Long held as a symbol of our traditional countryside, pheasants are in fact found the world over, with many displaying dazzling colours and markings and others under threat in the wild
Words Lucy King
Despite being a common sight across fields, hedgerows and woodlands throughout the UK, pheasants are among the most endangered group of birds in the world. Introduced by the Romans, they are now widespread in the UK, but many species found overseas are endangered, with some even on the brink of extinction.
One of the largest public collections of rare-breed pheasants in the world is found in the UK at Sudeley Castle in the Cotswolds, surrounded by thousands of acres of beautiful countryside. The castle pheasantry is home to 16 species, many of which have been successfully bred by resident gamekeeper and bird curator John Sherlock.
One species in particular, the Edwards’ pheasant, has bred particularly well there, providing a real boost for the captive population of a creature that tops the pecking order when it comes to endangered birds.
Here we look at some of the bold, beautiful and rare pheasant species that can be seen at the Gloucestershire attraction and the threats facing some of their wild counterparts around the globe.
Lady Amherst’s pheasant
Once fairly widespread in the UK, this bird has almost been wiped out
The first Amherst’s pheasants to arrive in Europe were two males, sent to London in 1828 by Lord Amherst, the governor general of India. The species was then named after his wife. These striking, grand-looking birds did not fare well and subsequently the species was cross-bred with golden pheasants. From that time onwards most of the Amherst’s pheasants in the UK have been found to be hybrids.
Although the species is native to China, in the 1890s a flock was released into the UK countryside near the Woburn Estate in Bedfordshire. They were certainly an eye-catching addition to the native wildlife, but they suffered predation from foxes and habitat loss over the years, meaning there are very few, or possibly none, left in the wild in the UK today.
The World Pheasant Association is now working to try and reproduce the very few pure birds that look like the original wild birds.
Edwards’ pheasant
Meet one of the planet’s rarest flyers
Edwards’ phEasant
Lophura edwardsi
Class Aves
territory The lowland forests of central Vietnam
diet Grain, leaves and invertebrates
Lifespan 6–10 years
adult weight 1–1.1kg (2.2–2.4Ib)
Conservation status
CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
These shimmering black-and-blue pheasants are so rare that they have not been seen in the wild for almost 20 years. In 2012, Edwards’ pheasants were listed among the ten most endangered species in the world by the IUCN. It is now feared that they are extinct in their native Vietnam and exist only in the safety of captivity.
The species is still listed as Critically
