The red-bellied golden pheasant is a unique bird in China, also known as the "golden rooster", the male chicken has golden yellow body feathers, red lower body, and a golden yellow filament-like crown on the head, which is brightly colored. Covered in colorful feathers, it is good-looking. The Shanghai Zoo recently introduced 30 red-bellied golden pheasants, and after a quarantine period, they have now been transferred to the Golden Rooster Garden to meet visitors.
Red-bellied pheasant
Ornithischia Pheasantidae
Wildlife under national key protection
Origin: Qinghai, Gansu, Shaanxi, Sichuan and other places in China
In summer, it often inhabits rocky, barren areas in the mountains alone or in pairs, and forages among shrubs or bamboo forests. In winter, they often go down to the terraces in groups to find something to eat. Good at running quickly on the ground; occasionally moving to trees. Food is mainly ferns, wheat leaves, grass seeds, soybeans, etc., but also eat insects.
In order to welcome the 30 new red-bellied golden pheasants, the breeders carried out some modifications to the red-bellied golden pheasant cage.
Cleaning and disinfection of the outfield was carried out. The outdoor site area is about 150 square meters, and the site is replanted with plants such as Privet, coral, southern heaven bamboo, wheat dong, etc., and the surface is paved with sand; the weather is sunny and the poem is good for the outfield flame to eliminate bacteria and parasites on the surface of the soil.
The three-dimensional space was used inside the cage, and some double-layered perchs were added to provide more parking space for the red-bellied golden pheasant. Finally, the shade curtains were added to the windows of each cage, and the shade curtains were put down after the red-bellied golden pheasant was collected every day, and the cage was made into a dark room, because the golden rooster had poor night vision, which could reduce the fighting situation of the to a certain extent.
Veterinarians also conducted in vivo and external parasite tests and deworming of the newly arrived golden chickens, and vaccinated them.
Everything is ready, and the golden chickens are put in the new exhibition area to let the wind blow! Considering the recent cold weather, the shovelers have adopted the measure of "late release and early harvest" (9:30--14:00 exhibition) to let the partners adapt to the new environment first.
Coming to the new venue, the golden chickens seem to be a little unable to let go, and the children in the huge exhibition area still choose to act in a group, which looks a little cramped.
Moreover, bridge bean sacks, these chickens seem to look different from the original red-bellied golden chicken?
"Cue what am I doing, we are now entering the bird park life"
Oh yes, students who have seen the red-bellied golden pheasant courtship before can instantly distinguish between male and female: so these new red-bellied golden pheasants are brownish yellow, are they all female?
Left female and right male
In fact, these are red-bellied pheasant chicks, until the 9-week-old male chicks will grow orange-yellow feathers on the head, the 17-week-old eye circles become orange-red, the lower back, waist and upper tail feathers appear dark brownish red, and the tail feathers are pale yellow.
At present, the male red-bellied golden pheasant has begun to gradually "dress up", and it is expected that it will reach the peak of its appearance in April-May, and look forward to their beautiful figure after the gorgeous transformation
The situation of "eighteen changes in birds" is actually quite common among birds. Recently, visitors who have walked in front of the red ibis exhibition area will wonder why there are several black -- "black ibises" (ibises, read huán) in this exhibition area, which are incompatible with the conspicuous bright reds of other red ibises in the exhibition area.
Serious American red ibis
emmm...
In fact, these black American ibises are also sub-adults, the plumage is dull, the feathers on the back and head are black, the abdomen is white, the beak is still pink, and the body size is smaller; in the process of sub-adult adulthood, starting from the back and covert feathers, gradually to the outer flight feathers, the feathers will gradually become bright red, so when the wings are put away, the transformation process looks like red slowly spreading from the center of the back to the whole body; the pink mouth will gradually become black.
Evolutionary
The whole body feathers of the flamingo generally take more than half a year to go from gray to bright red, during which time the keeper needs to provide them with enough carotene and carotenoids, because the American flamingo needs to use the carotene in food to synthesize the substances needed for red feathers. The daily diet of the American red ibises includes both chopped carrots and carotenoid-rich krill, ensuring that the feathers of the flamingos are red enough to help the sub-adult gigantes quickly transform and get rid of their black appearance.
Evolution and ultimate body are in the same frame
In addition to the sub-adult red ibis, there are several black "black ibises" in the exhibition area, but the color of the feathers should be brighter, those are just colored ibises, in the sun, the black feathers of the colored ibises will glow with a bright metallic luster, so it is named colored ibis.
The "color" of the painted ibis must be carefully felt before the light is hit
See: Lighting is really important
Since the painted ibises and red ibises are more afraid of the cold, after noon the temperature gradually decreases, the colored ibises and red ibises will return to the greenhouse to keep warm until the end of winter, so tourists who want to see the posture of the ibises can choose to come to visit at 3 p.m.
So please don't doubt the birds that look different in the exhibition area, it may be that the children have not yet grown! Hahahahahahaha
Finally, a no-prize quiz,
What are the sub-adult birds in the picture below?
Source: Shanghai Zoo