The Golden Pheasant, Chrysolophus pictus (L.), was introduced to Maui, Hawai‘i, as recently as the mid-1990s and has been found at three locations on the windward slope of East Maui between 1,700 and 2,400 m in elevation. I contacted researchers, land managers, and hunting guides who worked in areas inhabited by Golden Pheasants from 1990 through 2012 and compiled their notes to determine the approximate time and location of introduction and range of the species, in addition to investigating the possibility of the establishment of the species on Maui. The species was probably released at Waikamoi Preserve, and detection frequency increased there since the discovery of the species in 1996. Evidence of reproduction during 2010–2012 suggests that a small breeding population is established at Waikamoi Preserve. Since the first detection in 1996, the linear range of the Golden Pheasant expanded to two additional areas, Hanawī Natural Area Reserve and Haleakalā National Park, encompassing a dispersal area of at least 10 km. Total area occupied by Golden Pheasants is estimated at around 40 ha at Waikamoi Preserve and 6.5 ha at Hanawī Natural Area Reserve.
First Successful Introduction of the Golden Pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus) to the United States
