Pheasant
GLOBAL CONSERVATION STATUS:
- Least Concern
- The number of pheasants are decreasing
HABITAT: Pheasants particularly like grassland, farmland, woodlands and even towns and gardens. They mostly consume seeds, berries and insects and will roost in trees.
IMPORTANCE: Diet of seeds and berries makes them valuable for seed distribution. They provide a food source for smaller birds including songbirds.
THREATS: Their main predators are Foxes and Falcons/ Hawks. They also suffer from Avian Flu, and Avian Malaria. Pheasants also face threats from reduced habitat as farmland is at risk of urban sprawl
FUN FACTS: Pheasants were originally native to Asia but were brought over to the UK by the Romans before nearly becoming extinct in the 19th century. Due to their popularity as a gamebird, numbers have increased since then and are reared by gamekeepers.