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Ornamental feather coloration is usually a reflection of male quality and plays an important role during courtship, whereas the essence of male quality at the genetic level is not well understood. Major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-based mate choice has been observed in various vertebrates. Here, we investigated the relationship between the coloration of cape feathers and the MHC genotypes in golden pheasants (<i>Chrysolophus pictus</i>). We found that feather coloration differed sharply among different individuals (brightness: 1827.20 ± 759.43, chroma: 1241.90 ± 468.21, hue: 0.46 ± 0.06). Heterozygous individuals at the most polymorphic MHC locus (IA2) had brighter feathers than homozygous individuals (Z = −2.853, <i>p</i> = 0.004) and were more saturated in color (Z = −2.853, <i>p</i> = 0.004). However, feather coloration was not related to other MHC loci or to overall genetic heterozygosity (<i>p</i> > 0.050). Our study suggested that coloration of cape feathers might signal IA2 genotypes in golden pheasants.