RING-NECKED PHEASANT
Here at Lamplight Feather we feature a variety of pheasant feathers including tail feathers, loose plumage, and feather trim. We would like to introduce you to some of the birds that produce these feathers. Today we are featuring the ring-necked pheasant.
The ring-necked pheasant (or ringneck) is a ground-dwelling, gallinaceous (chicken-like) bird of Asia first introduced into the United States prior to the 1800s. By the 1880s, wild ring-necked pheasants had become established in sustainable breeding populations within the United States and have remained one of the most popular and sought after upland game birds in central and northern regions of the country. The ring-necked’s exceptional quality as table fare, coupled with its high resistance to parasites and diseases common in ground-feeding birds, makes this colorful game bird both highly desirable and very manageable.
Also characteristic of the ring-necked is its ability to share similar niches with many native grassland and farmland community wildlife species. One exception has been its interaction with native prairie chickens – pheasant males can disrupt prairie chicken “leks” (male mating gatherings) and pheasant hens may lay eggs in prairie chicken nests. Consequently, efforts to repatriate prairie chickens in some areas may require prior removal of pheasants.
The ring-necked is highly dependent on habitats in and around croplands and agricultural landscapes. Significant changes in farming practices within the last half of the twentieth century have had detrimental effects on ring-necked pheasant populations. Removal of overgrown hedgerows and fence rows from agricultural fields and other “clean farming” practices and the conversion of open, native grass- lands and other idle habitat to introduced grasses and developed lands have contributed to a loss of nesting and protective cover resulting in population declines.
