Animalia Life

Phasianus colchicus
SUBFAMILY
Phasianinae (Tribe Phasianini)
TAXONOMY
Phasianus colchicus Linnaeus, 1758, Africa, Asia = Rion River. Thirty-one subspecies.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Common pheasant; French: Faisan de Colchide; German: Fasan; Spanish: Faisбn Vulgar.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Male: 29–35 in (75–89 cm); female 21–24 in (53–62 cm); male 2.6 lb (1.2 kg); female 2.0 lb (0.9 kg).
DISTRIBUTION
Japan, Taiwan, central and eastern China, with apparently isolated populations spread across central Asia to the Caucasus; possibly into southeastern Europe; introductions worldwide.
HABITAT
Mixed temperate scrub, riverine and woodland edge, adjacent to cultivation, avoiding dense forest, dry areas, and high mountains. Resident Crossoptilon mantchuricum
BEHAVIOR
Often in large feeding groups with wide variation in sex ratio; tends to run for cover rather than fly if disturbed.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Leaves, cereal grains, tree seeds, buds, fruits and some invertebrates as adults; invertebrates essential to young for first month after hatching.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Single males crow loudly in spring and some associate with a group of females, suggesting harem polygyny; nests in ground cover; clutch size eight to 14; incubation 22–25 days.
CONSERVATION STATUS
The most widespread and common pheasant in the world, although some of its isolated western subspecies may be threatened.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
Tens of millions of birds are artificially reared each year for release in sport hunting enterprises, especially in Europe and North America.

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