Ring-necked Pheasant

Ring-necked Pheasant male

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Ring-necked Pheasant female

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

The Ring-necked Pheasant was introduced into North America from Asia and is established over much of the continent, especially in agricultural lands. It is a distinctive and colorful species and is a popular game bird.

Description

• Medium to large chicken-like bird.
• Long tail, often held cocked up at an angle.
• Wings rather long and rounded in flight.

• Size: 50-70 cm (20-28 in)
• Wingspan: 56-86 cm (22-34 in)
• Weight: 500-3000 g (17.65-105.9 ounces)

Sex Differences

Male brightly colored, female smaller and cryptically colored.

Sound

Male crows with a loud, harsh "koork-KOK."

Conservation Status

Populations declining, probably because of changes in farming practices.

Other Names

Faisan de Colchide (French)
Faisán vulgar, Faisán de collar (Spanish)
Common Pheasant (English)

Cool Facts

• In very bad weather, pheasants are known to stay on a roost for several days without eating.

• Pheasants practice "harem-defense polygyny" where one male keeps other males away from a small group of females during the breeding season.

• Across the native range, about 34 races of the species are recognized. The Green Pheasant race is sometimes considered a different species. Multiple introductions of different races have been made in North America.

Sources used to construct this page:

Giudice, J. H., and J. T. Ratti. 2001. Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus). In The Birds of North America, No. 572 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.