Copper Pheasant illustration
Birdsong field guide

Copper Pheasant

Syrmaticus soemmerringii

A large, elusive forest pheasant endemic to Japan, characterized by the male's spectacular metallic coppery-red plumage and exceptionally long tail.

What it sounds like

A sharp, metallic 'kwee-kwee-kwee' whistle, frequently accompanied by a loud, drum-like thumping produced by rapid wing-flapping.

Reference call, compare with what you heard
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Rec. Walser Schwyzer Paul · JapanCC BY-NC-SAXeno-canto

Field notes

  • The species is named in honor of the German anatomist and polymath Samuel Thomas von Sömmerring.
  • Males possess graduated, barred tails that can reach up to 150 centimeters in length, often exceeding the body length.
  • Its plumage features structural iridescence that reflects brilliant copper and gold tones when caught in direct sunlight.
  • Unlike many galliforms, males primarily use a mechanical 'wing-whirring' sound rather than complex vocalizations for territorial displays.
  • There are five recognized subspecies that exhibit a clinal variation, with plumage becoming darker and redder in southern populations.
Habitat
Dense coniferous, deciduous, and mixed forests with thick undergrowth in hilly or mountainous terrain.
Range
Endemic to the Japanese islands of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu.

Similar & commonly confused birds

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