FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
Pheasants are non-migratory species indigenous to Eurasia. Their native habitat extends from the Caspian Sea, east across central Asia to China, and includes Japan, former Burma, and Korea. It was introduced to North America, Europe, Australia, Hawaii, and New Zealand.
These birds are mainly used as game birds during the hunting season. They are hunted for their meat and eggs. The meat is very tasty and more nutritious than chicken, with white ring necked pheasant meat being the best.
There are many color forms of the male bird which range in color from nearly white to almost black in some melanistic examples. They live for around 3-18 years. The annual mortality rate of adult females is 79-54%. But it is exceptionally high for male birds at around 93%. This is caused by uncontrolled predation, exposure to toxins and pesticides, being hit by motor vehicles and agricultural activities.
Pheasants are able to fly short distances but they favor running. If alarmed, they can abruptly fly up at high speed, with a characteristic call to warn other members of their flock. Their flying speed is only 27-38 mph (43-61 km/h) but they can fly up to 56 mph (90 km/h). Ring necked pheasant facts, golden pheasant facts and lady amherst pheasant facts are also extremely interesting and can make for an immersive read.
A pheasant is a type of bird.
The pheasant belongs to the Aves class of the Animalia kingdom.
According to the IUCN Red List, the global population size of the common pheasant is around 160,000,000-219,999,999 mature individuals.
Pheasants can be found in scrub, woodland, wetland, and farmlands. In their natural habitat, pheasants live in grassland near the water with small patches of trees.
Pheasants are native to parts of Europe and Asia; their primary habitat range extends from the Caspian Sea, the Balkans, and the Black Sea to Siberia, Manchuria, Mainland China, Korea, and Taiwan.
Pheasants mainly live in a flock with their own species. Being social birds, they flock together in large groups, searching for food and cover before winter sets in.
Pheasants live for around 3-18 years. But the annual survival rate of adult pheasants is very low due to poaching by humans and motor accidents.
Common pheasants are polygynous. The male bird is often followed by a large group of female birds which the male attracts with its beautiful plumage. Pheasant hens lay around 8-15 eggs at a time. The eggs are laid over a period of 14-21 days from April to June. The incubation period lasts about three to four weeks. Pheasants mature fast when it comes to reproducing. They usually start breeding by the time they get a year old.
Pheasants are widely distributed and their conservation status is of the least concern. They are classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List but their numbers are slowly declining.
Pheasants are thin-tailed birds that are medium in size with long bodies that are shaped like pears and have small heads. The color of the heads varies from deep green to bright purple. Many subspecies of the bird have a distinguishing white-colored collar around their neck and are called ring-necked pheasants. The males possess multi-colored, magnificent plumage, plump red patches around their eyes, and sharp, tall tails.
The female birds are less colorful and have shorter tails when compared to males. They have brownish, mottled feathers. The birds are sexually dimorphic.
Male pheasants have beautiful, colorful plumes and look quite cute.
Pheasants are noisiest during the mating season. The male pheasant crows all year round, especially at dusk and dawn. Females use one call to signal their brood to hide from danger, or another to call them back together.
A ring necked pheasant has a size between 23.62-35.03 in (60-89 cm), which is about thrice the size of a home sparrow.
The flight speed of pheasants is only 27-38 mph (43-61 km/h) when cruising but they can increase their speed up to 56 mph (90 km/h) when chased.
Pheasants weigh between 1.1-6.61 lb (0.5-3 kg).
Male pheasants are called cocks and females are called hens.
Baby pheasants are called chicks.
Pheasants are omnivores. They eat an extensive variety of vegetables, like grain, fruit, mast, seeds, leaves, and berries. They consume a wide variety of meats as well, ranging from small insects such as grasshoppers to small vertebrates like lizards, and even small birds.
No, they are mainly used as game birds.
Pheasants are mainly game birds but chicks can be kept as pets too. Female pheasants are kept as pets in farms for eggs while male pheasants are commercially bred as game birds.
Pheasants take great pain to maintain their beautiful feathers. They rake up dirt particles and sweep sands with their plumage as this behavior helps to remove old feathers, dead epidermal cells, sheaths of new feathers, and excess oil.
These multicolored birds are identified as ring-necked pheasants in North America. They have the rare privilege of being identified as the state bird of South Dakota, even when they are not a native American bird species. It is only the third species of bird to acquire so.
During the winter season, when food is scarce, these birds can dig through heavy snow to find something edible.
There are approximately 49 different species of pheasants around the world. Here are some of the most common species of pheasants.
Ring-necked pheasant: Golden Pheasant: Lady Amherst’s Pheasant: Black Pheasant: Silver Pheasant: Reeve's Pheasant.
Yes, pheasants are healthy to eat. Pheasant has lower fat and cholesterol levels when compared to other meats such as domestic turkey, chicken, or beef. White ring-necked pheasant is regarded as the top meat pheasant in the world.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our winter birds coloring pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our Pheasant coloring page.
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising.
We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. If you purchase using the buy now button we may earn a small commission. This does not influence our choices. Please note: prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published.
Kidadl has a number of affiliate partners that we work with including Amazon. Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.
We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content.
Was this article helpful?
We’ll send you tons of inspiration to help you find a hidden gem in your local area or plan a big day out.
Check your inbox for your latest news from us. You have subscribed to:
Remember that you can always manage your preferences or unsubscribe through the link at the foot of each newsletter.