Trying to find a real answer ....

[angsaidso]

Everyone seems to have a different opinion so I thought I would ask here and see what everyone says ... everytime I look this up on the web, I find that there are differing opinions. Are Alaskan Snow pheasants just a variety of ringneck? Or are they another species altogether? I have seen where they are listed with "species of ringnecks". Then I have seen comments where they say Alaskan Snows are not ringnecks. So ... I guess I would like to know which it is??

 

[G-Dekeyser]

they are just white ringnecks

 

[PupuMcgoo]

"alaskan snow" pheasants are a color mutation from a ringneck pheasant, I assume from the chinese ringneck pheasant (Phasianus colchicus torquatus) , which is one of thirty some sub-species of the Phasianus group. This is similar to the melanistic pheasants that are dark (Phasianus colchicus tenebrosus) which is also a color mutation from the Southern Cacusus Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus colchicus another acutal subspecies of phasianus). Those started in the wild of Europe and the color was enhanced in aviaries to make the black pheasants we know today.

Refer to the book by James Pfarr, True Pheasants Around the World: a Nobel Quarry
http://www.hancockhouse.com/products/nobque.htm

More information can be found on the website: http://www.gbwf.org/pheasants/phasianus_colchicus.html

and the website: http://www.vowersweimaraners.com/true_pheasants_-_phasianus (I will try to get more pictures on there soon, it's been a busy breeding season...)

All of that together should give you the real answer you are looking for rather than all the B.S. you normally get from most forum sites

Not this one of course...

 

[angsaidso]

Thank you very much. I have several types of pheasant and am about to aquire blues. But the Alaskan Snow Pheasant information was so sketchy. This will help a lot and I will get a copy of that book. Thankyou again!