I have a wildlife zoo-Chapter 656 - 655: The Brocade Chicken Takes Flight

The golden-yellow filamentous crest feathers appeared like a piece of exquisite silk satin, incredibly smooth and exuding an air of majestic elegance.

The golden pheasant took a few light steps forward, and its fluttering long tail also revealed itself from behind the stone.

The tail plumes were a mottled brown and yellow, with a well-defined pattern.

As it walked, the tail feathers rhythmically trembled up and down with each step, resembling a formidable and handsome general in a Peking opera, striding across the stage with the banner behind him catching the wind, rustling sharply, yet not in disarray.

Indeed, the floral plumes atop the helmets of military officials in Peking opera were made from the tail feathers of pheasants, such as those previously used by characters like Zhou Yu, Lü Bu, and Sun Wukong, which were made from the feathers of the white-crested long-tailed pheasant.

This golden pheasant was not very afraid of tourists. Even when it noticed that tourists were watching, it went about its business with ease.

It hopped lightly down from the stone and began pecking at the ground with its head lowered on the grayish-black sandy soil.

With every peck, the fan-shaped orange feathers at the back of its head would sway, revealing the green scales underneath, along with the glittering golden crown and the bright red chest, dazzling and enchanting.

It scratched the sandy soil with its claws a couple of times, turned around, and then pointed its rear at them.

The wing feathers, circular and blue, appeared black under the shade of the trees, but under the sunlight refracted off of them, they shone with a metallic sheen, as profound and glistening as the deep blue sea.

Suddenly, it raised its head and looked around cautiously.

Then with a light push off its feet, its feathers ruffled, and it flapped its wings, taking off gracefully.

During flight, the tail feathers, longer than its body, hung down, floating elegantly like the tail of a kite, undulating and swirling in waves and loops.

Under the bright golden sunshine of the early morning, the feathers sparkled brilliantly, like a cluster of colorful, luxurious flames taking flight!

The tourists immediately exclaimed in amazement!

Amamiya Kokoro couldn't help but widen her eyes, "Wow, sugoi!"

She quickly took out her camera and snapped a couple of photos!

Liu Wei watched the golden pheasant perch on a tree trunk to rest, sighing, "So beautiful!"

Such a beautiful bird was hard to believe it really existed in the world.

He felt that in terms of luxury, perhaps only the green peafowl could compare.

Of course, the colorful macaws were also very beautiful!

However, this kind of pheasant might better fit the aesthetic of the Chinese people, with its graceful and elegant posture, like a moving traditional Chinese painting.

He looked at the nearby educational display board.

The golden pheasant, also known as the "Golden Pheasant", is a rare bird species unique to my country and is a national second-class protected animal. Its core area is in the Qinling region in southern Gansu and Shaanxi, and it is also widely distributed in the Yangtze River basin. "Baoji" City got its name because it was abundant with golden pheasants.

It was the beauty of its feathers that caused it to be heavily hunted. People made specimens for decoration or removed the feathers for crafts. In the 1960s, the Ministry of Animal Husbandry bought 6,000-8,000 golden pheasant skins, causing the population to decline sharply.

Although artificial breeding has become more mature now, and it is a common ornamental bird in various zoos, the wild population still needs urgent protection.

An interesting educational display board was titled: "Do you know the meaning of 'Yīguānqínshòu'?"

"Yīguānqínshòu" refers to people dressed elegantly, appearing very cultured, but with corrupt morals, acting no better than beasts," Liu Wei thought to himself as he read on.

In fact, the idiom "Yīguānqínshòu" originated from the attire of Ming dynasty officials!

At that time, in order to echo the emperor's dragon robe, officials' clothing was decorated with images of birds and beasts. Civil officials had developed intellects and keen thinking, so they wore garments adorned with birds, while military officers were brave and strong, which is why they wore clothing with fierce animals.

Different ranks of officials had different patterns embroidered on their garments.

First-rank civil officials had red-crowned cranes, second-rank had golden pheasants, and third-rank had green peafowls, showing the high status of the golden pheasant.

For military officers, both first and second ranks had lions, and third rank had tigers.

Therefore, "clothes adorned with birds and beasts" was actually a term of praise in the earliest sense, as the animals on official clothing could display one's status and be envied by others. It only later gradually acquired its current meaning.

"So that's how it is! I've learned something new."

Next to it was a display board, introducing the relationship between the golden pheasant and the national bird.

The red-crowned crane, golden pheasant, green peafowl, and crested ibis were all strong candidates for the national bird!

In the first vote for the national bird, most people chose the red-crowned crane.

However, when preparing to report to the State Council, an expert pointed out that the red-crowned crane had a scientific name "Japanese crane," which seemed inappropriate.

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Although the red-crowned crane originated from China, it was the specimen provided by Japan that was first used to name the bird by zoologists. Back then, the Qing government was still closed off from the outside world, giving Japan the advantage, a truly regrettable circumstance.

There was also a strong call for the golden pheasant because it was the prototype of the phoenix in mythology, and the map of China looks like a giant rooster. It had also appeared as China's representative bird at the National Games, expressing the passion and blessings of the Chinese people.

The display board ended with the question, "If you were to choose the national bird, which one would you pick?"

Liu Wei felt torn; they all seemed good. It was quite a dilemma.

After flying to the tree, the golden pheasant twisted its neck and began grooming its feathers!

During the grooming, its shoulder mantle opened and quivered, and the golden-yellow filamentous crest feathers also rose from their flat state.

Perched on the branch, it had a sense of self-admiration.

This golden pheasant adapted to its new environment very quickly, behaving with poise and allowing itself to be admired by onlookers!

However, most of them seemed quite cautious and shy, not very active, hiding under the branches or behind rocks.

In a corner, a female golden pheasant with plain, yellow-brown feathers looked very modest, squatting next to a clump of bamboo, her neck shrunk, her back to the visitors, seeming very introverted.

Her body was round and chubby; from time to time, she glanced back stealthily, which looked very amusing.

Seeing this, Amamiya Kokoro couldn't help but laugh out loud, looking forward to the rest of the zoo visit even more.

The environment here was arranged so wonderfully, showcasing the charm of the animals in full.

After watching for a while, the two of them continued to stroll through the Pheasant Forest along the bamboo path.

Turning a corner, they saw a Lady Amherst's pheasant perched on a tree trunk, its black-and-white long tail feathers hanging down.

The Lady Amherst's pheasant was a bit larger than the golden pheasant!

The mantle-like shoulder feathers, belly, and long tail feathers were primarily white, the edges of the feathers adorned with conspicuous black patterns, resembling black-and-white fans, also like auspicious clouds.

The wing feathers were blue, while the chest and back boasted green feathers with a metallic sheen.

Compared to the colorful and resplendent golden pheasant, which exuded an air of glittering wealth, the Lady Amherst's pheasant appeared more subdued in color with a gentle, feminine beauty.