Ring-necked Pheasant; also known as Common Pheasant

This feather belongs to a male Ring-necked Pheasant, a large, long-tailed bird known for its iridescent green head, red face wattles, and white neck ring. The body plumage is a mosaic of copper, gold, and brown tones designed to provide camouflage while still displaying vibrant colors during courtship.

Complex mottled pattern featuring a warm rufous/coppery outer edge, a central dark brown rachis, and intricate tan-to-buff horizontal vermiculations or barring across the inner vanes

Pennaceous and tightly interlocked in the upper two-thirds; plumulaceous (downy) and loose at the base for insulation

Smooth and somewhat stiff at the top with a slight sheen; the base is very soft and downy to the touch

Distinguished by the warm rufous edge combined with the finely detailed, wavy tan and dark brown transverse barring in the center

Agricultural fields, grasslands, hedgerows, and brushy areas; requires dense cover for nesting and open areas for foraging

Native to Asia but widely introduced across North America, Europe, and parts of Oceania; non-migratory resident

An important prey species for large raptors and mammalian predators; they also act as seed dispersers and insectivores within their habitat

Ruffed Grouse (less rufous, more grayish-brown patterns) and Wild Turkey (larger, different barring structure, usually more iridescent)

The Ring-necked Pheasant is the state bird of South Dakota. Despite their heavy bodies and preference for running, they can explode into flight at speeds of up to 40 miles per hour when startled.

Good condition; minor fraying at the tip and some separation of the barbs on the right side suggest it was a naturally molted feather exposed to some wind or handling