# Melanistic Pheasant??



## Salzburg (Oct 17, 2011)

I was very surprised today to see a gorgeous melanistic pheasant strutting around near the road. I was driving past in my car and unfortunately did not have my camera with me, otherwise I would have pulled over and tried to get close enough to get some decent shots. 

I was wondering if anyone else has ever seen one in the UK, or if anyone knows how rare they are?


----------



## Dee_Williams (Aug 15, 2010)

They are commonly let off round here in the shooting groups. A friend of mine got me to buy in 2 melanistic males for their rearing pens a couple of years back. 
We fairly often see the chocolatey coloured ones but not the fully black ones so much now.


----------



## naz_pixie (Oct 6, 2008)

aaaw sounds cool! 
never seen or heard of them personally.. but sounds like a pretty impressive bird! cant imagine it would lend itself well to camouflage and keeping hidden though! lol 

was it a male or female?


----------



## Salzburg (Oct 17, 2011)

naz_pixie said:


> aaaw sounds cool!
> never seen or heard of them personally.. but sounds like a pretty impressive bird! cant imagine it would lend itself well to camouflage and keeping hidden though! lol
> 
> was it a male or female?



Haha true, I just hope it doesn't end up shot and on someone's plate, there are a lot of shooters around my area (and as a result very few foxes).

Definitely a male, which just added to the gorgeousness of him!


----------



## MantellaMan (Feb 3, 2012)

They won't shoot him dont worry lol  however they aren't really Melanistic, just that term sort of stuck with them because its silly calling them the "Iridescent Pheasant", But they have the Green/Black plumage that you commonly find in Monal species such as the Himalayan Monal and Chinese Monal.

They basically release them in large groups so they stick out like a sore thumb and give away the entire groups position lol just like they would do with Leucistic/White Stags, so they would never shoot them  However, Melanistic's have been kept in massive groups in certain areas of just them.


----------



## Salzburg (Oct 17, 2011)

MantellaMan said:


> They won't shoot him dont worry lol  however they aren't really Melanistic, just that term sort of stuck with them because its silly calling them the "Iridescent Pheasant", But they have the Green/Black plumage that you commonly find in Monal species such as the Himalayan Monal and Chinese Monal.
> 
> They basically release them in large groups so they stick out like a sore thumb and give away the entire groups position lol just like they would do with Leucistic/White Stags, so they would never shoot them  However, Melanistic's have been kept in massive groups in certain areas of just them.


Ah ok, you learn something new every day! Thank you!


----------



## MantellaMan (Feb 3, 2012)

Salzburg said:


> Ah ok, you learn something new every day! Thank you!



Hahaha not a problem mate! :2thumb: anytime! lol


----------



## Sparko (Jun 30, 2010)

I've seen one on a local nature reserve - they certainly are stunning.


----------



## Ged (Nov 9, 2009)

I've seen a load of Common Pheasants that are a really dark green all over, is that a type of melanism?


----------



## MantellaMan (Feb 3, 2012)

Ged said:


> I've seen a load of Common Pheasants that are a really dark green all over, is that a type of melanism?


No that sounds a lot more like the rarer Japanese Green Pheasant lol the Melanistic Pheasant is just a morph variation of the Japanese Green


----------



## PESKY (May 25, 2010)

never heard of melanistic but ive seen 3 albino or luecistic ones a fair few years back, theres alot of shooting goes on as its a very rural area although i was suprised to see pure white pheasents


----------

