resplendent, thank you. camouflage is the hen's department.
Pheasant says
Bird 30 of 30 · video, 48:22
Pheasant
Phasianus colchicus
The long-tailed countryside game bird: a resplendent male, a camouflaged hen, a hidden scrape in the grass, and chicks that run almost at once.
- Large
- Stays all year
- On or near the ground
- On the ground or lawn
About the pheasant
Marks and dots
Tap a numbered dot, or a name in the list.
Unmistakable, with bright, colourful plumage.
RSPB: a dark green head and red face wattling.
A long tail, on both sexes.
Very dull by comparison: perfect camouflage while she sits on the nest.
Her long tail will distinguish her from other species.
From egg to adult
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Egg
Eggs10–14 eggs≠BTOthe video says up to 20 eggs
Hatch afterabout 25 days video, BTO agrees
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Chick in the nest
In the nest forwithin 14 days video, BTO agrees
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Young bird
Chicks become mobile very quickly and learn to fly within two weeks, long before they have finished growing, which is unlike many birds.
Adult
Male bright and colourful; hen dull, long tail
Broods a year1 brood BTO
BTO prints no average incubation and nest time for this bird, so there is no nest clock.
At the table
- invertebrates (BTO)
- plants (BTO)
The video does not say what pheasants eat. BTO says they eat untold numbers of invertebrates and plants.
Through the year
Pheasant: around Jan to Dec; early spring: males fight, loud crowing, Mar to Apr. Early spring is read as March to April.
What to know about the pheasant
Eight short notes in our own words. Each chip says what the note stands on, and links to its row in the table below.
What to look for
The male is unmistakable in bright, colourful plumage. RSPB describes rich chestnut, golden-brown and black markings, a dark green head and red face wattling. A long tail marks both sexes.
Male and female
The female is very dull by comparison, which is perfect camouflage when she is sitting on the nest. Her long tail tells her from other species.
The young
Chicks become mobile very quickly and learn to fly within two weeks, long before they have finished growing, which is unlike many birds.
Song and call
In early spring the males fight fiercely, and the loud, crowing call that goes with the courtship is often heard in the countryside. BTO calls the display an explosive double-pitched bark.
Nest
Eggs are laid in a grass-lined hollow called a scrape, well hidden by vegetation. One male often has up to half a dozen females incubating and rearing eggs around his territory at the same time.
Feeding
The video does not say what pheasants eat. BTO says they eat untold numbers of invertebrates and plants.
Staying or leaving
Possibly brought to Britain by the Romans, though the Normans are usually credited, in the 11th century. It came originally from Asia and was prized for its tasty meat. BTO calls it non-native, and RSPB says it was introduced long ago and is resident.
In the garden
The video presents the pheasant as a countryside game bird and does not say what it does in a garden.
not in the video
Sources and checks
Where every fact about the pheasant came from
19 claims about the pheasant: 5 checked, 6 from the video only,2 differ, 6 from a source only. How the grades work
| Claim, in our words | Video time | Grade | What the source says |
|---|---|---|---|
| The resplendent male pheasant is unmistakable, with bright, colourful plumage. | 48:49 | checked | RSPB, read 2026-10-05RSPB describes the male's rich chestnut, golden-brown and black markings. |
| RSPB says the male has a dark green head and red face wattling. | source only | source only | RSPB, read 2026-10-05RSPB's pheasant page. |
| RSPB calls pheasants large, long-tailed game birds. | source only | source only | RSPB, read 2026-10-05RSPB's pheasant page. |
| The female is very dull by comparison, perfect for camouflage while sitting on the nest. | 48:56 | checked | RSPB, read 2026-10-05RSPB says females are mottled with paler brown and black. |
| Her long tail distinguishes her from other species. | 49:01 | video only | |
| Chicks become quickly mobile, learning to fly long before they have finished growing, unlike many species. | 49:36 | video only | |
| Early in spring male pheasants fight fiercely with one another. | 49:06 | checked | BTO, read 2026-10-05BTO says sharp spurs on the male's legs are used to fight off would-be competitors. |
| A loud crowing call accompanies the mating rituals and is often heard in the countryside. | 49:11 | video only | BTO writes the courtship call as an explosive double-pitched bark. |
| BTO says pheasants eat untold numbers of invertebrates and plants. | source only | source only | BTO, read 2026-10-05BTO's introduction to the species. |
| Eggs are laid in a grass-lined depression known as a scrape, well hidden by vegetation. | 49:26 | video only | |
| You will often see one male with up to half a dozen females incubating and rearing eggs around a territory at the same time. | 49:15 | video only | |
| BTO says the male woos several brown-coloured females. | source only | source only | BTO, read 2026-10-05BTO's introduction to the species. |
| Clutches of up to 20 eggs.video: up to 20 eggs | 49:26 | ≠differs | BTO, read 2026-10-05: 10–14 eggs (BTO typical)BTO's typical is 10–14 and the most it records is 18, not 20 |
| The eggs hatch after about 25 days.video: about 25 days | 49:33 | checked | BTO, read 2026-10-05: 23–28 days (BTO typical)inside BTO's typical range of 23–28 |
| Chicks learn to fly within two weeks.video: within 14 days | 49:36 | checked | BTO, read 2026-10-05: 11–13 days (BTO typical)BTO's typical 11–13 sits within the video's limit of 14 |
| The pheasant was possibly brought to Britain by the Romans, though the Normans are usually credited with it in the 11th century; it comes originally from Asia and was popular for its tasty meat. | 48:22 | video only | |
| As a game bird, thousands are reared artificially, but there are also well-established wild populations.video: thousands reared artificially | 48:40 | ≠differs | BTO, read 2026-10-05: most UK pheasants are reared for shooting, and tens of millions are released each yearBTO's introduction to the species. |
| RSPB says pheasants were introduced to the UK long ago and are resident; BTO calls the species non-native. | source only | source only | RSPB, read 2026-10-05RSPB's pheasant page. |
| Typical broods in a year: 1 brood (BTO typical). | source only | source only | BTO, read 2026-10-05: 1 brood (BTO typical) |
Written in our own words after “British Birds in your Garden” by The Great British Channel, where the pheasant starts at 48:22.Numbers are checked against the BTO's page for the pheasant, read on 5 October 2026. We are not connected to the channel or to the BTO.
More birbs: 30 so far, and more to come
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