What Are the Differences Between a Female Green Pheasant & a Male Green Pheasant?

Green pheasants are indigenous to Japan and are also the country's official national bird. Other common names for the pheasant include versicolor pheasants and Japanese pheasants. Preferring grassy areas with light shrubs, the green pheasant feeds on grains, insects, worms and plants. They are often found around agricultural areas and are known to be kept as pets. Green pheasants also possess an ability to detect minute tremors in the earth by emitting a warning call, states Avianweb.

  1. Male Coloring

    • Male green pheasants have become popular pets because of their colorful markings.

      Male green pheasants have a distinct pattern of colors over their bodies, which makes it easy to differentiate them from females. The males use their elaborate coloring to attract females during the mating season. Males are characterized by a metallic green that covers their front parts and sport a purplish banding running horizontally around the head and red around the eyes. Their backside is covered in a series of brown and black wavy lines that run horizontally.

    Female Coloring

    • Female green pheasants are less colorful than males.

      Female green pheasants have subdued coloring relative to the males. The female's green pheasants' plain coloring camouflages her from predators, while she cares for her brood. Females are covered in brown and black feathers that run along their backside and are slightly mottled. They also have a small green-shaded area just below their head, which differentiates them from other pheasant species.

    Size Differences

    • Females are slightly smaller and average around 2 lbs., while males average about 2.6 lbs. Males are also slightly longer than females, measuring about 25 to 35 inches long, while females are around 20 to 25 inches.

    Mating Behavioral Differences

    • Green pheasants are typically docile birds; however, the males become territorial and slightly aggressive around the mating season. Choosing a section of territory, males will aggressively ward off potential rivals for the duration of the mating process. It is common for males to fight other males when attracting a female. In relation to males, females are passive and relatively submissive to their male counterparts. Green pheasants are polygamous and females will tolerate sharing their mating partner with other females during the same mating season.