Morphometric and morphological differentiation of the subspecies of Phasianus colchicus (Linnaeus, 1758) on the Iranian Plateau (Aves: Galliformes)

Abstract

The Common Pheasant, Phasianus colchicus, Linnaeus, 1758 (Aves: Galliformes), occurs in the Iranian Plateau in three nominal subspecies. Fourteen morphometric and three morphological characteristics were examined in 114 individuals. The three nominal subspecies of the Common Pheasant could be distinguished from each other based exclusively on morphological characteristics such as the variation in body size, plumage patterns, the presence/absence of the white wing bar and morphometric data such as bill depth and width. Our field observations and conclusions from morphological analysis showed evidence for natural hybridisation between introduced Ringnecked and autochthonous pheasants in the northern belt of Iran.

Keywords:

• Common Pheasant
• morphological traits
• sexual dimorphism

Acknowledgements and Funding

We would like to thank the Department of Environment (DOE) for giving permission to N.K. for studying samples in the field (No. 90.3096 and 91.23947). We extend our appreciation to Hormoz Sohrabi for his useful statistical comments and to Mohammad-Reza Masoud, Koros Rabii, Pooriya Vaezi, Ahmad Delarami, Hamid Amini, Arash Delfanian, Masoud Kayvanfar, Ali Gholamhosseini, Kiyumars Moladoost, and Seyyed Saeed Hosseinian for helping us. Special thanks to Nona Karimzadeh for preparing the sketch of the Common Pheasant, and Ellen Vuosalo Tavakoli (University of Mazandaran) for editing the English text.

This study was funded by the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran, to NK [grant no. 21166.3].