Class: Aves Order: Galliformes Family: Phasianidae Genus: Phasianus Species: colchicus |
Ring-necked Pheasant Phasianus colchicus
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| Main Menu: | Reproductive Characteristics Ring-necked pheasants reproduce during the spring months. As days begin to lengthen in the spring, a pituitary gland in the brain sends a single for the production of hormones (http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/othrdata/pheasant/pheasant.htm 2002). This stimulation of hormones begins a courtship period, which is the beginning of the reproductive cycle for pheasants (http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/othrdata/pheasant/pheasant.htm 2002). Starting in late March and peaking in late May the cock begins to claim his territory, which can range from a few acres to about half a section. He then begins to strut and crow all across his territory allowing no other male intruders. This aggressive behavior and sometimes fighting will most often occur only during the breeding season for males (Giudice and Ratti 2001).
Female pheasant form harems (groups) that are attracted to a male or his territory (Giudice and Ratti 2001). A cock normally has about 3-4 hens, and sometimes more (http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/othrdata/pheasant/pheasant.htm 2002). Once a hen is attracted to a cock’s territory, he puts on a shows of spreading his tail feathers, tilting his body towards the hen, ear tufts erect and neck low with his neck feathers flared outward. When this happens, his body language is showing that he is ready to reproduce (http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/othrdata/pheasant/pheasant.htm 2002). At the beginning of the reproductive season, hens show little or no interest, but as the season progresses their interest starts to peak and they choose the cock that they want to mate with. A cock normally has about three or four hens, and sometimes more (http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/othrdata/pheasant/pheasant.htm 2002). The cocks that are not successful finding their own mate or mates go around to other territories fighting with both other cocks and hens, or just trying to find their own mate (http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/othrdata/pheasant/pheasant.htm 2002). After mating, males are done besides some mate-guarding for about 1-2hrs/day, protecting their harems free from predation and injury (Giudice and Ratti 2001). The female chooses a nesting site to lay her eggs. The nesting period lasts from about April through July (Payne 1994). Sometimes early in the nesting season a female will dump some eggs carelessly, or may even find a dumping nest where she will abandon some eggs (http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/othrdata/pheasant/pheasant.htm 2002). The term "dump nest" refers to a spot where female pheasant lay some of their eggs, but never incubate them (Johnsgard 1999). This nest of abandoned eggs may have as many as 20 to 30 eggs in it (http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/othrdata/pheasant/pheasant.htm 2002). But as the spring season progresses she finds one nest to lay the majority of her eggs in. A hen may dump anywhere from one egg to about 20 eggs at a rate of one egg per day. It takes about 23 days for pheasant eggs to incubate properly (http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/othrdata/pheasant/pheasant.htm 2002). Incubation occurs when the last of a hens eggs are laid, to make hatching relatively synchronous (Johnsgard 1999). |
