Our Local Ecology

Air & Sky

Ring-Necked Pheasant – Phasianus colchicus

Characteristics The cock (male) ringneck is a gaudy character with a bronze chest, a red face patch, a white ring on his neck, and a long 45.72 to 60.96 centimeters.(18 to 24inches) tapered tail. Much of his body is a rich brown broken with bars and scales of black and white. The hen pheasant is drab and demure by comparison with subdued brown and black markings that fade into light buff and cream on her underparts. The hen is thus very difficult to see because of the excellent camouflage provided by her plumage.

The cock may weigh up to 1.81 kilograms. (4 pounds) with the hen being about .45 kg (1 lb.) less on average. Habitat Pheasants require an agricultural area in order to survive in substantial numbers. In addition, they need a lot of brush cover and adequate winter feed. The pheasant prefers thick hedgerows containing adequate winter food plants. There are only a few small populations of pheasants remaining in isolated areas in Prince Edward Island and most of these have been sustained by winter feeding. Lack of suitable winter habitat combined with severe winters, are considered responsible for the failure of pheasants to become established ion Prince Edward Island .

www.flickr.com Souris & Area Branch PEI Wildlife Federation's Ring-Necked Pheasants photoset

Habits

In early spring, cock pheasants select territories and by crowing repeatedly around sunrise they attempt to attract hens for their harem. The number of hens in a harem vary but average about five with ideal sex ratios and a healthy population. The hen lays 10 to 15 eggs in small grass lined depressions commonly in tall grass. The chicks hatch out in approximately 23 days and immediately leave the nest with the hen to forage for food. When very young, much of the chick's diet consists of insects. The food of adult birds consists of all grains, fruit, weed seeds and green vegetation.

A pheasant in good condition can go without food for long periods of time provided it has adequate shelter from wind and snow.

A hen pheasant will produce only one brood per year but may renest if her first nest is destroyed. The average life span of a pheasant is low as in an average winter 70 per cent of the population is lost. Most of the birds seen in the fall are the young of the year.

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Souris Branch of the P.E.I. Wildlife Federation

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