Common Pheasant
Male Common Pheasant
Conservation status
Least Concern
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Galliformes Family: Phasianidae Genus: Phasianus Species: P. colchicus
Binomial name
Phasianus colchicus Linnaeus, 1758

The Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), otherwise known as the Ring-necked Pheasant or Chinese Pheasant is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds. They are native to Asia but have been introduced elsewhere as a game bird. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1024 × 768 pixel, file size: 416 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species continuing to survive either in the present day or the future. ... Image File history File links Status_iucn3. ... Least Concern (LC) is an IUCN category assigned to extant species or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. ... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Typical Classes See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ... For other uses, see Bird (disambiguation). ... Families Megapodidae Numididae Odontophoridae Phasianidae Meleagrididae Tetraonidae Cracidae Mesitornithidae The Galliformes is an order of birds containing the turkeys, grouse, quails and pheasants. ... The Phasianidae is a family of birds which consists of the pheasants and their allies. ... Species The genus Phasianus in the Pheasant family consists of (perhaps) a single species () with thirty subspecies recognised, twenty-nine on the Asian mainland and one on the island of Taiwan off the southern coast of China. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Carl Linnaeus, Latinized as Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as  , (May 13, 1707[1] – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist[2] who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of nomenclature. ... Game is any animal hunted for food. ... Genera Ithaginis Catreus Rheinartia Crossoptilon Lophura Argusianus Pucrasia Syrmaticus Chrysolophus Phasianus † See also partridge, quail Pheasants are a group of large birds in the order Galliformes. ... For other uses, see Asia (disambiguation). ... Game is any animal hunted for food. ...

The Common Pheasant is one of the worlds most commonly hunted birds, both in the wild and on game farms where it is commercially farmed for this purpose.

The specific epithet, colchicus, refers to Colchis, a region in the Caucasus.^[1] A specific epithet is a biological epithet of a species. ... In ancient geography, Colchis (sometimes spelled also as Kolchis) (Greek: Κολχίς, kŏl´kĬs; Georgian: კოლხეთი, Kolkheti) was a nearly triangular district in Caucasus. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Caucasus Mountains. ...

Description

There are many races of the pheasant, ranging in colour quite literally from pure white to almost black in some melanistic examples.^[2]

The adult male pheasant is 76-89 cm in length with a long brown streaked black tail, accounting for almost 50cm the total length. The male is known as the cock or rooster. The body plumage is barred bright gold and brown plumage with green, purple and white markings. In some birds there is a white ring around the neck, and the head is bottle green with a small crest and distinctive red wattles. Two feathers Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on birds. ...

The nominate race P. c. colchicus lacks a white neck ring. This is however shown by the race Ring-necked Pheasant, P. c. torquatus The sub-species epithet torquatus means "collared.

The female (hen) is much less showy, with a duller mottled brown plumage all over and measuring 53-63cm with a tail of around 20cm. Juvenile birds have the appearance of the female with a shorter tail until young males begin to grow characteristic bright feathers on the breat, head and back at about 10 weeks.

The Green Pheasant of Japan is very similar to Common Pheasant, but the males have dark greenish plumage and females are darker. The Ring-Necked Pheasant is the state bird of South Dakota, one of only three US state birds that is not a species native to the United States. Species The genus Phasianus in the Pheasant family consists of (perhaps) a single species () with thirty subspecies recognised, twenty-nine on the Asian mainland and one on the island of Taiwan off the southern coast of China. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Official language(s) English Capital Pierre Largest city Sioux Falls Area  Ranked 17th  - Total 77,116[1] sq mi (199,905 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 380 miles (610 km)  - % water 1. ...

Distribution and habitat

Pheasants are native to Asia, their original range extending from between the Black and Caspian seas to Manchuria, Siberia, Korea, China, Japan and Taiwan.^[3] This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about Siberia as a whole. ... This article is about the Korean peninsula and civilization. ...

Pheasants can now be found across the globe due to their readiness to breed in captiviy and the fact they can naturalise in many climates.

The bird was brought to Great Britain around the 10th century, arguably earlier, by both the Romans^[4] and Normans, but became locally extinct in the early 17th century. It was rediscovered as a gamebird after being ignored for many years in the 1830s, since when it has been reared extensively by gamekeepers. Because around 30 million pheasants are released each year on shooting estates, it is widespread in distribution, although most released birds survive less than a year in the wild. Repeated reintroduction has made the pheasant a very variable species in regard to size and plumage. For other uses, see Extinction (disambiguation). ... A gamekeeper is a person who looks after an area of countryside to make sure there are enough (game)birds for shooting. ...

Pheasants were introduced in North America in 1857, and have become well established throughout much of the Midwest, the Plains states, and parts of the West, as well as Canada and Mexico. It is now most common on the Great Plains. North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... The Great Plains covers much of the central United States, portions of Canada and Mexico. ...

Pheasants have also been introduced to Tasmania, New Zealand, much of north-west Europe, the Hawaiian Islands, Chile, St Helena and Rottnest Island. It has also been unsuccessfully introduced to many other countries. Slogan or Nickname: The Apple Isle; Holiday Isle Motto(s): Ubertas et Fidelitas (Fertility and Faithfulness) Other Australian states and territories Capital Hobart Government Constitutional monarchy Governor William Cox Premier Paul Lennon (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 5  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $16,114... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... Map of the Hawaiian Islands, a chain of islands that stretches 2,400 km in a northwesterly direction from the southern tip of the Island of Hawai‘i. ... Rottnest Island from space The Basin and Bathurst Lighthouse Rottnest Island ( ) is located 19 km off the coast of Western Australia, near Fremantle. ...

The birds are found in woodland, farmland, scrub and wetlands. In its natural habitat the pheasant lives in grassland near water with scattered trees.

Behaviour

Pheasants are gregarious birds and outside the breeding season form loose flocks. Wherever they are hunted they are always timid.^{[citation needed]}

While pheasants are able short-distance fliers, they prefer to run: but if startled they can suddenly burst upwards at great speed, with a distinctive "whirring" wing sound. Their flight speed is only 27 to 38 mph when cruising but when chased they can fly up to 60 mph.

Diet

Pheasants feed solely on the ground but roost in sheltered trees by night. A wide variety of animal and vegetable food. Fruit, seeds and leaves as well as a wide range of invertebrates, with snakes, lizards, small mammals and birds occasionally taken. Invertebrate is an English word that describes any animal without a spinal column. ...

Breeding

They nest on the ground, producing a clutch of around ten eggs over a two-three week period in April to June. The incubation period is about 23-26 days. The chicks stay near the hen for several weeks after hatching but grow quickly, resembling adults by only 15 weeks of age. In most birds and reptiles, an egg (Latin ovum) is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum. ...

The males are polygynous and are often accompanied by a harem of several females.^[5] The term polygyny (neo-Greek: poly+gune Many + Wives) is used in related ways in social anthropology and sociobiology. ...

Role as Game Bird

Pheasants are bred to be hunted and are shot in great numbers in Europe, especially the UK, where they are shot on the traditional formal "driven shoot" pinciples, wherby paying guns have birds driven over them by beaters, and on smaller "rough shoots". The open season in the UK is 1 October - 1 February, under the Game Act 1831. The Game Act 1831 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom which was passed in order to protect game birds by establishing a close season when they could not be legally taken. ...

It was, and to some extent still is, a Royal pastime to shoot pheasants in Britain. King George V shot over a thousand pheasants out of a total bag of 3937 over a six day period in December 1913, a total which still stands as the British record bag.^[6] George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was the first British monarch belonging to the House of Windsor, which he created from the British branch of the German House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. ... Look up December in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Year 1913 (MCMXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

Pheasant farming is a common practice, and is sometimes done intensively. Birds are supplied both to hunting preserves/estates and restaurants, with smaller numbers being available for home cooks. Pheasant farms have some 10 million birds in the U.S. and 35 million in the United Kingdom. Intensive agriculture is an agricultural production system characterized by the significant use of inputs, and seeking to maximize the production. ... This article is about the hunting of prey by human society. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from...

Common Pheasant chicks are a target of small game poachers in the U.K.^[7] The Roald Dahl novel "Danny the Champion of the World" dealt with a poacher (and his son) who lived in the United Kingdom and illegally hunted common pheasants. For other uses, see Poaching (disambiguation). ... Roald Dahl (IPA: ) (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a UK novelist, short story author and screenwriter of Norwegian parentage, famous as a writer for both children and adults. ... Danny, Champion of the World cover by Quentin Blake // Danny, the Champion of the World For the 1989 film, see Danny, the champion of the world (movie) Danny, the Champion of the World is a book for children by British author Roald Dahl about a boy called Danny Smith. ...

In many parts of the United States and the United Kingdom the pheasant is seen as the premier upland game bird. Some states in the US derive significant revenue from pheasant hunting. In most states only the males are legally huntable. Upland game is an American term which refers to those game birds hunted with pointing breeds, flushing spaniels, and retrievers which are not water fowl. ...

Generally they are pursued by hunters employing gun dogs. The dogs help the hunter find, flush, and retrieve birds when they have been shot. Retrievers, spaniels, and pointing breeds are used to hunt pheasant, although many pointing dogs have trouble with a bird that runs as readily as a pheasant. Gundogs, also called bird dogs, are a category of dog breeds developed to assist hunters to find and retrieve game, usually birds. ... A retriever is a type of gundog that retrieves game for a hunter. ... Most spaniels, like this English Cocker Spaniel, are small-to-medium dogs with drop ears and a longer coat. ... Pointer at the moment of flush A pointing breed is a type of gundog typically used in finding game. ...

The doggerel "up flies a guinea, bang goes sixpence and down comes half-a-crown" reflects that they are often shot for sport rather than as food. If eaten the meat is somewhat tough and dry, so the carcasses were often hung for a time to improve the meat by slight decomposition, as with most other game. Modern cookery generally uses moist roasting or farm-raised female birds. In the UK, game is making somewhat of a comeback in popular cooking, and more pheasants than ever are being sold in UK supermarkets.^[8]

Media

Phasianus colchicus call Image File history File links Phasianus_colchicus. ...

Bird call of the Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)

Problems listening to the file? See media help.

Gallery

Ring-necked variant Image File history File links RingNeckedPheasant. ...	male Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...	hen Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...	hen Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...
Cock Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...	Cock Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...	on sale at a butcher's Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 533 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1920 × 2160 pixel, file size: 829 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Please see the file description page for further information. ...	English Cocker Spaniel with Rooster Image File history File links Kerygma_Cockers_Echo_&_Pheasant. ... The English Cocker Spaniel is a breed of gun dog. ...
Newly hatched chick Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...	Chicks approximately 1 hour old Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

See also

• Hunting in the United Kingdom

A Cocker Spaniel in a typical English shooting scene Hunting and Shooting in the United Kingdom has been practised there for many centuries and is a major part of British rural culture. ...

References

• BirdLife International (2004). Phasianus colchicus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 09 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern

1. ^ Scientific bird names explained
2. ^ Showing melanistic example
3. ^ http://www.desertusa.com/mag00/sep/papr/phante.html
4. ^ http://resourcesforhistory.com/Roman_Food_in_Britain.htm
5. ^ http://www.aldercreekranch.com/pheasant.html
6. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A17365755
7. ^ BBC Radio 4 - Open country
8. ^ Game To Eat

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species and can be found here. ... The World Conservation Union or International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Phasianus colchicus

• USGS - Ring-necked Pheasant
• - Cornell Lab of Ornithology - Ring-necked Pheasant
• Enature.com - Ring-necked Pheasant
• South Dakota Birds - Ring-necked Pheasant
• A habitat conservation organization dedicated to restoring the habitat of the Ring-necked Pheasant
• RSPB Pheasant page

v • d • e Game Animals and Shooting in Britain
Game Birds:	Common Pheasant · Grey Partridge · Red-legged Partridge · Red Grouse · Ptarmigan · Black Grouse1 · Woodcock · Snipe ·
Quarry Species	Mallard · Teal · Woodpigeon · Golden Plover · Canada Goose · Greylag Goose · Pink-footed Goose · White-fronted Goose2 · Wigeon · Tufted Duck · Shoveler · Pintail · Gadwall · Pochard · Goldeneye · Moorhen · Coot ·
Deer:	Red Deer · Roe Deer · Fallow Deer · Sika Deer · Muntjac Deer · Chinese Water Deer
Other Quarry:	Hare · Red Fox · Rabbit ·
See Also:	BASC · Hunting in the United Kingdom · Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust · Game Act 1831 · Countryside Alliance · Glorious Twelfth · Gamekeeper · 1 Rarely shot due to declining numbers. 2 England and Wales only; protected Scotland. Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Game is any animal hunted for food or not normally domesticated (such as venison). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Binomial name Perdix perdix (Linnaeus, 1758) The Grey Partridge (Perdix perdix) is a gamebird in pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds. ... Binomial name Alectoris rufa (Linnaeus, 1758) The Red-legged Partridge (Alectoris rufa) is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds. ... Binomial name Lagopus lagopus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Willow Grouse (Lagopus lagopus) is a medium-sized bird in the grouse family. ... Binomial name Lagopus mutus (Montin, 1781) The Ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus) is a small (31-35 cm) bird in the grouse family. ... Binomial name Tetrao tetrix (Linnaeus, 1758) The Black Grouse (Tetrao tetrix) is a large bird in the grouse family. ... Binomial name Scolopax rusticola (Linnaeus, 1758) The Eurasian Woodcock, Scolopax rusticola is a medium-small wader. ... Binomial name Gallinago gallinago Linnaeus, 1758 Subspecies The Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) is a small, stocky shorebird. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1024 × 768 pixel, file size: 416 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... For other uses, see Mallard (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Anas crecca Linnaeus, 1758 The Common Teal or Teal (Anas crecca) is a common and widespread duck which breeds in the northernmost areas of Europe and Asia. ... For the New Zealand Wood Pigeon see Kereru. ... There are three species of wading birds in the plover family called Golden Plover. ... For the Canadian outerwear manufacturer Canada Goose see Canada Goose (clothing) Binomial name (Linnaeus, 1758) Canada Goose distribution, including native (dark tones) and introduced (light tones) populations Canada Goose summer: yellow Canada Goose all year: green Canada Goose winter: blue Cackling Goose summer: pink Subspecies Dusky Canada Goose Vancouver Canada... Binomial name (Linnaeus, 1758) Subspecies Western Greylag Goose Eastern Greylag Goose Domesticated goose The Greylag Goose, Anser anser, is a bird with a wide range in the Old World. ... Binomial name Anser brachyrhynchus Baillon, 1834 The Pink-footed Goose (Anser brachyrhynchus) is a goose breeding in Greenland, Iceland and Svalbard. ... Binomial name Anser albifrons (Scopoli, 1769) Subspecies (European White-fronted Goose) (Pacific White-fronted Goose) (Gambels White-fronted Goose) (Tule Goose) (Greenland White-fronted Goose) The White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons) is a goose closely related to the smaller Lesser White-fronted Goose (). In North America it is known... Binomial name Anas penelope Linnaeus, 1758 The Wigeon or Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope) is a common and widespread duck which breeds in the northernmost areas of Europe and Asia. ... Binomial name Aythya fuligula (Linnaeus, 1758) The Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula) is a medium-sized diving duck with a population close to one million birds. ... Binomial name Anas clypeata Linnaeus, 1758 The Shoveler or Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata) is a common and widespread duck which breeds in the northern areas of Europe and Asia and across most of North America. ... Binomial name Anas acuta Linnaeus, 1758 The Pintail or Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) is a common and widespread duck which breeds in the northern areas of Europe and Asia and across most of Canada, Alaska and the midwestern United States. ... Binomial name Anas strepera Linnaeus, 1758 Subspecies (Common Gadwall) (Washington Island Gadwall) - extinct The Gadwall (Anas strepera) is a common and widespread duck which breeds in the northern areas of Europe and Asia and central North America. ... Binomial name Aythya ferina (Linnaeus, 1758) The Pochard (Aythya ferina) is a medium-sized diving duck. ... Binomial name Bucephala clangula (Linnaeus, 1758) Subspecies (Eurasian Goldeneye) (American Goldeneye) The Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) is a medium sized sea duck of the genus Bucephala, the goldeneyes. ... Binomial name Gallinula chloropus (Linnaeus, 1758) European distribution of the Common Moorhen. ... Binomial name Fulica atra Linnaeus, 1758 Synonyms Fulica prior The Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra), or just Coot, is a member of the rail and crake bird family, the Rallidae. ... This article is about the species of deer. ... Binomial name (Linnaeus, 1758) The European Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus) is a deer species of Europe, Asia Minor, and Caspian coastal regions. ... Binomial name Dama dama (Linnaeus, 1758) The Fallow Deer (Dama dama) is a ruminant mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. ... Binomial name Cervus nippon Temminck, 1838 Subspecies The Sika Deer Cervus nippon is a typical member of the family Cervidae. ... Species 10 species, see text Muntjac are deer of the genus Muntiacus, also known as Barking Deer. ... Binomial name Hydropotes inermis (Swinhoe, 1870) The Water Deer is superficially more similar to a musk deer than a true deer (cervidae) but it is classified as a cervid despite having tusks (downward-pointing canine teeth) instead of antlers and other anatomical anomalies. ... Binomial name Lepus europaeus Pallas, 1778 The European Hare or Brown Hare (Lepus europaeus) is a species of hare native to northern, central, and western Europe and western Asia. ... For other uses, see Red Fox (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Rabbit (disambiguation). ... A Bachelor of Applied Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course of study that generally lasts three years in the United Kingdom and Australia, and four to five years in Canada, the Netherlands and the United States. ... A Cocker Spaniel in a typical English shooting scene Hunting and Shooting in the United Kingdom has been practised there for many centuries and is a major part of British rural culture. ... The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust[1] (formerly the Game Conservancy Trust) is a British charitable organisation, principally associated with the shooting industry, promoting game and wildlife management as an essential part of nature conservation. ... The Game Act 1831 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom which was passed in order to protect game birds by establishing a close season when they could not be legally taken. ... The Countryside Alliance. ... The Glorious Twelfth is usually used to refer to August 12, the start of the open season for grouse shooting in the United Kingdom. ... A gamekeeper is a person who looks after an area of countryside to make sure there are enough (game)birds for shooting. ...