Abstract
Field observations and collecting of the Green Pheasant Phasianus colchicus (versicolor) and Copper Pheasant Ph. soemmerringii were made in Sendai, Miyagi Pref. and Tashiro Town, Akita Pref., during November 1965 and January 1966 for the study of habitat prefenence and food habits.
Winter ecological distributions of the two species were partly overlapped. In Sendai area, the Green (GP) was widely distributed from village area to forests, but the Copper (CP) inhabited only rather deep in the forests. On the contrary, in Tashiro area, the Copper was found from village area to the deep forests and the Green was mainly distributed along Yoneshiro River. The Green Pheasant seemed to be more abundant in Sendai area than in Tashiro Town area.
The Green Pheasants were collected, 12 in Sendai, 2 in Akita and one in Iwate, and the Copper 4 in Sendai and one Akita. Their stomach contents showed: the ratios of vegetable and animal matters to the total food items 99.6% and 0.4% in the Green and 99.8% and 0.2% in the Copper respectively. Species of plants identified from their foods were 37 in the Green and 20 in the Copper Pheasants. In Sendai, both species took many kinds of seeds and fruits, which were: 77.4% (GP) and 75.1% (CP) respectively to the total food items (in dry weights) . In Akita, 91.2% to the total food items were seeds and fruits in the Green Pheasants.
The seeds and fruits were classified into those of trees, grasses, and liane, and 42.2% (GP), and 43.1% (CP) were of grass, 10.4% (GP) and 13.40% (CP) were of tree, and 43.3% (GP) and 44.5% (CP) were of liane. Only 5 species of animal matters were found in the food items of the both pheasants.
