Ring-necked Pheasant
Ring-necked PheasantRing-necked PheasantRing-necked PheasantRing-necked Pheasant

Ring-necked Pheasant

Phasianus colchicus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered Endemic
30–40% · Possible
overall probability at Cairngorms National Park
834 Verified records at Cairngorms National Park
April Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), ring-necked pheasant, or blue-headed pheasant, is a bird in the pheasant family (Phasianidae). The genus name comes from Latin phasianus 'pheasant'. The species name colchicus is Latin for 'of Colchis' (modern day Georgia), a country on the Black Sea where pheasants became known to Europeans. Although Phasianus was previously thought to be closely related to the genus Gallus, the genus of junglefowl and domesticated chickens, recent studies show that they are in different subfamilies, having diverged over 20 million years ago. It is native to Asia, where it is widespread, and also to the extreme southeast of Europe in the northern foothills of the Caucasus Mountains. It has been widely introduced elsewhere as a game bird. Wikipedia →

30–40% of wildlife watchers report a Ring-necked Pheasant sighting in Cairngorms National Park, based on 834 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Cairngorms National Park

Eurasian Black Grouse
LC Endemic

Eurasian Black Grouse

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Lyrurus tetrix

20–30% · Possible
Willow Grouse
LC Endemic

Willow Grouse

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Lagopus lagopus

10–20% · With luck
Western Capercaillie
LC

Western Capercaillie

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tetrao urogallus

5–10% · With luck
Red-legged Partridge
NT

Red-legged Partridge

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Alectoris rufa

5–10% · With luck
Rock Ptarmigan
LC Endemic

Rock Ptarmigan

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Lagopus muta

<5% · Rare
Common Peafowl
LC

Common Peafowl

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pavo cristatus

Insufficient data
Gray Partridge
LC

Gray Partridge

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Perdix perdix

<5% · Rare
Common Quail
LC

Common Quail

☀️🌙 Day & Night Bird

Coturnix coturnix

Insufficient data
Golden Pheasant
LC Endemic

Golden Pheasant

Bird

Chrysolophus pictus

Insufficient data

📅 Monthly Probability

30–40
Jan
40–50
Feb
30–40
Mar
50–60
Apr
30–40
May
20–30
Jun
20–30
Jul
10–20
Aug
20–30
Sep
30–40
Oct
30–40
Nov
30–40
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
60–70%
2 Hortobágy National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
50–60%
3 Kiskunság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
50–60%
4 Cairngorms National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
30–40%
5 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
20–30%
6 Jiuzhaigou National Park 🇨🇳 China
20–30%
7 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
10–20%
8 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
10–20%
9 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
10 Biebrza National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
5–10%
11 Taroko National Park 🇹🇼 Taiwan
<5%
12 Badlands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
13 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
14 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%
15 Monfragüe National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
16 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
17 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
18 Aoraki Mount Cook National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
Insufficient data
19 Aigüestortes National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
Insufficient data
20 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
21 Tongariro National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
Insufficient data
22 Abel Tasman National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
Insufficient data
23 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
Insufficient data
24 Mercantour National Park 🇫🇷 France
Insufficient data
25 Białowieża National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
Insufficient data
26 Sierra de Guadarrama National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
Insufficient data
27 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
28 Fiordland National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
Insufficient data
29 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
30 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
31 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
32 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
33 Doñana National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
Insufficient data
34 Sierra Nevada National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
Insufficient data
35 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
36 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
37 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Ring-necked Pheasant in Cairngorms National Park?

About 33% of wildlife watchers report a Ring-necked Pheasant sighting in Cairngorms National Park, based on 834 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Ring-necked Pheasant in Cairngorms National Park?

April has the highest sighting rate for Ring-necked Pheasant in Cairngorms National Park in our monthly data.

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