The neck and breast of a male
pheasant! The pheasant Phasianus colchicus was probably introduced
to Britain by the Romans. Subspecies from China were introduced at a later date
which brought different plumage colours and patterns including a white ring on the male's
neck. Although pheasants are bred in large numbers as game birds for shooting during
Autumn and Winter, some will thrive in the wild in woodlands and on agricultural
land. They feed on a large variety of foods including berries, seeds, insects,
worms and vegetation. The colourful male mates with a number of females during the
Spring but plays no further part in rearing the young. The more camouflage female
lays her eggs in a scraped hollow in the ground where she incubates them for around 24
days.
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