# Ring-necked Pheasant

*Phasianus colchicus*

When threatened, these birds prefer to run at speeds up to 10 mph rather than fly, though they can burst into flight at 48 mph.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Galliformes › Phasianidae › Phasianus
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** grassland
- **Habitat:** Agricultural fields, brushy hedgerows, and tall grasslands.
- **Diet:** Omnivorous; feeds on seeds, grains, berries, insects, and occasionally small lizards.
- **Range:** Asia, North America, Europe, Australia
- **Size:** 50-90 cm in length with a wingspan up to 86 cm
- **Lifespan:** 1-3 years in the wild
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Intensive farming practices, habitat loss, and heavy pesticide use reducing insect prey.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless and skittish. They will likely flush with a loud whirring of wings if startled. Observe from a distance; if you find a nest on the ground, do not disturb it.

## About

...

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/1aa4e229-d948-4a0a-8e86-ca616e343e61
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/981
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phasianus colchicus
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/127255695/medium.jpeg (John Krampl, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.