Pheasant
The pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) is a large gamebird. The male is coppery with a glossy green head, red face wattles and a very long tail; the female is mottled buff-brown.
On the islands
Pheasants are found on farmed and wooded islands, often released for shooting, and are a common sight along island roads.
When to see
Present all year.
Did you know?
Pheasants were probably introduced to Britain by the Normans or even the Romans.
Where to see it on the islands
On Search Isle, the pheasant is recorded on 117 islands. They are spread across Scotland (53), England (35), Wales (12), Crown Dependencies (10) and Ireland (7).
The most records come from Isle of Man (Isle of Man, 2,578 records), Anglesey (North Coast, 1,971 records), Isle of Wight (Hampshire, 1,703 records) and Isle of Sheppey (Thames Estuary, 1,363 records). These counts reflect where people have looked as well as where the animal lives: busy islands, and those with bird observatories, have far more records than remote ones.
Through the year
The pheasant is usually seen from October to June. You can listen to a recording of it beside this page.
Other gamebirds
The pheasant is one of 2 gamebirds on Search Isle, alongside Capercaillie.
