Chris Lester wrote:
"A non-birding friend has recently drawn my attention to a (low density)
population of pheasants in northern NSW and south/central Qld. Apparently,
they have been there for many years (at least 30 years). From the
fieldguides, we have tentatively identified them as Ring-necked Pheasants."
The 'Common Pheasant' Phasianus colchius has long been established in
Britain and it is presumed that the original subspecies inroduced was the
nominate race from the Caucases (possibly by the Romans). However from the
19th century onwards various ring-necked subspecies (principalis, torquatus
&c) from various parts of Asia were introduced and the British wild
population is now very motley and mixed, with most males, in my experience
being in plumage most like a Phasianus, but with a white collar on maybe 60%
of them. (I'm looking at the info in Heinzel, Fitter and Parslow, Birds of
Britain and Europe).
If these birds in Qld/NSW are more consistently ring-necked than this it
might indicate the introduction of a ring-necked ssp direct from Asia this
century, rather than introduced British birds. So it would be interesting,
Chris and others, if you have the time and inclination, to get a description
of the males, and how consistent the population is in this plumage.
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John Leonard (Dr),
PO Box 243,
Woden, ACT 2606
"The incredible amount of money it takes to be poor"
Cesar Vallejo
http://www.spirit.net.au/~jleonard
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