Ring-necked Pheasant

The male Ring-necked Pheasant is easy to recognise with its shiny copper-coloured feathers, green head, and a clear white ring around its neck. Females are much less showy, with brown feathers that help them blend into their surroundings. Males usually measure between 66 and 89 centimetres, including their long, patterned tail, while females are smaller, measuring 53 to 63 centimetres. This bird originally comes from Asia but was brought to Britain by the Romans or Normans. It is now common across farmland, the edges of woods, and hedgerows throughout the UK. You can often see them searching for food on the ground in small groups during autumn and winter, especially near crops grown for game. Males make loud, harsh calls with two notes, followed by a sound of their wings whirring. Their flight is strong but short, with quick wingbeats and long glides. The number of these birds is kept high because many are released for shooting purposes. This makes the Ring-necked Pheasant one of the most common gamebirds in Britain, even though they do not always breed successfully on their own in many places.