Family PHASIANIDAE Horsfield, 1821

Museums

Regional Maps

• Meleagridinae Gray, G.R., 1840.

  Secondary source:

   Gray, G.R. 1840. A List of the Genera of Birds, with an indication of the typical species of each genus. London : R. & J.E. Taylor viii 80 pp. [Date published Apr 1840: published before Apr.] [60].
• Pavonidae Rafinesque, C.S. 1815. Analyse de la nature, ou tableau de l'univers et des corps organises. Palermo (Italy) : Privately Published 224 pp. [Date published April to July].

  Type genus:

   Pavo Linnaeus, 1758.

Introduction

Phasianidae (true pheasants and quails) are recognised as a family (Dickinson 2003; Crowe et al. 2006; Christidis & Boles 2008: 60). The family has been studied using DNA analysis, and osteology (Kimball et al. 1999; Dyke et al. 2003), although the position of several of the monophyletic units remains unresolved. The family is cosmopolitan, apart from Antarctica, comprising180 species in 49 genera; eight species are found in Australian, only three of which are native, with three subspecies for two of these.

Pheasants and quails are generally gregarious, associating in loose groups known as coveys although pairs or individuals are not unknown. Their vocalisations are generally restricted to communication between pairs or groups. Grassland and pastures are their preferred habitats although during migrations or nomadic movements they will occur in otherwise unlikely situations (e.g. suburban gardens and parks). All are gramivorous while also taking small invertebrates.

Breeding behaviour in the family usually follows a set pattern, the birds arriving in an ideal environment, and following seasonal or climatic variations, quickly establishing territory and selecting nest sites. Pairs are maintained as succinct pairings; females construct the nest of grasses in situations such as under tussocks. Incubation is undertaken by the pair. Eggs, varying in number but up to seven or eight per clutch, are usually of a short pyriform or oval shape and the base colour is generally a pale cream; however, they vary from unmarked in some species to heavily marked with blotches, spots or dots. Both sexes provide the care during incubation. Phasianids have precocial young: the juveniles are dependent on the parent for their first two to three weeks after which they are totally independent; they are capable of weak flight after this short period.

General References

Christidis, L. & Boles, W.E. 2008. Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing 288 pp. [60-61]

Crowe, T.M., Bowie, R.C.K., Bloomer, P., Mandiwana, T.G., Hedderson, T.A.J., Randi, E., Pereira, S.L. and Wakeling J. 2006. Phylogenetics, biogeography and classification of, and character evolution in, gamebirds (Aves: Galliformes): effects of character exclusion, data partitioning and missing data. Cladistics 22: 495-532

Dickinson, E.C. (ed.) 2003. The Howard & Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World. London : Christopher Helm 1039 pp. [44-61]

Dyke, G.J., Gulas, B.E. & Crowe, T.M. 2003. Suprageneric relationships of galliform birds (Aves, Galliformes): A cladistic analysis of morphological characters. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 137: 227-244 [227-244]

Kimball, R.T., Braun, E.L. Zwartjes, P.W., Crowe, T.M. & Ligon, I.D. 1999. A molecular phylogeny of the pheasants and partridges suggests that these lineages are not monophyletic. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 11: 38-54 [38-54]

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