information
Pheasants are large, long-tailed gamebirds. The males have rich chestnut, golden-brown and black markings on their bodies and tails, with a dark green head and red face wattling. Females are mottled with paler brown and black.
They were introduced to the UK long ago and more recent introductions have brought in a variety of races and breeds for sport shooting.
What they eat:
Seeds, grain, shoots and insects.
Measurements:
Length: 53-89cm
Wingspan: 70-90cm
Weight: 1,000-1,700g (male); 750-1,200g (female) Population:
UK breeding: 2.3 million females
Identifying features:
This bird species has different identifying features depending on sex/age/season.
Pheasant (male)
image:
Male pheasant
Feather colour:
Black Blue Brown Cream/buff Green Grey Orange Pink/purple Red White
Leg colour:
Brown
Beak:
Brown White Yellow Short Curved Chunky
Pheasant (female)
image:
Brown Cream/buff White
Leg colour:
Brown
Beak:
Brown White Yellow Short Curved Chunky
Natural habitats:
Woodland Farmland Grassland Urban and suburban
