| Eared pheasant | |
|---|---|
| Blue eared pheasant (Crossoptilon auritum) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Galliformes |
| Family: | Phasianidae |
| Tribe: | Phasianini |
| Genus: | Crossoptilon Hodgson, 1838 |
| Type species | |
| Phasianus crossoptilon (Hodgson), 1838 | |
Eared pheasants arepheasants from the genusCrossoptilon in the familyPhasianidae.
Established byBrian Houghton Hodgson in 1838, the genus contains four species:[1]
| Image | Name | Common name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crossoptilon crossoptilon | White eared pheasant | China, Qinghai, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Tibet | |
| Crossoptilon harmani | Tibetan eared pheasant | southeast Tibet and adjacent northern India | |
| Crossoptilon mantchuricum | Brown eared pheasant | northeastern China (Shanxi and nearby provinces) | |
| Crossoptilon auritum | Blue eared pheasant | central China |
The nameCrossoptilon is a combination of theGreek wordskrossoi, meaning "fringe" andptilon, meaning "feather"— a name Hodgson felt particularly applied to the white eared pheasant "distinguished amongst all its congeners by its ample fringe-like plumage, the dishevelled quality of which is communicated even to the central tail feathers".[2] All are large,sexually monomorphic and found inChina.[3]