Seasonal differences in dietary compositions of Blood Pheasant ( Ithaginis cruentus ): a study focuses on bryophytes from feces analysis

The Blood Pheasant (Ithaginis cruentus) may be unique amongst Galliformes species in that it is believed to forage primarily on bryophytes. Yet there are few quantitative studies that have examined the species diet and how this might vary seasonally, as these data could shed some light on how such species are able to adapt to harsher, cold montane environments. To help fill this knowledge gap, we used microhistological fecal analysis to determine the dietary composition of a Blood Pheasant population at Lianhuashan Nature Reserve in Gansu Province, China. A total of 149 fresh feces samples of Blood Pheasant were collected continuously from April 2011 to October 2013 (spanning all four seasons) along 18 km of roads in the reserve. Bryophytes were the most abundant items in the fecal samples (99.8%), of which 11 families were recognized. Mniaceae was present in nearly all fecal samples and constituted the main dietary component across the population. There was significant seasonal variation in bryophyte presence in fecal samples, with the proportion of bryophytes lowest in summer, and highest during autumn. In addition, the digestibility of bryophytes was also highest in autumn compared to other seasons. Our results highlight a degree of dietary plasticity by Blood Pheasants and we discuss how this variation enables them to adapt to local seasonal climatic conditions in their montane environment.