The male Mrs. Hume's Pheasant is a striking bird with its iridescent blue-black plumage and long, elegant tail feathers. The female is less colorful, with brown plumage and a shorter tail.
These pheasants inhabit dense forests, bamboo thickets, and shrubbery in the foothills and mountains of China. They are particularly found in regions with ample undergrowth for cover.
Mrs. Hume's Pheasants are primarily ground-dwelling birds, foraging for seeds, fruits, insects, and small invertebrates in the leaf litter and undergrowth.
During the breeding season, which typically occurs in spring, the male pheasants display elaborate courtship behaviors to attract females.
They face threats from hunting and trapping for the illegal wildlife trade.
The species was named after Mary Ann Grindall Hume, the wife of the British naturalist Allan Octavian Hume. It was first described by Hume in 1881.
While primarily found in China, Mrs. Hume's Pheasant also occurs in neighboring regions such as Myanmar (Burma) and possibly in parts of northeastern India.