Ring-necked Pheasant, Phasianus colchicus


Ring-necked Pheasant


Ring-necked Pheasant


Ring-necked Pheasant
Pheasants burst into flight suddenly and unpredictably -- unless in response to disturbance by the photographer, in which case they fly directly away giving only a rear view. So flight shots are hard to come by, and I've settled for this one for the time being.


Ring-necked Pheasant


Ring-necked Pheasant
The picture above shows the briefly held juvenal plumage, into which the pheasant molts from the downy chick stage starting around ten days after hatching. Molt into the first year plumage, which closely resembles adult plumage, begins within two weeks after that, and goes on for up to four months.


Ring-necked Pheasant


Ring-necked Pheasant