About Ring Necked Pheasants

The ring-necked pheasant, also known as the common pheasant, is a ground-dwelling bird native to eastern Asia. It was successfully introduced into North America in the late 1800's. It is commonly found in agricultural areas, especially where woodlands, hedges and groves are present. The ring-necked pheasant is a popular game bird and is hunted in many parts of Canada and the United States.

  1. Appearance

    • The male ring-necked pheasant is brightly colored with a distinctive white patch at the base of its neck.

      The ring-necked pheasant averages 27 inches in length. It has a long tail and a small neck and head. The male ring-necked pheasant is colorful, with a green head and golden, blue and green feathers on its body. It has a distinctive white ring around the base of its neck. Female ring-necked pheasants are mostly brown with black spots along most of their bodies.

    Diet

    • Ring-necked pheasants commonly eat wild berries, nuts and fruit.

      The ring-necked pheasant feeds on grains found in agricultural areas as well as wild nuts, berries, fruit, grasses, insects and sometimes small animals.

    Mating

    • The male ring-necked pheasant mates with a up to 12 female pheasants. These females live in a group with one male. Male ring-necked pheasants often violently defend their group of females from other males.

    Nesting

    • The female ring-necked pheasant builds her nest in tall grassy areas or among high-growing weeds. She uses leaves, twigs, bark and feathers to construct the nest. The female pheasant lays over 12 eggs at a time. Many of the eggs are eaten by predators and those pheasants that hatch have a low chance of survival.

    Population Decline

    • New farming techniques including the removal of overgrown areas of vegetation have left the ring-necked pheasant without nesting grounds.

      The population of wild ring-necked pheasant has declined significantly since the 1950's. This is in part due to a change in farming techniques including the removal of overgrown areas of vegetation in farmlands. Without areas of tall weeds and grasses, the ring-necked pheasant does not have adequate nesting sights. An increase in pesticides and other chemicals has also reduced the wild pheasant population.