Facts About Pheasant

Pheasant is a generic name given for hen-like birds. The bird originated in Asia, chiefly in India, and belongs to the same family as peacock, partridge and various other domestic and jungle fowls. Pheasants are characterized by their waddled heads and long tails. Most pheasants have long, strong legs with four-toed clawed feet. The legs and bill are adapted to scratching in the ground for food. A male features a brilliant plumage and elaborate courtship. There are many types and varieties of pheasants that are found worldwide. Pheasants feed on berries, seeds, young shoots and insects and prefer open country with brush cover. To get more interesting and amazing information on this colorful and beautiful bird, browse through the following lines.

Facts About Pheasant

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Galliformes

Family: Phasianidae

Subfamily: Phasianinae

Genus: Phasianus

Species: P. colchicus

Length: 50-70 cm

Weight: 500-3000 grams

Lifespan: 3 years

Diet: Seed, corns and insects

Habitat: Prefers undisturbed grass

Gestation Period: 23 days

Sexual Maturity: 2^nd season or year

Number of Offspring: 12 eggs

Interesting & Amazing Information On Pheasant

Pheasants belong to the Phasianidae family and are cousins of Quail and Partridge.
Around 34 races of the species are recognized across the native region.
A male pheasant is called a rooster, while a female pheasant is called hen.
Pheasants must rapidly inhale and exhale to remove excess body heat.
Pheasants fly at the speed of 48 mph. On a flat surface, a ring-necked pheasant can run at a speed of 8-10 mph.
Pheasants survive on the moisture that they get by consuming insects and the morning dew on vegetation, through most of the growing season.
Pheasants practice “harem-defense polygamy”, wherein one male keeps other males away from a small group of females at the time of breeding. A typical rooster accumulates a harem of 3-7 hens.
While laying eggs, the female pheasant seeks out for calcium and protein. Her diet contains 10 times more calcium than that of a rooster’s diet.
Once the pheasant chicks are hatched, they start developing or growing flight feathers and are ready for small flights, within 2 weeks.
Pheasants are non-migrating birds. Even during the extremes of temperature, pheasants prefer to stay local. During bad weather seasons, pheasants are known to stay on a roost for several days without eating.
Fox, raccoon, skunk, fox, hawks, owls and humans are the main predators of pheasants.
During summer time, the chick’s diet includes more of insects and weed seeds and is more than that of an adult’s diet.
The spring ratio of hens to roosters is usually about 3:1.
When a pheasant senses danger, it prefers to use its legs to run away from the danger.
Pheasants have 30% of annual survival rate, out of which only 2-3 % of the population live to the age of 3.

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