Common Pheasant

Overview

The common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) is a game bird native to Asia and parts of Europe that has been widely introduced across the globe. It is one of the world's most hunted species and is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Males feature a bottle-green head, red wattle, and body plumage in barred bright gold, fiery copper-red, and chestnut-brown, with a long brown-streaked black tail.
• Females and juveniles are less showy, displaying a mottled brown plumage throughout the body.
• The species is generally gregarious but can become timid around humans, capable of sudden bursts of upward flight accompanied by a distinctive 'whirring' wing sound and 'kok kok kok' calls.

Habitat

Originally native to Asia and the northern foothills of the Caucasus Mountains in Europe, the species now exists in introduced populations across North America, New Zealand, Australia, and other regions. Common pheasants inhabit woodland, farmland, scrub, and wetlands, preferring grassland near water with small copses of trees.

Diet

These birds consume a wide variety of animal and vegetable foods, including fruit, seeds, grain, mast, berries, and leaves. Animal forage consists of invertebrates such as slugs, earthworms, insects, and occasionally small vertebrates like lizards, field voles, and small birds.

Did you know?

The common pheasant is the state bird of South Dakota, making it one of only two US state birds that is not a species native to the United States.