Ring-necked Pheasant
Phasianus colchicus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderGalliformes (Landfowl)
- FamilyPhasianidae (Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies)
- GenusPhasianus (Typical Pheasants)
- SpeciesPhasianus colchicus (Ring-necked Pheasant)
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 →
<5% of wildlife watchers report a Ring-necked Pheasant sighting in Olympic National Park, based on 33 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Olympic National Park
Sooty Grouse
Dendragapus fuliginosus
Ruffed Grouse
Bonasa umbellus
Wild Turkey
Meleagris gallopavo
Common Peafowl
Pavo cristatus
Chukar
Alectoris chukar
California Quail
Callipepla californica
Northern Bobwhite
Colinus virginianus
Helmeted Guineafowl
Numida meleagris
Mountain Quail
Oreortyx pictus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
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
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Ring-necked Pheasant in Olympic National Park?
About 0% of wildlife watchers report a Ring-necked Pheasant sighting in Olympic National Park, based on 33 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Ring-necked Pheasant in Olympic National Park?
April has the highest sighting rate for Ring-necked Pheasant in Olympic National Park in our monthly data.