Blue eared pheasant

{{speciesbox

| name = Blue eared pheasant

| status = LC

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2016 |title=Crossoptilon auritum |volume=2016 |page=e.T22679307A92810024 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22679307A92810024.en |access-date=13 November 2021}}

| image = Stavenn Crossoptilon auritum 00.jpg

| image_caption = At Central Park Zoo, New York

| genus = Crossoptilon

| species = auritum

| authority = (Pallas, 1811)

}}

The blue eared pheasant (Crossoptilon auritum) is a large pheasant endemic to China. Although it is considered rare,{{Cite journal |last=Yi-Qun |first=Wu |last2=Xiu |first2=Xu |last3=Nai-fa |first3=Liu |last4=Feng |first4=Xu |display-authors=2 |date=2013 |title=Seasonal Changes in Habitat Use of Blue-Eared Pheasant, Crossoptilon auritum |url=https://www.zsp.com.pk/pdf45/1699-1704%20_29_%20PJZ-1188-12%2030-11-13%20Seasonal%20Change_.pdf |journal=Pakistan Journal of Zoology |volume=45 |issue=6 |pages=1699-1704}} the blue eared pheasant is evaluated as of least concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Description

The blue eared pheasant has dark blue-gray plumage with velvet black crown, red facial feathers appearing as bare skin, yellow iris, long white ear coverts behind the eyes, and crimson legs. Its tail of 24 elongated bluish-gray feathers is curved, loose, and dark-tipped. Both sexes are similar with the male being slightly larger. They grow up to {{convert|96|cm|adj=on|abbr=on}} long.