How to identify it
About 33 in (84 cm) long; males black with a grey belly, females mottled brown. [1][2][3]
Where it lives
Relatively common in Hawaiʻi Island's upland areas; Hawaiʻi Birding Trails lists it at wet-forest, dry-forest and pasture-and-grassland sites. [1][2][3]
Where it is listed for legal take
These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.
Where legal take is listed
- Hawaii — hunting · HAR Title 13 Chapter 122, Rules Regulating Game Bird Hunting (unofficial copy, am. 05/09/15)
Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.
Where it is found
Native to southern Asia; first brought to Hawaii in 1962 as a gamebird. NatureServe records it in Hawaii.
Sources
Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.
- BIOLOGICALkalij pheasant
State of Hawaii, Hawaii Birding Trails · reviewed 2026-09-30
State of Hawaii, Hawaii Birding Trails
NatureServe · reviewed 2026-09-30
NatureServe
- BIOLOGICALLophura leucomelanos (classification)
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology · reviewed 2026-09-30
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology