It derives from cross-breeding of imported long-tailed Japanese birds similar to the Onagadori with other breeds.

[9] The Phoenix breed was created by Hugo du Roi [de], the first president of the national German poultry association, in the late nineteenth century.

A few delicate imported long-tailed Japanese birds were cross-bred with birds of other breeds including Combattant de Bruges, Krüper, Leghorn, Malay, Modern Game, Old English Game, Ramelsloher and Yokohama.

[6] The silver variety was accepted into the Standard of Perfection of the American Poultry Association in 1965; the gold was added in 1983, and the black-breasted red in 2018.

[14]: 991  This gene was not transferred to the Phoenix, so its tail does not reach the same remarkable lengths as that of the original Japanese stock.