Silver Pheasant (Lophura nycthemera) [XC457008]
by Michael Rose from Tambon Hin Tung, Amphoe Mueang Nakhon Nayok, Chang Wat Nakhon Nayok, Thailand (alarm call, call)
Silver Pheasant (Lophura nycthemera) [XC506938]
by George Wagner from Tambon Nam Nao, Amphoe Nam Nao, Chang Wat Phetchabun, Thailand (alarm call, call)
Subspecies
Imperial Pheasant (Lophura imperialis) (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) is considered a hybrid between Silver Pheasant (Lophura nycthemera) and Edwards's Pheasant (Lophura edwardsi) following Rasmussen (1998), Garson (2001) and BirdLife International (2001).
Forms superspecies with Kalij Pheasant (Lophura leucomelanos). Many subspecies of questionable validity, based on plumage patterns of male upperparts; seven subspecies, rufipes, occidentalis, ripponi, jonesi, beaulieui, nycthemera and fokiensis, at least, form cline and probably not subspecifically distinct from one another.
The following 15 subspecies are recognised:
occidentalis Delacour, 1948 - South-central China (north-western Yunnan) and north-eastern Burma.
rufipes (Oates, 1898) - Northern Burma in northern Shan States, between R Irrawaddy and R Salween.
ripponi (Sharpe, 1902) - Northern Burma in southern Shan States, between R Irrawaddy and R Salween.
jonesi (Oates, 1903) - South-central China (south-western Yunnan), northern and central Thailand and Burma (South Shan States between R Salween and R Mekong).
omeiensis Cheng, Chang & Tang, 1964 - Central China (Sichuan).
rongjiangensis Tan & Wu, 1981 - South-central China (south-eastern Guizhou).
beaulieui Delacour, 1948 - South-central China (south-eastern Yunnan), northern Laos and northern Vietnam.
nycthemera (Linnaeus, 1758) - Southern China (Guangdong and Guangxi) and northern Vietnam.
whiteheadi (Ogilvie-Grant, 1899) - Hainan I (southern China).
fokiensis Delacour, 1948 - South-eastern China (north-western Fujian and possibly Zhejiang).
berliozi (Delacour & Jabouille, 1928) - Central Vietnam, on western slopes of Annamitic Mts.
beli (Oustalet, 1898) - Central Vietnam, on eastern slopes of Annamitic Mts.