Ring Necked Pheasant Facts
The ring-necked pheasant, a popular game bird with hunters and the state bird of South Dakota, is an introduced species, coming over from Asia. The bird eats seeds, grains and other plant parts. It scratches on the ground as it forages for food.
Geography
The range of the ring-necked pheasant oversees is the eastern and the central portions of Asia as well as Japan and China. Successfully introduced into every state in the United States, the bird does best in the Midwest where grain is plentiful.
Identification
The male has a white ring about its neck, a greenish head and iridescent bronze feathers on the breast. The tail of the pheasant is long, and its wings are rounded and short.
Escape
The ring-necked pheasant prefers to run when facing a threat but will take flight when it runs out of options, flapping its wings quickly and landing near cover where it can run into and hide.
Fun Fact
When the weather conditions are bad for a long period of time, the ring-necked pheasant will tend to stay on its roost and go without eating until the weather clears.
Threats
Pheasant populations feel the affects of cold and snowy winters, and predators such as coyotes and owls prey on them. Raccoons and opossums will destroy their nests and eat their eggs when they discover them.
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