The Ring-necked Pheasant

Al Lowe
Contributor

This bird is not a native to Canada, or even North America. Originally, it lived in Europe and through Siberia to China.
Several different species have been introduced, and have taken hold in many parts of Canada, and in a great deal of the U.S.
This pheasant is a substantial bird - about the size of a small chicken. The hen bird is rather drab, brownish with black markings all over her back and wings. She does sport a fairly long tail, though.
The cock bird, on the other hand, is coloured magnificently, and is not like any other bird in the country. Part of its face and wattles have no feathers, and are bright red. The head and neck are iridescent green. Most (but not all) have a white ring around the neck. The main body is reddish or orangish brown with dark flecks. There are also light bluish patches. He has a great long tail, and his legs have sharp spurs like a domestic rooster.
These birds were introduced to North America mainly in the 1700s and 1800s. They have taken hold in a very big way in some parts. The largest concentration is on Pelee Island, the most southerly part of Ontario. This island is all fertile farmland - corn, soybeans, wheat, etc. - all ideal food for pheasants. As well, the winters are mild, and there are almost no predators.
The population has been held below 40,000 on this small island by hunting. Pheasant hunting brings in one of the mainstays of income for the islanders.
There are other areas where these birds flourish in very large numbers. In the U.S., the very best place for pheasants is in the Dakotas. Here is an example of how they have thrived in some places. In 1881, 38 birds were released in Oregon. Within 10 years, there were so many that over 250,000 were shot in a year.
In Canada, the best areas are southern Ontario and Quebec parts of the Maritimes and in the lower parts of the West, where quite a hunting industry has grown up, especially in southern Alberta.
Here in Northern Ontario, there seem to be only two areas where they have taken hold to any extent - Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie.
For the rest of us, the lack of large scale grain farming, the very cold winters, and sometimes heavy snow, keep them from being very prolific. They have been introduced into most areas many times, without success.
In the wild, these birds are somewhat surprising. Walk across a stubble field and all of a sudden, a pheasant will explode into flight under your feet. If he wants to run, he can do it at a very high speed, taking steps which are longer than he is.
Very good eating indeed, the Ring-neck is one of the most sought-after birds by the fall hunter.
The Ring-necked Pheasant, Phasianus colchicus, is one of our most successful and pleasant introductions. It has survived in a big way in North America. It seems to have filled an empty space in the ecological scheme of things.