Distribution

Tibet, China and as far north as the border of Russia, with an elevation of up to 10,000 ft.

Description

These are striking birds, and one of my favourites. There are three subspecies of White Eared; Dolani, Sichuan and Drouyni. The Drouyni being the whitest form. The whiteness of the wings seems to vary from bird to bird. Unlike other Eared pheasants they have short ear tufts that do not extend above the head. The sexes are similar in colour, but the males are slightly larger. Their face is scarlet red with red feet and legs.

Behaviour

Large powerful and majestic, White Eared stand out from their cousins in many ways. They are diggers using their beaks to find food; their calls are deep and throaty, with variation depending on their mood. White Eared can be tamed quite easily, taking treats of apples and peanuts from their keeper's hands.

Diet

Their main diet consists of layer pellets, with treats such as peanuts, apples, lettuce, and grapes. In winter I also add corn and other whole grains.

Pens

Bigger is better, at present our White Eared are kept in a 8'x8'x24' pen which includes a 8'x8' shelter at the rear of the pen. All our diggers are kept on a gravel base, to prevent infestation of internal parasites and gape worm.

Breeding

White Eared are monogamous and should be kept in pairs. Males can become aggressive to unwanted hens, but when you find a bonded pair they will produce many young. Male's frontal display includes fanning his tail and wings forward, while giving chase to the hen. Hens start laying in early May, and lay as many as 20 eggs in a season.

Incubation

Shorter than other Eared pheasants the White Eared hatch at 24 days of incubation, while incubators may produce good results, I prefer to use bantams for incubating the eggs. At 21 days the eggs are placed in an incubator, where they hatch on the 24th day. This method produces strong healthy chicks.

Chicks

White Eared chicks are very aggressive and need to be brooded separately, from day 1 to about 2-3 weeks old. They are started in small box brooders at 95 degrees until they can be moved together into the larger brooders. These larger brooders are 2'x4'. As they grow larger and feathers the temperature is reduced, and are moved to even larger brooders which are 4'x6', then at 8 weeks of age they are brought to outside pens to harden off.