See text The Phasianinae (Horsfield, 1821) are a subfamily of the pheasant family (Phasianidae) of landfowl, the order Galliformes.
The subfamily includes true pheasants, tragopans, grouse, turkey and similar birds.
[1] Although this subfamily was considered monophyletic and separated from the partridges, francolins, and Old World quails (Perdicinae) till the early 1990s,[1][2] molecular phylogenies have shown that this placement is paraphyletic.
[5] The Phasianinae are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments, such as wattles and long tails.
Tribes and subfamily names are based on the 4th edition of the Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World.