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Range
 Introduced
and established in North America from southern Canada south
to Washington, northern California, Utah, and Kansas, east
to Virginia and New England. Scattered local populations
elsewhere. Native to Asia.
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Status
Introduced. Fairly common to
common resident on southeastern Vancouver Island, the Fraser
Lowlands, the Okanagan valley and the vicinities of Salmon
Arm and Creston. Elsewhere, populations are local and the
status is unknown. Breeds.
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Status
Change
No change.
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Nonbreeding
The Ring-necked Pheasant is
distributed along eastern Vancouver Island, from Victoria to
Campbell River and east through the Fraser Lowlands to Hope.
In the interior, the pheasant occurs primarily in the
central southern portion of the province including the
Okanagan valley east to Creston and north to Salmon Arm;
rarely in the Nicola and south Thompson River valleys and
the southern ChilcotinCariboo. Small local populations may
exist elsewhere in the province as a result of release
programs (e.g. Tlell; see Remarks). It has been recorded
from sea level to 750 m elevation.
Good pheasant habitat is
associated with areas of high soil fertility where
agricultural crops and wild vegetation produce the basic
requirements of food and cover. It has, however, been found
in many habitat types, even dense forests where it
occasionally roosts up to 50 m from the forest edge. Other
habitats include brackish and fresh water marshes,
estuaries, lake shores, open woodlands, beaches, scrubby
fields, airports, golf courses, city parks and yards, and
ploughed fields. Climatically, its range varies between the
dry interior with its extremes of heat and cold and the more
humid, moderate Fraser Lowlands and lowlands of eastern
Vancouver Island. The Ring-necked Pheasant is a sedentary
species. Males are polygamous during the breeding season; at
other times they are solitary. In winter, females are
frequently found in small groups.
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Breeding
The Ring-necked Pheasant breeds
from Victoria to Campbell River along the lowlands of
eastern Vancouver Island, the southern Gulf Islands, Fraser
Lowlands from the Fraser River delta to Chilliwack,
throughout the Okanagan valley and the extreme southern
portion of the west Kootenay in the vicinity of Creston. It
breeds from near sea level to 640 m elevation, but most
nests have been found below 300 m. The Ring-necked Pheasant
breeds in most habitats except dense woodlands, but prefers
agricultural areas in shrubby, grass and grain fields. Other
habitats include orchards, open deciduous woodlands,
marshes, ditches, parks, golf courses and gardens in
residential areas, rangeland, seismic road and powerline
cuts, and bogs.
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Nests: 
Nests were located at the bases
of clumps of grasses, shrubs, and fence posts, among tall
grasses, reeds, cattail, and sagebrush, next to logs,
buildings, and construction equipment, and under small trees
and brush piles. Nests were frequently close to sources of
water. One nest was built inside a metal bucket and another
was found in a partially-submerged row boat.
Nests were small depressions in
the ground and were formed of grasses, feathers, weed
stalks, twigs, and rootlets. They were lined with grasses,
leaves, feathers, weeds, and, in-frequently, dried
mosses.
Eggs:
Dates for 189 clutches ranged
from 21 April to 27 July, with 51% recorded between 10 May
and 8 June. Calculated dates indicate that eggs could be
found as early as 25 March. Sizes for 182 clutches ranged
from 2 to 28 eggs (2E-2, 3E-2, 4E-2, 5E-6, 6E-8, 7E-12,
8E-8, 9E-23, 10E-23, 11E-18, 12E-23, 13E-18, 14E-11, 15E-4,
17E-2, 18E4, 19E-4, 20E-4, 21E-2, 23E-3, 26E-2, 28E-1), with
58% having 9 to 13 eggs. Incubation period is 22 to 25 days
(Godfrey 1986).
Young:
Dates for 293 broods ranged
from 3 May to 11 October with 52% recorded between 4 June
and 6 July. Calculated dates indicate that first broods
could be found as early as 23 April. Sizes for 291 broods
ranged from 1 to 18 young (lY-17, 2Y-20, 3Y-22, 4Y29, 5Y-51,
6Y-31, 7Y-33, 8Y-27, 9Y-10, 10Y-18, 11Y-8, 12Y-12, 13Y-6,
14Y-2, 15Y-1, 16Y-1, 17Y-2, 18Y-1) with 59% having 4 to 8
young. Fledging period is 12 to 14 days (Harrison, C.
1978).
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Remarks
From 1882 to 1920, at least 500
Ring-necked Pheasants were released at a number of locations
in coastal and interior British Columbia. Some birds were
imported from England, but most came from China. From this
stock, populations became established and spread throughout
suitable habitat, although many additional introductions
were made to bolster local populations (see Taylor, E.W.
1959). Some introductions failed. Known pheasant
introductions to British Columbia are summarized below. They
are discussed by geographic area:
(1) Queen Charlotte Islands:
Small numbers were released near Tlell from 1918 to 1920.
Spalding (1966) indicates that early introductions were
successful and that "a small population was started." By the
winter of 1941-42 the Ring-necked Pheasant was "very common"
(Cook, F.S. 1947). Thereafter, populations gradually
declined. Small introductions were again made in the 1980s,
but the population is not large and likely needs regular
releases if it is to be maintained.
(2) Vancouver Island: The
earliest introduction was at Victoria in 1882. Twenty birds
were released, but all died. The following year, 25
pheasants were released at Esquimalt and, apparently, all
survived. M. Williams (1964) suggests that pheasant
populations on southern Vancouver Island descended from this
stock. Populations increased and became well established on
the Saanich Peninsula. Spring numbers there were estimated
at 900 in 1966 and 2,300 in 1972; autumn numbers were
estimated at 5,700 in 1966 and 14,300 in 1972 (Finnegan
1972). Recently, however, T.D. Hooper and Sars (1986) report
an all-time low in 1985 based on crowing count indices. For
example, an index of 10.8 for Saanich in May 1972 (Finnegan
1972) dropped to 3.3 in May 1985. This decline was
attributed mainly to habitat destruction and pesticide use.
In spring and autumn 1955, over 700 birds were released at 3
locations north of Victoria (Taylor, E.W. 1959): Duncan (204
birds), Nanaimo (204 birds), and Courtenay (308
birds).
Populations there are
established but annual winter counts suggest a gradual
decline in numbers is occurring.
(3) Gulf Islands: 12 birds were
released on Saltspring Island in 1886, 20 on Prevost Island
in 1890 and 5 on Jedediah Island in 1895. Today, small
numbers exist only on Saltspring Island.
(4) Fraser Lowlands: From 1890
to 1910, at least 400 pheasants were released at various
locations from the Fraser River delta to Chilliwack.
Introductions were successful and by 1896 the first hunting
season was established. In 1955 an additional 6,905
pheasants were released in the same area (see Taylor, E.W.
1959). Populations are now centred in the Fraser River delta
and appear relatively stable. See E.W. Taylor (1950) for a
detailed study of factors affecting the reproduction and
survival of the species in the Fraser Lowlands.
(5) Okanagan valley: Five birds
were brought to Okanagan Falls in 1910, raised in captivity
and released in 1911. By late 1912, there were about 200
pheasants in the region (Rye 1952), and by 1942 densities
near Vernon reached 3.5 birds per hectare (Cowan 1942b).
Numbers declined drastically throughout the valley in 1946
(Rye 1952). Since then, they have fluctuated widely, but
with a general downward trend brought about by deteriorating
habitat due to urbanization, lack of cereal grain
production, and increased use of pesticides (R.W. Ritcey
perk comm.; Spalding and Stoneberg 1981).
(6) Salmon Arm: Birds were
introduced and became established long before the 1950s
(R.W. Ritcey perk comm.) although the date of the first
release is unknown. Additional birds were released from 1953
to the early 1960s. In April 1961 and 1962, pheasant crowing
counts there revealed 362 and 308 birds respectively
(Taylor, E.W. 1962). The Salmon Arm and vicinity population
is the only real centre of abundance north of the Okanagan
(R.W. Ritcey perk comm.).
(7) Kootenays: Birds were
introduced near Ta Ta Creek and Wasa (Johnstone, W.B .
1949). In the Creston area, releases were made in the late
1800s and birds became well established on the flood plain
farms and adjacent benchland (Munro, J.A. 1950; Butler,
R.W.. et al. 1986). All Kootenay region introductions, with
the exception of those in the Creston valley, have failed.
The Creston population is small but is of a viable and
huntable size (R.A. Demarchi pers. comm.).
(8) Central Interior: Pheasants
were introduced near Ouesnel and Smithers prior to 1935,
when the last birds were seen (Munro, J.A. 1947a). Early
introductions in the Alkali Lake and Williams Lake region
survived for a number of years although they never became
viable. A few pheasants have been released near Allcali Lake
over the past few years, with some surviving the winter of
1986/87 to breed the following spring. However, predators
appear to have reduced their numbers (A. Roberts pers.
cornm.).
During the 1950s, pheasant
stocking continued in British Columbia but with local,
farm-reared birds. In 1955, nearly 9,000 birds were released
at 15 coastal locations and 4 interior locations
(Taylor, E.W. 1959). New
interior locations included Karnloops (265 birds), Merritt
(200 birds), Keremeos (240 birds), Grand Forks (262 birds)
and Creston (410 birds).
Known in the Old World as the
Pheasant.
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Located
at:
675 Belleville Street,
Victoria, British Columbia,
CANADA
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Copyright © Royal BC Museum
All rights reserved
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This
information was scanned from The Birds of British Columbia (Campbell et
al.), Volume II, pages 70-73. Volumes I, II and III of The Birds of British
Columbia can be ordered electronically at: 
Nests