Ring-necked Pheasant
Ring-necked Pheasant
(Phasianus colchicus)
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Size : 30 - 36 inches long (76 - 91 cm)
Description : Male - Has long tail; red eye patch, irridescent green head, and
white ring around neck; body is light brown and russet with a darker pattern all over
Female - Shorter tail, plain light brown with darker marks all over; does not have the
white ring, green head or red eye patch
Preferred Habitat: Farmland, cultivated fields, pastures, brushy woodland edges
Preferred food : Cracked or whole dried corn, wheat, and other grain, seeds, grasshoppers, and other insects,
& vegetation, such as berries, buds, and leaves; are partial to chokecherries, dandelions,
and asparagus seeds in the garden
Breeding Range : Southern New England, west to British Columbia, south to southern California; primarily north of
the Mason-Dixon line
Winter Range : Resident in breeding range
Interesting Facts:- Native to Asia
- Hunted as a game bird
- Ground birds, but capable of flight when frightened or in danger
- This species is descended form stock brought over from different parts of the world
- Adapted successfully in many parts of the U.S., but its 'headquarters' is the central plains
- Tolerant of man; often nests on the outskirts of cities
- Voice: loud crowing, 'cuck, cuck', accompanied by a beating of wings
- A cock is usually 'in charge' of several females and will fight both other pheasants and
domestic roosters
- When fighting a competing male, pheasants rear and strike at each other feet first: there is much
wing-flapping and loud cries until one of them gives up and retreats
- Nest is in a natural hollow on the ground, usually in tall reeds, lined with grasses and weeds;
female does all the nest building, incubating, and parenting duties
- Clutch size: 10 -12; Incubation: 23 - 25 days; Broods per season: 1 or 2; Nestling period: 1 day
- Chicks fend for themselves soon after hatching
- Male mates with several females