What is "common pheasant"

Pheasant \Pheas"ant\, n. [OE. fesant, fesaunt, OF. faisant, faisan, F. faisan, L. phasianus, Gr. ? (sc. ?) the Phasian bird, pheasant, fr. ? a river in Colchis or Pontus.]

1. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of large gallinaceous birds of the genus Phasianus, and many other genera of the family Phasianid[ae], found chiefly in Asia.

   Note: The

   common pheasant, or English pheasant ( Phasianus Colchicus) is now found over most of temperate Europe, but was introduced from Asia. The

   ring-necked pheasant ( Phasianus torquatus) and the

   green pheasant ( Phasianus versicolor) have been introduced into Oregon. The

   golden pheasant ( Thaumalea picta) is one of the most beautiful species. The

   silver pheasant ( Euplocamus nychthemerus) of China, and several related species from Southern Asia, are very beautiful.

2. (Zo["o]l.) The ruffed grouse. [Southern U.S.] Note: Various other birds are locally called pheasants, as the lyre bird, the leipoa, etc. Fireback pheasant. See Fireback. Gold pheasant, or Golden pheasant (Zo["o]l.), a Chinese pheasant ( Thaumalea picta), having rich, varied colors. The crest is amber-colored, the rump is golden yellow, and the under parts are scarlet. Mountain pheasant (Zo["o]l.), the ruffed grouse. [Local, U.S.] Pheasant coucal (Zo["o]l.), a large Australian cuckoo ( Centropus phasianus). The general color is black, with chestnut wings and brown tail. Called also pheasant cuckoo. The name is also applied to other allied species. Pheasant duck. (Zo["o]l.)

   1. The pintail.

   2. The hooded merganser. Pheasant parrot (Zo["o]l.), a large and beautiful Australian parrakeet ( Platycercus Adelaidensis). The male has the back black, the feathers margined with yellowish blue and scarlet, the quills deep blue, the wing coverts and cheeks light blue, the crown, sides of the neck, breast, and middle of the belly scarlet. Pheasant's eye. (Bot.)

      1. A red-flowered herb ( Adonis autumnalis) of the Crowfoot family; -- called also pheasant's-eye Adonis.

      2. The garden pink ( Dianthus plumarius); -- called also Pheasant's-eye pink. Pheasant shell (Zo["o]l.), any marine univalve shell of the genus Phasianella, of which numerous species are found in tropical seas. The shell is smooth and usually richly colored, the colors often forming blotches like those of a pheasant. Pheasant wood. (Bot.) Same as Partridge wood

         1. , under Partridge.

            Sea pheasant (Zo["o]l.), the pintail.

            Water pheasant. (Zo["o]l.) (a) The sheldrake.

         2. The hooded merganser.

The common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus; ) is a bird in the pheasant family ( Phasianidae). The genus name comes from Latin phasianinus "pheasant-like" (from phasianus, "pheasant"). The species name colchicus is Latin for "of Colchis" a country on the Black Sea where pheasants became known to Europeans.

It is native to Asia and has been widely introduced elsewhere as a game bird. In parts of its range, namely in places where none of its relatives occur such as in Europe (where it is naturalized), it is simply known as the "pheasant". Ring-necked pheasant is both the name used for the species as a whole in North America and also the collective name for a number of subspecies and their intergrades which have white neck rings.

The word pheasant is derived from the ancient town of Phasis, the predecessor of the modern port city of Poti in Western Georgia.

It is a well-known gamebird, among those of more than regional importance perhaps the most widespread and ancient one in the whole world. The common pheasant is one of the world's most hunted birds; it has been introduced for that purpose to many regions, and is also common on game farms where it is commercially bred. Ring-necked pheasants in particular are commonly bred and were introduced to many parts of the world; the game farm stock, though no distinct breeds have been developed yet, can be considered semi- domesticated. The ring-necked pheasant is the state bird of South Dakota, one of only three U.S. state birds that is not a species native to the United States.

The green pheasant (P. versicolor) of Japan is sometimes considered a subspecies of the common pheasant. Though the species produce fertile hybrids wherever they coexist, this is simply a typical feature among fowl (Galloanseres), in which postzygotic isolating mechanisms are slight compared to most other birds. The species apparently have somewhat different ecological requirements and at least in its typical habitat, the green pheasant outcompetes the common pheasant. The introduction of the latter to Japan has therefore largely failed.