Male Pheasant

[Neil Rigby]

From Jane Parrish Can anyone tell me if a male pheasant with a creamy white back and wings is particularly unusual or do young male pheasants have paler feathers?

[astafjevs]

I don't know, but I saw adult male pheasants last week that were so dark they were almost black. Probably not unsual, but I hadn't seen them before.

[Merlin]

Originally Posted by astafjevs

I don't know, but I saw adult male pheasants last week that were so dark they were almost black. Probably not unsual, but I hadn't seen them before.

They have bred Pheasant to have Blue plumage (must excite the hunters or something). the bird Neil is talking about is possibly a juvenile or moulting bird or one showing Leucistic tendencies.

Moulting Pheasant.

[rodbry]

They cerainly have bred blue pheasants. Snapped this one on saturday near Cambridge. I believe they are a mutation (melanistic variety of the common pheasant)