Ring-Necked Pheasant
Phasianus colchicus

Description - The Ring-Necked Pheasant is larger than a chicken. The tail is long and pointed, that of the female's being shorter than the male's. The male has a red eye patch, a brilliant green head and a white neck ring; the body of both sexes is a soft brown pattern with an iridescent russet. The call of the Ring-Necked Pheasant is a loud crowing followed by a resonant beating of the wings; when the pheasant is alarmed it flies off with a loud cackle.

Distribution - The Ring-Necked Pheasant prefers farmlands, pastures and grassy woodland edges. Although native to Asia, it occurs in British Columbia, south from the interior. It is concentrated in a band in the central plains of North America.

Biology - Adult Ring-Necked Pheasants feed on berries, seeds, buds and leaves; chicks feed largely on insects. They get by with a minimum of cover, often nesting on the outskirts of cities. The nest is in a grass-lined depression hidden in dense grass or weeds and contains 6 to 15 buff-olive eggs.