What are the living habits of wild pheasants? A complete guide in one article
Wild pheasants like to live in forest edge areas, in thickets or in areas overgrown with weeds, and also enter open woodlands, but rarely enter dense forests. In winter they move to plain fields, foraging for various grains and seeds. They are active during the day, mostly walking and foraging on the ground, and seldom go up trees. At night they like to spend the night in trees, avoiding attacks from enemies. Their food consists mainly of various plant seeds, berries, grains and various insects; they swallow small gravel to help grind food in the gizzard. They breed in spring, building nests on the ground; the nest is very simple, merely a chosen hollow lined with dry grass, mixed leaves and the like, in which eggs are laid, with 6-8 eggs per clutch. After the chicks hatch, they can already move about and feed independently.
1. Wide adaptability, cold-resistant, tolerant of rough living conditions. From plains to mountainous areas, from rivers to gorges, they inhabit various ecological environments on land at altitudes of 300-3000 m. In summer they can withstand high temperatures above 32°C, and in winter at minus 35°C they can still move about and forage in ice and snow, drinking icy water, and are not afraid of rain.
2. Strong flocking behavior. In the breeding season, male pheasants are the core, forming relatively stable breeding groups that move about in a place of their own; other male pheasant groups cannot intrude, otherwise fierce fighting breaks out. In the natural state, the female pheasant incubates the eggs, and after the chicks are born, the female pheasant leads the newborn chicks in their activities. After the chicks grow up, they form groups again, foraging everywhere and forming foraging flocks. The flock can be large or small; therefore, artificially farmed pheasants can adapt to large-group rearing environments, but when the density is too high, feeding is hindered and pecking at each other often occurs.
3. Timid and alert. During ordinary foraging, pheasants often raise their heads and alertly look around; if there is any movement, they quickly flee. Especially under artificial cage-rearing conditions, when suddenly frightened by people or animals or stimulated by intense noisy sounds, the pheasant flock will fly up in panic and crash about, causing injuries, bloody heads or even death. Cage-reared male pheasants in the breeding season may actively attack people. Wild adult male and female pheasants often pretend to limp or flap their wings to lure enemies away, in order to protect the young chicks. Therefore, farms require a quiet environment, and rough movements and sudden sharp noises should be prevented, so as to keep the pheasant flock from being startled.
4. Small food intake, omnivorous diet. The pheasant's stomach is relatively small and holds little food; it likes to eat a little and then walk away, and come back after a round to eat again. Pheasants are omnivorous birds and like various insects, small amphibians, grains, beans, grass seeds, green leaves and tender twigs, etc. Artificially farmed pheasants are mainly fed plant-based feed, supplemented with animal-based feed such as fish meal. According to observation, domestic pheasants eat more in the morning than in the afternoon; at dawn and from 5-6 pm, these are the two daily feeding peaks; they do not eat at night and like a quiet environment.
5. Lively temperament, good at running, not good at flying. Pheasants like to roam about foraging, run fast, and have poor high-flying ability; they can only fly low for short distances and cannot sustain it.
6. Special calls. When pheasants contact and call to each other, they often make pleasant calls. It sounds like “ke—duo—luo” or “ge-yi-ke-yi-ge”. When suddenly startled, they burst out with one or a series of sharp “ge ge” sounds. In the breeding season, male pheasants at dawn make a joyful, crisp “ke—duo—duo” call; during the hot daytime, male and female pheasants do not call or rarely call