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Pheasants (1 Viewer)

helenol

Well-known member
Why the difference between the two male pheasants? Is one of them a juvenile? The one in the middle has lots of blue plummage, whereas the one on the right doesn't.

Thanks.
 

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helenol said:
Why the difference between the two male pheasants? Is one of them a juvenile? The one in the middle has lots of blue plummage, whereas the one on the right doesn't.

Thanks.

Hi Helen,

The bird in the foreground is slightly less developed than the other cock although this is not always a matter of age. Chris is partly right that there are sometimes cases of genetic throwbacks to the days when pheasants were ornamental birds. However, as with many birds that have direct aggression, some of this is deflected by appearance the the rear bird is not only dominant in plumage but look at his stance compared with the front bird. This is a great action shot although I am betting you did not particularly think so at the time.

Ian
 
Thanks Ian and Chris. At the moment there are three coming into the garden. I'm seeing more than usual, I suspect it's because the shooting season has started and they're getting the hell out of the woods and other dodgy areas. ;) They are also quite vocal at the moment.
 
why do they have to feed in the middle of high speed roads! i have came close to crashing more than a few times - trying to avoid the little blighters!!!!
 
Thanks people

My last count yesterday, there were 41 of them in the garden!

Here's another question... what's wrong with this guy?

Thanks.
 

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helenol said:
Thanks people

My last count yesterday, there were 41 of them in the garden!

Here's another question... what's wrong with this guy?

Thanks.

Looks like its partly Reeves pheasant, but its more likely some mawky semi-leucistic thing.
 
chris3871 said:
Looks like its partly Reeves pheasant, but its more likely some mawky semi-leucistic thing.
Are you calling "my" pheasant mawky? I like my "mawky" pheasant ;)

There is another one identical.

Thanks Chris.

Regards
 
Anthony Morton said:
Hi Helen,

Looks as though he's going through the moult.
Thanks for that. I did wonder about moult, but I was thinking it was a little late in the year?

So it could be a mawky semi-leucistic thing in moult?

Regards
 
salty said:
why do they have to feed in the middle of high speed roads! i have came close to crashing more than a few times - trying to avoid the little blighters!!!!
Dunno! But when I went over to Frieston Shore the other week I drove passed 6 squished ones, and a one female nearly went under my wheels the other night.
 
walwyn said:
Dunno! But when I went over to Frieston Shore the other week I drove passed 6 squished ones, and a one female nearly went under my wheels the other night.

They often come out on to roads to grit and to dry out after heavy rain or a dewy night.

saluki
 
walwyn said:
Dunno! But when I went over to Frieston Shore the other week I drove passed 6 squished ones, and a one female nearly went under my wheels the other night.

An unlucky female one met her end here this week, I saw her on the side of the road, not marked, must have flown into the side of a car I suspect. It's the first time I've seen a female one in years, occasionally see a male. There's a bad stretch of the M4 near Swindon if I recall where there are usually five or more dead cock birds scattered along about a mile, poor things don't stand any chance there. :C
 
Hi songbird, I think around here, they are all congregating at my place! I seem to have more or less equal numbers of male and females.
 
That's an amazing amount to have come to the garden, I am very envious! They are such beautiful birds. An internet friend I have who is in Shropshire with a smallholding had a trio come to her for grain last year and the cock bird had lots and lots of white feathers, I wondered if it was a cross-bred escapee as it became fairly tame. It wasn't an albino as such, she did send me a photo, I will have to try and find it, I think it's still in the archives of my old computer somewhere!
 
songbird said:
An unlucky female one met her end here this week, I saw her on the side of the road, not marked, must have flown into the side of a car I suspect. It's the first time I've seen a female one in years, occasionally see a male. There's a bad stretch of the M4 near Swindon if I recall where there are usually five or more dead cock birds scattered along about a mile, poor things don't stand any chance there. :C

It's rare for a pheasant to fly across a road. Sick as it may sound, she was probably just runover by some heartless butt-wipe. Happens all the time here.
 
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