Lot Essay
This extremely beautiful member of the Pheasant family was artificially introduced from south-west China in the late 18th Century. These birds favour Bamboo thickets on rocky mountains slopes at an altitude of 7000 to 12000 feet above sea level. It has been successfully bred in England as an ornamental and sporting bird. Although it has never spread widely, it is recognised as a British species. Some breed around Woburn, Bedfordshire where they like the thick rhododendron coverts.