, calcium, and zinc in golden pheasants compared to those eating diets with a lower percentage of greens [7].