Pheasant & Reeve's Pheasant

Pheasant ( Phasianus colchicus versicolor )

A pheasant cock weighs around 1100-1800g, and the hen around 700-1300g. Cocks are much more colorful and have longer tails. The hens are grey-yellow to brown-ish in color, with a matte finish which really makes for a perfectly camouflaged coat.

Lifestyle

Pheasants live in fields, at the edges of woods, in ditches, vineyards and graveyards.

The cock starts his mating ritual at the end of March or beginning of April. They make specific noises, jump, and move with their wings very fast, then inseminate the hens. Hens lay 10-16 eggs and sit on them for 23-24 days. Just few hours after hatching, the chicks leave the nest. They start to fly after 14 days. Pheasants are good runners, and spend their nights in bushes, and on trees.  

 

Food

Pheasants eat seeds, green parts of plants, weeds, grapes as well as insects, mice, snails, etc.

 

Predators

They usually fall prey to foxes and hawks.

 

 

Reeve’s Pheasant (Syrmaticus reevesii)

Reeve’s pheasant has a very long tail, up to 160cm long. The cock weights around 1210-1750g .The head and upper part of the neck is white. Apart from a black stripe from the root of the back is golden-yellow. The hen weights 840-1400g and is grayish brown.

 

Stuffed Reeve’s pheasant is an interesting trophy and well-prepared specimens are great decorations for a hunter’s home.