thumb|Male of hybrid stock in [[Poland<br />Note thin white neck-band due to a ring-necked subspecies' contribution to hybrid gene pool]]
The common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), ring-necked pheasant, or blue-headed pheasant, is a bird in the pheasant family (Phasianidae). The genus name comes from Latin phasianus 'pheasant'. The species name colchicus is Latin for 'of Colchis' (modern day Georgia), a country on the Black Sea where pheasants became known to Europeans. Although Phasianus was previously thought to be closely related to the genus Gallus, the genus of junglefowl and domesticated chickens, recent studies show that they are in different subfamilies, having diverged over 20 million years ago.
It is native to Asia, where it is widespread, and also the extreme southeast of Europe in the northern foothills of the Caucasus Mountains. It has been widely introduced elsewhere as a game bird. In parts of its range, mainly in places where none of its relatives occur such as in Europe, where it is naturalised, it is simply known as the pheasant. Ring-necked pheasant is both the collective name for a number of subspecies and their intergrades that have white neck rings, and the name used for the species as a whole in North America.
It is a well-known gamebird, among those of more than regional importance perhaps the most widespread and ancient one in the whole world. The common pheasant is one of the world's most hunted birds;
The adult male common pheasant of the nominate subspecies Phasianus colchicus colchicus is in length with a long brown streaked black tail, accounting for almost of the total length. The body plumage is barred bright gold or fiery copper-red and chestnut-brown plumage with iridescent sheen of green and purple; but rump uniform is sometimes blue. The wing coverage is white or cream and black-barred markings are common on the tail. The head is bottle green with a small crest and distinctive red wattle. P. c. colchicus and some other races lack a white neck ring. Behind the face are two ear-tufts, that make the pheasant appear more alert.
The female (hen) and juveniles are much less showy, with a duller mottled brown plumage all over and measuring long including a tail of around . Juvenile birds have the appearance of the female with a shorter tail until young males begin to grow characteristic bright feathers on the breast, head and back at about 10 weeks after hatching.
Taxonomy and systematics
thumb|right|Hybrid male in Europe, intermediate between Mongolian ringneck and Caucasus group [[phenotype]]
This species was first scientifically described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae under its modern scientific name. The common pheasant is distinct enough from any other species known to Linnaeus for a laconic [Phasianus] rufus, capîte caeruleo, "a red pheasant with blue head", to serve as entirely sufficient description. The bird had been extensively discussed before Linnaeus established binomial nomenclature so was already well-known. His sources are the Ornithologia of Ulisse Aldrovandi, Initial divergence is thought to have occurred around 3.4 Mya. The lack of agreement between morphology-based subspecies delimitation and their genetic relationships is thought to be attributed to past isolation followed by more recent population mixing as the pheasant has expanded its range across the Palaearctic. Wherever they are hunted they are always timid once they associate humans with danger, and will quickly retreat for safety after hearing the arrival of hunting parties in the area.
thumb|Chicks about one hour after hatching
While common pheasants are able short-distance fliers, they prefer to run. If startled however, they can suddenly burst upwards at great speed, with a distinctive "whirring" wing sound and often giving kok kok kok calls to alert conspecifics. Their flight speed is only when cruising but when chased they can fly up to .
Nesting
Common pheasants nest solely on the ground in scrapes, lined with some grass and leaves, frequently under dense cover or a hedge. Occasionally they will nest in a haystack, or old nest left by other bird. They roost in sheltered trees at night. The males are polygynous as is typical for many Phasianidae, and are often accompanied by a harem of several females. Additionally it seems that they had a continuous range in Turkey from the Sea of Marmara on the edge of the Balkans, across the northern shore of the country till Caucasus. The last remnants of the Balkan population survive in the Kotza-Orman riparian forest of Nestos, in Greece with an estimated population of 100–200 adult birds. In Bulgaria they were lost in the 1970s because they hybridised with introduced eastern subspecies.
Besides the Balkans the species lives in Europe in the area north of Caucasus where the local subspecies P.c.septentrionalis survives pure around the lower reaches of the Samur River. Reintroduction efforts in the rest of the north Caucasian range may include hybrid birds.
As an introduced species
thumb|left|Although a non-indigenous species, the common pheasant is farmed even in [[conservation areas, as seen here in Litovelské Pomoraví Protected Landscape Area in the Czech Republic.]]
thumb|Introduced male and female foraging at the [[Newport Wetlands|Newport Wetlands RSPB Nature Reserve in the United Kingdom]]
thumb|right|A startled male makes a dash for cover
Common pheasants can be found across the globe due to their readiness to breed in captivity and the fact that they can naturalise in many climates, but are known to be introduced in Europe (apart from the extreme southeast, where native), North America, Japan and New Zealand. Pheasants were hunted in their natural range by Stone Age humans just like the grouse and partridges that inhabited Europe at that time. The common pheasant was originally introduced to Europe during the Roman period. Recipes for preparing pheasant meat were discussed by Marcus Gavius Apicius in the first century AD; pheasant husbandry is also discussed by Columella in the same century and, based on the former's writings, by Rutilius Taurus Aemilianus Palladius in De Re Rustica in 350 AD. However, it became extinct from most of Britain in the early 17th century. There were further re-introductions of 'white neck-ringed' birds in the 18th century. It was rediscovered as a game bird in the 1830s after being ignored for many years in an amalgam of forms. Since then it has been reared extensively by gamekeepers and is shot in season from 1 October to 31 January. Pheasants are moderately adapted to the British climate and breed naturally in small numbers in the wild without human supervision in copses, heaths and commons. Imported stock has originated from a number of other subspecies in addition to P. c. colchicus and P. c. torquatus, including the Prince of Wales pheasant (P. c. principalis), the Mongolian pheasant (P. c. mongolicus), the Satchu pheasant (P. c. satscheuensis), and Pallas's pheasant (P. c. pallasi), alongside the related green pheasant. Extensive interbreeding has occurred between these stocks, so that most British pheasants are of mixed heritage and display an at least partial neck ring, and the "Old English" type is no longer encountered in its original form. Common British phenotypes include a cream-coloured variant termed the "Bohemian" pheasant and a melanistic form derived from partly green pheasant ancestry. By 1950 pheasants bred throughout the British Isles, although they were scarce in Ireland. Because around 47,000,000 pheasants are released each year on shooting estates, it is widespread in distribution, although most released birds survive less than a year in the wild. The Bohemian was most likely seen in North Norfolk. The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust is researching the breeding success of reared pheasants and trying to find ways to improve this breeding success to reduce the demand to release as many reared pheasants and increase the wild population. As the original Caucasian stock all but disappeared during the Early Modern era, most 'dark-winged ringless' birds in the UK are actually descended from 'Chinese ring-necked' and 'green pheasant' hybrids, with the first large-scale successful introduction occurring in 1881 in the Williamette Valley of Oregon, followed by Washington in 1883 and California in 1889. Stocking of large pheasant populations in the plains and eastern states occurred in following decades after successful hunting seasons were recorded in the western states. Pheasants have become well established throughout much of the Rocky Mountain states (Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, etc.), the Midwest, the Plains states, as well as Canada and Mexico. Nest parasitism, or brood parasitism, is common in pheasants because of their propensity to nest near other birds and the fact that nesting requirements are similar to those of other prairie birds and waterfowl that inhabit the same areas. This phenomenon has been observed in grey partridges; prairie chickens; several types of duck, rail, grouse, turkeys, and others. Birds are supplied both to hunting preserves/estates and restaurants, with smaller numbers being available for home cooks.
Pheasants often compete with other native birds for resources. Studies have shown that they can lead to decreased populations of bobwhites and partridges due to habitat and food competition. Insects are a valuable food source for both pheasants and partridges and competition may lead to decreased populations of partridges. Pheasants may also introduce disease, such as blackhead, to native populations. While pheasants tolerate the infection well, other birds such as ruffed grouse, chukar, and grey partridge are highly susceptible. Pheasants also have a tendency to harass or kill other birds. One study in 1979 noted that in pheasant vs. prairie chicken interactions, the pheasants were victorious 78% of the time.
Management strategies
A variety of management strategies have been suggested for areas that are home to species that are particularly threatened by pheasants, such as the prairie chickens and grey partridge. These strategies include mowing grass to decrease the nesting cover preferred by pheasants, decreasing pheasant roosting habitat, shooting pheasants in organised hunts, trapping and removing them from areas where there are high concentrations of birds of threatened species, and others.
Population change
In the United Kingdom, about 50 million pheasants reared in captivity are released each summer, a number which has significantly increased since the 1980s. Most of these birds are shot during the open season (1 October to 1 February), and few survive for a year. The result is a wildly fluctuating population, from 50 million in July to less than 5 million in June. This is likely due to changes in farming practices, application of pesticides, habitat fragmentation, and increased predation due to changes in crops grown. Many crops beneficial for pheasants (such as barley) are not being farmed as much in favour of using the land for more lucrative crops, such as nut trees. Many of these new crops are detrimental to pheasant survival. Pheasant hens also experience higher levels of predation in areas without patches of grassland.
Relationship with humans
The indigenous Paiwan people of Taiwan adorn motifs of the bird (tiativ in their language) on beams of their homes. Pheasant feathers are worn by commoners including skilled hunters even as far as elected politicians among Paiwan commoners in modern times, in contrast to mountain hawk-eagle feathers reserved for hereditary chiefs (mamazangilan).
As gamebirds
thumb|left|For sale at [[Borough Market, London]]
thumb|upright|left|Field line [[English Cocker Spaniel has brought in the quarry]]
[[File:PheasantImpact2.jpg|thumb|right|Collisions between pheasants and road vehicles are common in the UK.
Bibliography
External links
- Ring-necked Pheasant - Phasianus colchicus - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
- Ring-necked Pheasant Species Account – Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Ring-necked Pheasant at enature.com
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) pheasant page