The copper pheasant, also known as Soemmerring’s pheasant or yamadori in Japanese, is a native bird of the Japanese archipelago, with its scientific name, Syrmaticus soemmerringii, honoring the German scientist Samuel Thomas von Sömmerring. It holds the distinction of being the official bird of various Japanese prefectures, cities, and towns, and was a popular target for sport hunting throughout the 20th century.
Since the 1970s, the copper pheasant has faced a consistent decline in population, primarily due to factors such as habitat destruction and predation, but overhunting remains the most cited cause. This large bird is characterized by rich chestnut plumage with a coppery hue, a yellowish bill, brown iris, and red facial skin. Females display a brown coloration with grayish-brown upperparts and dark brown barring on a buff underside.
Adult males of the species exhibit short spurs on their gray legs, contrasting with the females who lack them. The males are considerably larger, measuring between 87.5 centimeters (34.4 in) to 136 centimeters (54 in) in length, including their tails. In contrast, females range from 51 centimeters (20 in) to 54 centimeters (21 in) long, depending on the subspecies. Juveniles resemble females in plumage, featuring overall chestnut tones with darker patches on the neck and cream-colored facial feathers. Stripes of cream and dark brown run along their neck and face.
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