Field Guide
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Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicus
Not yet photographed by the community
Introduced game bird; males spectacularly coloured.
Species Profile
Green List (breeding and wintering); not threatened, though wild populations heavily managed for shooting.
- Lifespan
- 3–5 years in the wild; up to 10 years in captivity
- Size & Weight
- Males 75–89 cm, females 53–63 cm; males 1.0–1.3 kg, females 0.6–0.9 kg
- Habitat
- Woodland edges, hedgerows, farmland with dense cover, and reed beds, preferring areas with thick undergrowth and open ground for feeding.
- UK Distribution
- Found throughout England, Wales, and southern Scotland; largely resident year-round, with populations supplemented by released birds for shooting.
- Diet
- Seeds, grain, insects, berries, and vegetation; heavily dependent on cultivated crops and natural food sources seasonally.
- Predators
- Foxes, stoats, weasels, sparrowhawks, golden eagles, and crows; chicks vulnerable to corvids and mustelids.
- Mating Season
- March to June
- Breeding
- Clutch of 7–15 olive-brown eggs; incubation period 23–27 days; single brood per season; females nest on the ground in dense cover.
- Behaviour
- Males are highly territorial and polygamous, defending ranges with loud crowing and aggressive displays. They roost in trees at night and forage on the ground during the day. Social structure is loose outside breeding season, with birds forming loose flocks.
- •The Common Pheasant is not native to the UK; it was introduced from Asia, possibly by the Romans, and became established during the medieval period.
- •Male pheasants are renowned for their elaborate courtship displays, involving rapid wing-whirring and loud crowing that can be heard up to 1 km away.
- •Millions of pheasants are released annually in the UK for game shooting, making it one of the most numerous gamebirds.
- •Females are well-camouflaged in mottled brown plumage, while males display spectacular iridescent plumage with distinctive red facial patches and long tail feathers.
- •Pheasants can fly strongly over short distances but prefer to run and crouch when threatened, remaining motionless to avoid detection.
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