Wednesday 9 September 2009

Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)

OTHER NAMES: Pheasant
Latin Etymology: Phasianus ("pheasant") colchicus ("of Colchis - a country on the Black Sea")
Left and Bottom Right: Adult male Common Pheasants (P. c. colchicus or P. c. torquatus) at Geddington, Northants - August 2009 / April 2015
Top Right: Adult female Common Pheasants (P. c. colchicus or P. c. torquatus) at Rutland Water, Rutland - January 2011

Featured Subspecies: Probably: Phasianus colchicus colchicus OR Phasianus colchicus torquatus
Weight: 900-1200g  /  Length: 50-89cm  /  Wingspan: 70-90cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

If you live in the countryside or frequently find yourself driving through country lanes, pheasants are probably almost everyday to you. They aren't that hard to see, and despite their suicidal road based antics, are actually quite impressive birds. If you are in woodland looking for other species you are bound to run into them relatively quickly. Photographing them might be slightly more tricky, and I personally recommend woodland based nature reserves - at some places they'll come to eat seed fallen from bird feeders.


Related Species: 
Order: Galliformes
Family: Phasianidae
Genus: Phasianus
Subspecies: P. c. septentrionalis, P. c. colchicus, P. c. talischensis, P. c. persicus, P. c. bergii, P. c. turcestanicus, P. c. mongolicus, P. c. principalis, P. c. chrysomelas, P. c. zerafschanicus, P. c. zarudnyi, P. c. bianchii, P. c. shawii, P. c. tarimensis, P. c. hagenbecki, P. c. edzinensis, P. c. satscheuensis, P. c. vlangalii, P. c. alaschanicus, P. c. sohokhotensis, P. c. pallasi, P. c. karpowi, P. c. kiangsuensis, P. c. strauchi, P. c. suehschanensis, P. c. elegans, P. c. decollatus, P. c. torquatus, P. c. rothschildi, P. c. takatsukasae, P. c. formosanus  

- Sighting Locations -
UNITED KINGDOM - Annually captive bred and released in large numbers, feral breeding species (2,300,000 birds)
 - Birds seen at sites including Rutland Water and Geddington.                             

Further Notes:  BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red ListRSPBWikipediaXeno-canto

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