Male golden pheasants have a golden-yellow crest with a light tinge of red at the tip. The face, throat, chin, and the sides of neck are rusty tan. The wattles and orbital skin are yellow; the ruff or cape is light orange; the upper back is green and the rest of the back and rump is golden-yellow. Males also have a scarlet breast and scarlet and light chestnut flanks. The tertiaries are blue; the scapulars are dark red; the central tail feathers are black spotted with cinnamon, and the tip of the tail is cinnamon buff. The upper tail coverts are the same color as the central tail feathers. The female is much duller in coloration than the male. They are brown with dark barring and a buff face and throat. The breast and sides are barred buff and blackish brown, and the abdomen is plain buff. Both genders have yellow legs and bill.
