Photographing distinctive pheasant birds in the wilds

Originating in Asia, pheasants are a non-native species, introduced into much of Europe by the Romans. They are beautifully marked birds and pose well for pictures, even if they are a non-native species,’ says our wildlife expert Keith Kirk, who shares his thoughts on the distinct birds with no road sense

Love them or loathe them, I think it’s safe to say that most people will know what a pheasant looks like, especially the bold and brash males. I certainly have a bit of a love hate relationship with pheasants. They are beautifully marked birds and pose well for pictures, even if they are a non-native species.

I remember one occasion when I was mist netting with another licensed bird ringer, hoping to catch a few small lightweight passerine birds in dense woodland. After about an hour, we heard that distinctive loud call; you know the one I mean. It’s the one a cock pheasant makes when he’s startled and is about to take off.

To this day we have no idea what startled the bird, but as they cruise at around 40mph, it will come as no surprised that it went straight through the fine mist net, leaving a huge gaping hole, and only left us a few feathers to confirm the culprit.

Bold and brash (Image: Keith Kirk) Originating in Asia, pheasants are a non-native species in the UK. They were introduced into much of Europe by the Romans, possibly arriving in the UK with the Normans in the 11th Century. They were largely forgotten about for a long time and became locally extinct in many areas within the UK right up until the 19th Century, when they became a popular gamebird once again, and were extensively reared by gamekeepers.

It is estimated that between 35-48 million reared pheasants are released into the wild in the UK each year, alongside about four million resident breeding birds. The bird I was always led to believe to be a true pheasant from Asia was called the Chinese ringneck, with its distinct white neck collar, although these days, they too seem to come in every conceivable colour. They also don’t shy away much from humans and can be quite brazen at times.

Proclaiming his territory (Image: Keith Kirk) To proclaim his territory and harem of females, the male will stand up on his tiptoes, chest puffed out, and perform his "kawk kawk” crowing, culminating with some very fast and loud wing flapping; something you will often hear from some way off, even if you don’t see the act itself.

When guarding his females, the dominant rooster is a true fighter, using those long spurs on his legs. Feathers will fly in all directions when two equally matched adults fight, until one bird has had enough and backs down. Being polygamous, the male will often be guarding several hen pheasants who will be in attendance close by.

Hen pheasant (Image: Keith Kirk) The females are as equally well-marked as the males, they just don’t have the bright colours that the males do. Those birds which do breed naturally in the countryside nest on the ground, producing a clutch of around 12 eggs, laid over, what can be a two-week period, anytime between April and June. The incubation period is about 23 days. After mating, the male has nothing more to do with the female, as incubation and chick-rearing is exclusively the hen’s job.

Given that so many pheasants are released these days, none of which have any road sense at all, it’s not surprising that many fall victim to traffic, and subsequently make an easy meal for predators such as buzzards, red kites and foxes.

Young pheasant (Image: Keith Kirk) Years ago, I watched recently released pheasant poults feeding in the drills of a turnip field. Little did they know that as they slowly worked their way up the drill, a fox was lying flat down on its belly at the other end, just waiting until they were close enough to pounce. He got a fairly easy meal that day, even if he did have a bit of a wait.