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The pheasant is a large sized bird that is found in fields and on the edge of woodland particularly in the Northern Hemisphere. Pheasants are best known for the brightly coloured feathers (in a range of colours) and the long tail feathers of the male pheasant.

The pheasant is thought to be native to Asia, with some relation to the wild chickens that are found in the jungles particularly in India. Today the pheasant can be found all over the world and there are more than 35 different species of pheasant today.

Pheasants are large sized birds and some pheasant individuals can grow to nearly 90cm in length. The male pheasant is generally larger than the female pheasant, sometimes double the size. The male pheasant has an array of brightly coloured feathers but the female pheasant (known as a hen) is relatively dull in comparison and tends to be brown or grey in colour.

Pheasants are omnivorous birds and therefore pheasants eat both plant and animal matter. Pheasants feed on seeds, berries and fruits, insects, worms and occasionally small reptiles such as lizards.

Pheasants have a number of natural predators in the wild, although the human tends to be the most common predator of the pheasant as they are hunted for their meat and feathers. Other animals that prey on the pheasant are foxes, dogs and wildcats along with smaller species of animal that eat the eggs of the pheasant.

The female pheasant lays between 8 and 12 eggs per clutch which are generally large in size. The pheasant eggs hatch after an incubation period of just under a month. The pheasant chicks are nursed and fed by the mother pheasant until they fly away from the nest when they are just a few weeks old.

Although the pheasant is not at immediate risk from extinction, the pheasant populations are declining mainly due to loss of habitat and over-hunting. It is thought that around 80% of the pheasants hunted every year are only a few months old and are therefore unlikely to have mated with another pheasant.

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Pheasant Facts

Kingdom: A level of classifying all living things on earth, as similar species are broken into 5 groups including plants, animals and fungi....	Animalia
Phylum: A level of classifying animals within the animal kingdom. Phylum are further divided into subgroups called classes....	Chordata
Class: A level of classifying animals in a phylum. Classes are then sub-divided into further groups known as orders....	Aves
Order: A level used to classify animals. Classes are broken into sub-groups known as order, which are broken down further into families....	Galliformes
Family: A level of classifying animals within an order. Orders are broken down in families and families are broken down further into smaller groups called genus....	Phasianidae
Genus: A level of classifying animals within a family. Families are divided into sub-groups called genus which generally contain one or two animal species....	Phasianus

Scientific Name:	Phasianus Colchicus
Type:	Bird
Diet:	Omnivore
Size (L):	53cm - 84cm (21in - 33in)
Wing Span:	71cm - 86cm (28in - 34in)
Weight:	0.9kg - 1.5kg (1.9lbs - 3.3lbs)
Top Speed:	30km/h (18mph)
Life Span:	7 - 10 years
Lifestyle:	Solitary
Conservation Status: The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species remaining extant either in the present day or the near future. Many factors are taken into account when assessing the conservation s...	Least Concern

Colour:	Brown, Black, Tan, Yellow, Orange, Red, Green
Skin Type:	Feathers
Favourite Food:	Insects
Habitat: The term habitat is used to describe a specific area where a particular animal lives, within an environment. Many animals have adapted to requiring specific conditions which can only be found in their natural habitat su...	Grasslands, fields and wetlands
Average Clutch Size:	10
Main Prey: When an animal is referred to prey, it means that the animal is either hunted or caught for food. Animals that are referred to as prey are generally hunted by bigger animals, although there are a number of exceptions....	Insects, Berries, Seeds
Predators: When an animal is referred to as a predator, it means that the animal either hunts or catches other animals. Predatory animals are generally dominant within their environment and will generally hunt animals smaller than...	Fox, Dog, Human
Distinctive Features:	Brightly coloured feathers and long tail of the male

Related Animals

	Chicken First domesticated more than 10,000 years ago!
	Peacock Most commonly found on the Indian mainland!
	Guinea Fowl Found in a vairety of African habitats!
	Turkey Closely related to pheasants and chickens!