Common Pheasant (Ring-necked Pheasant)

A long, sturdy flight feather from a large, ground-dwelling bird. The Common Pheasant is known for its brilliant iridescent plumage in males—featuring red face wattles and a white neck ring—and camouflaged brown plumage in females. They are famous for their loud 'kok-kok' call and sudden, noisy bursts of flight.

Uniformly dark earthy brown to fuscous on the outer web; the inner web features subtle grayish-brown mottling or faint barred patterns characteristic of gallinaceous birds. The rachis is a pale cream/buff color.

Densely pennaceous throughout most of the vane for aerodynamic stiffness; plumulaceous (downy) barbs present only at the very base of the calamus.

Relatively stiff and coarse compared to songbird feathers; the surface is matte with a slightly waxy or oily water-repellent finish common in ground-dwelling birds.

Extreme vane asymmetry, pale sturdy rachis, and the specific 'drab' brown coloration with subtle barring typical of the Phasianaie family flight feathers.

Found in agricultural fields, grasslands, hedgerows, and light woodland edges; prefers areas with dense herbaceous cover for nesting and hiding.

Native to Asia but widely introduced across Europe, North America, and parts of Oceania. Generally a non-migratory, year-round resident.

Serves as an important prey species for larger raptors and foxes. They act as seed dispersers and opportunistic insectivores, helping control certain pest populations.

Wild Turkey (significantly larger and more heavily barred), Ruffed Grouse (shorter and more rounded), or Female Mallard (bluer highlights and different curvature).

Pheasants are capable of short bursts of speed up to 48 mph when flying and can run at speeds of 10 mph. They were originally brought to North America from Asia in 1881.

Fair to Good. The feather shows significant 'zipper' separation between barbs (rhea) along the trailing edge, likely due to mechanical wear or the bird brushing against dense vegetation.