Common Pheasant adult male

Common Pheasant adult male

This male Common Pheasant was feeding in front of a bird hide and looking resplendent in breeding condition. The species was introduced into the UK probably 1000 or more years ago and now has an estimated population of over two million birds. This compares with the native and declining Grey Partridge with an estimated population of around forty thousand birds in the UK.

Country: UK
Location: near Ashdown Forest
Family: Pheasants and allies (Phasianidae)
Species: Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
Date taken: 04/06/2013