The Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), ring-necked pheasant

• Contributor: Dan Sullivan / Alamy Stock Photo
• Image ID: B063H7
• File size: 50 MB (2 MB Compressed download)
• Releases: Model - no | Property - no
• Dimensions: 5120 x 3413 px | 43.3 x 28.9 cm | 17.1 x 11.4 inches | 300dpi

More information

The Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), is a bird in the pheasant family (Phasianidae). It is native to Asia but has been widely introduced elsewhere as a game bird. In parts of its range, namely in places where none of its relatives occur such as in Europe (where it is naturalized), it is simply known as "the pheasant". It is a well-known gamebird, among those of more than regional importance perhaps the most widespread and ancient one in the whole world. The Common Pheasant is one of the world's most hunted birds[1], has it has been introduced for that purpose to many regions, and is also common on game farms where it is commercially farmed for this purpose. "Ring-necked Pheasant" is a collective name for a number of subspecies and their crossbreeds. These were commonly used for introduction purposes, and today the Ring-necked Pheasant is the state bird of South Dakota, one of only three US state birds that is not a species native to the United States.