The golden pheasant, is also known as the Chinese pheasant, and rainbow pheasant. The genus name is from Ancient Greek khrusolophos, "with golden crest", and pictus is Latin for "painted" from pingere, "to paint". They feed on the ground on grain, leaves, and invertebrates, but they roost in trees at night. During winter, flocks tend to forage close to human settlements at the edge of the forest, taking primarily wheat leaves and seeds. While they can fly clumsily in short bursts, they prefer to run and spend most of their time on the ground. This type of flying is commonly known as "flapping flight"