Phasianus colchicus
Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
Featured photoring-necked-pheasant.jpgPhasianus colchicus, the common pheasant or ring-necked pheasant, is a large gamebird native to East Asia. Adults are 50 to 89 cm long with a wingspan of 70 to 90 cm and weigh 0.5 to 1.5 kg. The plumage of the male is iridescent copper-and-gold with a glossy bottle-green head, red facial skin, and a white neck-ring; females are mottled buff-brown. The IUCN lists the species as Least Concern. Ring-necked pheasants have been introduced for hunting across Europe and North America since at least Roman times.
Quick facts
- Habitat
- Open farmland, grassland edges, hedgerows, and brushy field margins. The species avoids dense forest and is most numerous in mosaics of fields, hedges, and small woodlots.
- Range
- Native to a broad band of central and eastern Asia from the Caucasus and Iran east through China to Korea. Introduced to most of Europe (since classical antiquity), North America (since the 1880s), New Zealand, and several other regions. The current introduced range vastly exceeds the native range.
- Size
- 50–89 cm body · 70–90 cm wingspan · 0.5–1.5 kg
- Plumage
- Adult males show iridescent copper-and-gold body plumage with a glossy bottle-green head, bright red facial skin patches, and (in most subspecies and introduced populations) a clean white neck-ring. The tail is long, pointed, and barred. Females are entirely cryptically mottled buff-brown — the size and long tail are the easiest field separators from grouse and partridges of similar habitat.
- Song
- Males give a loud, harsh, two-note 'kork-kok' crowing call that is among the most familiar farmland sounds across the introduced range. Females and juveniles are mostly silent.
- Migration
- Sedentary across the entire native and introduced range. Local movements occur but no regular migration.
- Conservation
- Least Concern (LC)
Overview
Phasianus colchicus is the type species of the genus Phasianus and the species behind the European and English word 'pheasant'. Many subspecies are recognized across the native Asian range, several of which lack the diagnostic white neck-ring; introduced populations across Europe and North America descend mainly from white-collared subspecies, hence the common English name 'ring-necked pheasant'. The Latin epithet colchicus refers to Colchis (modern western Georgia), a region from which the species was historically traded into Greece.
Introduction history
The species has been introduced to Europe since at least Roman times — Pliny the Elder mentions the pheasant as already present in Italy in the first century AD. Modern North American populations descend from late-nineteenth-century releases by hunting clubs; Owen Denny's 1881 Oregon release is the founding event for the Pacific Northwest population. South Dakota's state bird is the ring-necked pheasant, reflecting the species' ecological dominance in the prairie-pothole farmland landscape.
Behaviour
Ring-necked pheasants are ground-feeders that rarely take flight unless flushed at close range; they spend most of their time walking through hedgerows and field margins. Males defend territories during the breeding season and gather harems of two to twelve females — the species is the textbook example of resource-defence polygyny in birds. The male's loud crowing call advertises territory holding and female attraction simultaneously.
Sources & further reading (2)
- iucn-red-list — accessed 2026-04-30
- encyclopedia — accessed 2026-04-30
Frequently asked questions
Are pheasants native to Europe?
No — the species is native to a band of central and eastern Asia. Introductions to Europe trace back to at least the Roman period; Pliny the Elder mentions pheasants as already established in Italy in the first century AD. The species has been continuously present across Europe ever since, mostly through deliberate release by hunting estates. The European 'native' status is therefore one of long-standing naturalization rather than original distribution.
Why is it called 'ring-necked'?
Most introduced populations in Europe and North America carry a clean white ring around the lower neck of the male. Several Asian subspecies — particularly the southern and western forms native to Iran, the Caucasus, and parts of central China — lack the white ring and have a continuous bottle-green hood instead. The English name 'ring-necked' specifically distinguishes the white-collared introduced populations from the various Asian neck-ringless subspecies.
How did ring-necked pheasants get to North America?
The founding North American release was by Owen Denny, US Consul-General to Shanghai, who shipped pheasants from China to his brother's farm in Oregon's Willamette Valley in 1881. From those releases the species spread rapidly through the Pacific Northwest. Subsequent twentieth-century releases established populations across the northern United States, with South Dakota and other prairie states now hosting some of the densest populations. The species is the state bird of South Dakota.
