Whose extra-long feathers are on the Peking Opera warrior's "head crown"? This "forest beneficial bird" has something to say

Chongqing Xuebaoshan National Nature Reserve recently announced that the second phase of the wild reintroduction experiment of the white-crowned long-tailed pheasant has begun. The first batch of eight naturally hatched pheasants officially started wild survival training in winter, which is also a very critical link before the wild reintroduction of this species.

The elegant and colorful white-crowned long-tailed pheasant is a bird species unique to my country and a national first-class protected wild animal. Its tail feathers are the most eye-catching, distinctive and beautiful. Not only are they colorful, but they are also the longest among Chinese birds, about 1.2-2.0 meters long. This is where the common name "long-tailed pheasant" comes from.

The tail feathers of the white-crowned pheasant are also called "pheasant feathers". They are precious materials for traditional handicrafts and are often used to make feathers in Chinese opera. For example, the white crown worn by Peking Opera warriors is made from its central tail feathers.

The White-crowned Long-tailed Pheasant, also known as the Zhai Bird, Ground Chicken, Mountain Pheasant, etc., belongs to the order Galliformes, family Phasianidae, and genus Long-tailed Pheasant. Researchers speculated based on its historical distribution area that the White-crowned Long-tailed Pheasant originated in the late Miocene, and that the southwestern mountains of my country may represent the origin of the ancestors of the Long-tailed Pheasant. They have been multiplying and developing for about 7 million years, and their distribution range has gradually expanded from the southwestern mountains to the central and northern mountainous areas. However, since the mid-20th century, the distribution area of ​​the White-crowned Long-tailed Pheasant has gradually shrunk, and its current distribution range mainly involves Shaanxi, Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Hunan, Hubei, Anhui, Henan, Hebei, Shanxi and other provinces and cities.

The White-crowned Pheasant is an omnivorous bird. Plants are the first in its diet, mainly fruits, seeds, young shoots, tender leaves, flowers, tubers, roots, crop seedlings, and grains. Animals are mainly larvae and eggs of Lepidoptera in the forest, which plays an important role in suppressing forest pests and maintaining ecological balance. Therefore, the White-crowned Pheasant is also known as the "forest beneficial bird".

Usually, the suitable habitat for the White-crowned Long-tailed Pheasant is the mountain forest zone at an altitude of 400-1500 meters, where the terrain is complex and undulating. Valleys, cliffs, steep slopes and mountain broad-leaved forests or mixed forests with dense trees are its favorite habitats. However, in areas with an altitude of 2000-2600 meters, White-crowned Long-tailed Pheasants are also active. They are accustomed to activities alone or in small groups, and are very regular. They are usually active in the morning and afternoon every day and rest at noon. The White-crowned Long-tailed Pheasant flies to the tree before dark, sleeps in the nearby woods at night, and "gets up" at dawn the next day. It is in line with the saying "A day's plan begins in the morning" and "The early bird catches the worm."

The hearing and vision of the white-crowned long-tailed pheasant are very sharp, and they are very alert. They will flee immediately at the slightest sign of trouble. At this time, they fully demonstrate their special skills of running and flying. They are not only fast but also long-lasting. They also have a special skill - gliding down quickly from a high altitude, and they can also fly directly upward for a long distance. The reason why they can accurately control the direction when flying quickly and landing quickly is that their "weapon" lies in their long tail. It is also because of this that the white-crowned long-tailed pheasant can move freely and flexibly in the forest.

However, due to habitat destruction and overhunting, the population of the White-crowned Long-tailed Pheasant has been declining, and it has been listed as a vulnerable (VU) species by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). Today, as my country has increased its efforts in on-site protection and established more than 60 national nature reserves, and has made positive progress in wild training and wild release, the population of the White-crowned Long-tailed Pheasant is gradually recovering.

(The author Xu Huangang is a member of the China Science Writers Association)