Ring-necked Pheasant; also known as the Common Pheasant

This feather belongs to the Ring-necked Pheasant, a large, chicken-like bird. The male is spectacularly colored with a metallic green head, red wattles, and a white neck ring, while the female is a camouflaged mottled brown. During flight, these birds produce a loud whirring sound with their wings.

Striking 'tiger' banding pattern consisting of alternating dark brown/blackish horizontal bars against a warm buffy-tan or golden-brown background. The rachis is creamy white or pale yellow. Patterns are consistent on the dorsal side; the ventral side is slightly paler.

The distal section is pennaceous with tightly interlocked barbs providing a flat surface for flight. The proximal base transitions into plumulaceous (downy) barbs for insulation. Hooks and barbules are intact in the upper two-thirds.

Smooth and somewhat stiff in the pennaceous region; the surface has a slight waxy sheen characteristic of ground-dwelling birds. The base has a soft, downy texture.

Bold horizontal 'tiger-stripe' banding, warm golden-buff base color, rounded tip, and a prominent creamy-white rachis.

Agricultural fields, grasslands, overgrown hedge rows, and brushy cover near water sources. They prefer 'edge' habitats between open feeding areas and dense cover.

Native to Asia; widely introduced across North America (temperate regions), Europe, and Australasia. In North America, they are most abundant in the Great Plains.

They serve as a prey species for many raptors and mammals. As ground-feeders, they consume insects, seeds, and waste grain. Population levels are often used as an indicator of grassland habitat health.

Ruffed Grouse feathers are shorter and usually show a 'subterminal band' rather than consistent tiger striping. Wild Turkey feathers are much larger and usually darker (more iridescent black/bronze).

Despite their large size, pheasants can fly at speeds up to 48 mph when flushed. They are famous for their loud 'kok-kak' crow and their ability to hide in very short cover.

Good condition. There is minor separation of the barbs (splits) near the mid-section and some fraying at the downy base, suggesting it was likely a naturally molted feather.