Golden Pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus) WikiC
As mentioned, these “Artistic Birds” will be presented in “sort of” the Taxonomic Order. The first few orders do not have any particularly “artistic” birds. They were mostly created to blend in with their environment. Most likely for protection. These first Orders are:
- STRUTHIONIFORMES – Ostriches
- RHEIFORMES – Rheas
- APTERYGIFORMES – Kiwis
- CASUARIIFORMES – Cassowaries & Emu A little bit of color
- TINAMIFORMES – Tinamous
But when we arrive at the Galliformes Order, the Creator’s Artistically Colorful Hand appears on many of these birds. There are five families in this Order.
[Clicking on these links have many photos of those in the families. Scientific and English links are identical.]
Megapodiidae ~~~ (English) – Megapodes – Not very colorful
(Scientific) –Cracidae ~~~ (English) – Chachalacas, Curassows & Guans – This group has fancy “hairdos” and throat pouches
Bare-faced Curassow (Crax fasciolata) Female ©WikiC
Bare-faced Curassow (Crax fasciolata) ©BirdPhotos
(Scientific) – Numididae ~~~ (English) – Guineafowl – Crested Guineafowl is the only one of note.
Crested Guineafowl (Guttera pucherani) ©WikiC
(Scientific) – Odontophoridae ~~~ (English) – New World Quail – Quails have artistic markings that help them blend in for protection. My favorite that shows an Artistic design is the Gambel’s Quail with this “painted” lines and that fancy feather.
Gambel’s Quail (Callipepla gambelii) ©WikiC
(Scientific) – Phasianidae ~~~ (English) – Pheasants, Fowl & Allies – This family is loaded with Artistic Birds, so, today here is just one of the beauties. More posts will present more of the Lord’s Hand at work in the design of these birds. What a Creator!
Golden Pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus) Male ©© NotMicroButSoft
It is native to forests in mountainous areas of western China, but feral populations have been established in the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, the Falkland Islands, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.[3] In England they may be found in East Anglia in the dense forest landscape of the Breckland as well as Tresco on the Isles of Scilly.
Golden Pheasant Magnolia Plantation by Lee Charleston 2014
The adult male is 90–105 cm (35–41 in) in length, its tail accounting for two-thirds of the total length. It is unmistakable with its golden crest and rump and bright red body. The deep orange “cape” can be spread in display, appearing as an alternating black and orange fan that covers all of the face except its bright yellow eye with a pinpoint black pupil.
Golden Pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus) ©WikiC
“to design artistic works, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of artistic workmanship.” (Exodus 35:32-33 NKJV) [These were workers that were given special gifts to work on the tabernacle. Wonder if any of them had seen “artistic birds” to help them visualize what their works?]
Click this link to see a full photo of this bird. When it comes up, click it again. Wow!
Golden Pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus) Walking ©WikiC
GALLIFORMES – Fowl, Quail, Guans, Currasows, Megapodes
Lee's Birdwatching Adventures Plus 