Monday, February 15, 2010

Female Pheasant Seeking Male Companionship

Sometime around Thanksgiving we started noticing a large bird hanging around our birdfeeders. About the size of a small chicken, the bird would show up nearly every morning. We checked out our bird guides and realized what we had was a female ring-necked pheasant. She was an absolutely beautiful bird with iridescent bronze colored feathers. As the days passed she has become more and more friendly finally getting to the point where she would “come” when called. She never walks anywhere but rather races from point to point or explodes in flight. We named her Phoebe for no reason other than the name seemed to go with “pheasant”.


We can’t imagine where she came from though I heard a rumor that a pair of pheasants was seen last fall on Verdemont Road. If that was Phoebe she must have become separated from her mate or he died. As the crow flies, Verdemont is only a couple of miles from our place.

It can be several days after a snow before she shows up. I suspect she has trouble with the deep snow until it is firm enough for her to walk on top of. We’ve never really figured out where she is when she’s not here but I’ll bet she lives in the heavy brush along the creek. It is nearly perfect pheasant habitat.

As the days get longer and we get closer to spring I wonder if she will stay here or start looking for a new mate. I’m not sure how to find a male pheasant for her. Maybe I could put a listing on Craig’s List – female pheasant seeking male companionship. That should bring the crazies out of the woodwork.

From Fleur Creek Farm

5 comments:

  1. Have you seen these folks? (Though they might like your pheasant for lunch.)
    http://www.coloradopf.com
    They're working with the state dept. of wildlife to improve habitat. Maybe they could set her up with a date or two, as well.

    --mlm

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  3. Enjoy your blog very much. Am moving to Beckwith Ranch in 2011. Gardening now in Maryland and realize it will be very different there. Looking forward to talking to you about how to enjoy my interest out there. Keep up the interesting notes about your farm there. Hope to talk to you next year when our house is built.

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  4. Greetings from Saskatchewan. A friend of mine is moving to your neighbourhood and sent me the radio station website url, which led me to your blog. I will be reading regularly so hope you'll find the time and inclination to keep writing.

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  5. Your story sounds just like ours. We had the same pheasant come to our home in Kalama, Wa. just this spring. We watch her every day and feed her and she comes when we call. But I see that she needs a mate too. I have not seen one and it is spring of 2011. We are keeping watch on her hoping to see little chicks following her some day this spring. Right now she hangs out with 14 doves. They love her too. They share the feed, but she does not like the Bluejays.

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