Pheasant (Common Pheasant or Ring-necked Pheasant) Phasianus colchicus
A super-abundant species whose population is maintained at an artificially high level thanks to vast numbers of birds being reared and released by gamekeepers. There are a number of different races of this non-native species but due to a long history of interbreeding between them it is not normally possible to assign individuals to one or other race. Most show a conspicuous white neck ring but a large number lack this or show only a partial ring. So-called melanistic birds resembling Japanese Green Pheasants are being released in increasing numbers - scroll down for more information and photos of these. Another unnatural but quite attractive variant that seems to be increasing is a very pale-backed type, a few examples of which appear below. All white Pheasants are also seen occasionally.
Tenebrosus Pheasants
Recent years have seen a sharp increase in very dark Pheasants being released into the Norfolk countryside and in one or two areas they may even outnumber ordinary Pheasants. I presume that it is these birds that have led to a simultaneous spate of reports of Japanese Green Pheasants Phasianus versicolor; however despite their superficial similarity, this identification is not correct. Although there is possibly some Japanese Green Pheasant influence in their ancestry (but I have found no evidence of this and suspect not), these intriguing birds are best referred to as a variation, or mutation, of (Common) Pheasant. The variation is known as 'tenebrosus'.
Often described as melanistic, these Pheasants can appear black at a distance or in poor light, but in the right conditions they show a strong blue, purple or more often green colour. I understand that it's not technically correct to describe this irridescent plumage as melanism.
Odd birds may appear anywhere but some places seem to hold good numbers for a while, presumably where these have been favoured by gamekeepers.
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male Pheasant (var. tenebrosus), south of Wells (Norfolk, UK), 13th April 2011
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male Pheasant (var. tenebrosus), south of Wells (Norfolk, UK), 13th April 2011 (a different bird from the one above)
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male and female Pheasants (var. tenebrosus), south of Wells (Norfolk, UK), 13th April 2011 (the male is another different bird from the ones above)
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female Pheasant (var. tenebrosus), North Creake (Norfolk, UK), 8th April 2011
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male Pheasant (var. tenebrosus), Ringstead (Norfolk, UK), 25th March 2013
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male Pheasant (var. tenebrosus), Coxford (Norfolk, UK), 26th March 2013
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male Pheasant (var. tenebrosus), Great Hockham (Norfolk, UK), 12th March 2006
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male Pheasant (var. tenebrosus), Wretham (Norfolk, UK), 20th March 2005
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male Pheasant (var. tenebrosus), Ingoldisthorpe (Norfolk, UK), 27th January 2005
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female Pheasant (var. tenebrosus), Great Hockham (Norfolk, UK), 20th March 2005
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female Pheasant (var. tenebrosus), Wolferton (Norfolk, UK), 21st March 2011
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Pheasant (var. tenebrosus), Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 18th October 2008 |
Pheasant (var. tenebrosus), Thornham Corner (Norfolk, UK), 27th November 2004 |
For a while I had assumed that the white on the necks of these two birds was trace of a male's collar coming through and that these were therefore immature males. However this does not seem right. Firstly first-autumn male Pheasants by this time are normally much more male-like in overall appearance, secondly the white on the right hand bird appears too extensive and perhaps too high and thirdly 'tenebrosus' males don't have white collars. Presumably therefore these are females and the white is leucism?
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male Pheasant (var. tenebrosus), Great Hockham (Norfolk, UK), 14th February 2009
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presumed female Pheasant (var. tenebrosus), between Amner & West Newton (Norfolk, UK), 20th February 2009 - I've since seen other presmed tenebrosus females with similar pale fringes on otherwise dark plumage, but the blue skin around this bird's eye is so far unexplained - it is not a normal feature of Common Pheasant in any mutation that I am aware of. Lady Amherts's Pheasants show blue skin round the eye but this clearly isn't a Lady Amherst's Pheasant and I don't really think it's likely to be a hybrid either. My guess is that this is an inherited feature of all Pheasants that is normally expressed in Lady A's and normally dormant in Common Pheasant, but is expressed in this individual as a result of mutation - but that's pretty much wild speculation so please let me know if you have any more informed thoughts on this one!
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male Pheasant (var. tenebrosus), Billingford (Norfolk, UK), 12th March 2011
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presumed intersex Pheasant (var. tenebrosus), south of Wells (Norfolk, UK), 12th April 2011
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female Pheasant (var. tenebrosus), Amner (Norfolk, UK), 6th September 2011
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male Pheasant (var. tenebrosus), south of Wells (Norfolk, UK), 15th January 2014
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female Pheasant (? var. tenebrosus), Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 20th April 2011 |
Presumably Tenebrosus Pheasants bred with normal Pheasants will produce birds showing mixed characteristics and presumably the first bird below is one such bird.
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male Pheasant, Holkham (Norfolk, UK), 23rd February 2004
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male Pheasant, south of Brancaster (Norfolk, UK), 9th November 2005
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male Pheasant, Linn of Dee (Aberdeenshire, UK), 4th June 2015
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