Ringneck Pheasant

New Zealand's regular pheasant

Know as the common pheasant, the ringneck pheasant is the striking bird we see out in the paddocks or on the roadside. It is a well-known gamebird and one of the world's most hunted birds. It is also common on game farms where it is commercially bred to be mass released and shot. The males body plumage is barred bright gold and brown with green, purple and white markings. The head is bottle green with a small crest and distinctive red wattles and white neck band. The female is much less impressive with a duller mottled brown plumage all over. Juvenile birds have the appearance of the female with a shorter tail until young males begin to grow characteristic bright feathers on the breast, head and back at about 10 weeks after hatching. The breeding season runs from end September through to just after Christmas. The hens lay small greenish brown coloured eggs and each hen can lay between 50 to 60 eggs a season if she is in good breeding order. Last season we released all our ringneck breeding stock due to time constraints and now just enjoy watching them free range around our place.

We no longer keep the Ringneck pheasants.