Sunday 17 November 2013

Pheasant Facts

Phasianus colchicus


The Common Pheasant
Over the last few weeks I've seen thousands of Pheasant on my travels around East Anglia.They are native to Asia and there is a school of thought that the Romans brought them to Britain although conclusive evidence is lacking on this count but what is known is that by the 10th century they were breeding wild in Britain and were common by the 15th century. During the 20th century the Pheasant represented a tiny percentage of the birds shot as game with the Grey Partridge making up the largest part of the bag but by the turn of the century the Pheasant had become 60% of the bag and remains the most taken game bird in the UK. Although the Pheasant is now a British breeding bird it's numbers are helped by the release of around 35 million birds annually with around 15 million of these falling to the shotgun with the open season for shooting the Pheasant running from 1st October to 1st February. Foxes predate a similar amount both before and during the game season with the others falling to road accidents and other predation. A very small percentage will survive to boost the wild population but it's very likely that the vast majority of released birds don't make their first birthday and the BTO longevity record for Pheasant stands at just 2 years and 1 month so the next time you see a Pheasant spare a thought for it's fight for survival.



10 comments:

  1. growing up on a farm in the country, I always think of pheasants as proud and regal looking birds, beautiful colours but unfortunately, they were bred for shooting near us as well. some of them became really tame near to us.
    Tilly

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  2. They are quite spectacular birds but get overlooked because they're so common yet that figure of 35 million released each year to be shot is amazing too. I just wouldn't have thought that many people went out with a gun to kill Pheasants and the like but I guess they must.

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  3. Hi Brian, I came here via a link from Suzanne. What superb photographs you take. I take lots of photographs and I wish I were half as good as you are :o)
    Jackie xx

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  4. Fabulous photo! The colours and markings on the feathers make a wonderful mosaic! Thank you for a lovely start to the day...

    Kathkat

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  5. Many thanks for your kind comments Jackie & Kath

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  6. I've come over from Docrafts (first time there as I've just bought an Xpress machine) want to say the photos are wonderful, just stunning and I've bookmarked your blog for future enjoyment. We don't get all of your birds, particularly short on crossbills in Northern Ireland. Thanks for sharing. Joyce ('Across the Pond' is for American friends really)

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  7. Stunning photos, the colours on the latest one are gorgeous. Keep telling Suzanne you need to enter some competitions and get yourselves up North to Martin Mere WWT - doubt there's anything other than swans and geese to see though. Sarah and Izzy x

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  8. Thanks Joyce & Sarah. Bit of an influx year for Crossbills here with Two-barred, Parrot and Crossbill being reported all over the country and they are great birds to see and Sarah you have some great birds up there in Lancs too, I'll get Suzanne up to see you in the spring.

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  9. It would be lovely to see you both x. Hubby can take you trekking across the fields :)

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