Nictitating Membrane

Al Hansen

Well-known member
I was at Bosque del Apache NWR taking pictures two days ago when I saw this cock pheasant. By the way, you will quickly notice that it is not a ring neck but some sort of hybrid. We have a three day season here as there aren't that many birds to shoot. I guess in the eastern side of the state they have more.
Anyway, this beautiful bird gave me the opportunity to take some shots and in one of them I caught him blinking his third transparent eyelid, the nictitating membrane. This membrane all birds have for the purpose of protecting the eye especially in flight. For an example, down here ducks and geese would use this membrane just because we have so much sand in the air when the wind kicks up.
Thank you, Matt, for your help. I asked him for the name because when I saw the membrane I had an instant "brain freeze" and for the life of me couldn't remember what it was called. Guess nowadays I call them senior moments.
Al

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Al: This is a Sichuan Pheasant that was imported from China about 18 years ago by some states hunting commisions. I had several by the house I had in Pennsylvania back about 15 years ago or less. They had all the markings of the regular pheasant but they didn't have the ring on their necks. The one neighbor I had did harvest one of these and had it mounted, very colorful bird and they "hold up" instead of running after you get close to them. It made it great for pointing dogs to hold them till you got set for the flush. I just couldn't shoot any of them Don
 
Don,
Thank you so much for letting me know what variety this pheasant is. Sichuan! I'll do my best to put that in the memory bank!
Al
 
Al: I wanted to tell you those are excellent photo's of the Sichuan Pheasant. That bird is not completely matured, so someone is planting those birds from a program or something? Thanks again for the great shots.
 
Thank you, Don. By the way, the birds at Bosque del Apache were planted once upon a time. I'll have to find out if I can when that was done. Since we have lived here they exist just like everything else does there. The ducklings were hatching at the beginning of April so my guess is that the normal cycle of the pheasant is going to be around the same time line, how knows, maybe a little earlier. I'll ask the biologists out there.
Al
 
Al: I do want to mention that for the cock bird to be fully mature it has to have around 28 bars on it's tail feathers, it takes the second year for this to happen and they should measure about 30 inches in length.
Pennsylvania implmented the Sichuan program to last about 10 years or more but it fizzeled out for some unknown reason. If I would have know that I would have gotten a few and had then all mounted . The coyotes . did a bunch of them in because we found the carcasses completly distroyed. There was about 15 of them eating from my garden an grew smart enough to watch for the coyotes. Then a coyoto club ask for permission
to clear them out and they did one great job ridding of the Yotes. Since that year the Sichuans were gone. It was done in Mercer county, it was quite a program, they closed the season for pheasants to let the Sichuans get adapted
and it only lasted about two seasons and then done. Beautiful Game Bird.
 
Too bad that had to end that way, Don. Now I will try and find out as much as I can about this group of birds that inhabit Bosque del Apache. It is amazing that they survive down here. They do have food, water, and great habitat,however, to avoid being eaten is beyond me. We have an abundance of coyote, two varieties of fox, crows, ravens, bobcats, mink, weasel, cougars, all types of raptors, and snakes. Last year Bev and I saw two broods so that was a good sign.
Al
 
Al: Yea, your right for the program to end that way as I never did read or hear what happened on why this occurred. We did have the regular pheasant present at that time, also I really think that the very abundance of raccoons
had a lot to do with it and lots of 6 to 8 foot black snakes. These snakes eat eggs big time. Or the program went broke. The Sichuan Pheasants must have adapted to your area real well? They will make for a great hunting bird if they make it.
Supposed to hold tight for bird dogs. Enjoy hunting and Good Luck!
 
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