Editing Common pheasant (section)

==Description==
{{Listen|filename=Phasianus colchicus.ogg|title=''Phasianus colchicus'' call|pos=left|format=[[Ogg]]}}
[[File:Phasianus colchicus 4 hen (Lukasz Lukasik).jpg|thumb|left|Flavistic hen]]
[[File:Phasianus colchicus MHNT.jpg|thumb|left|''Phasianus colchicus'' egg at [[MHNT]]]]
[[File:Phasianus colchicus MHNT Skeleton.jpg|thumb|left|Skeleton [[MHNT]]]]

There are many colour forms of the male common pheasant, ranging in colour from nearly white to almost black in some melanistic examples. These are due to captive breeding and [[hybrid (biology)|hybrid]]isation between [[subspecies]] and with the green pheasant, reinforced by continual releases of stock from varying sources to the wild. For example, the "ring-necked pheasants" common in Europe, North America and Australia do not pertain to any specific [[taxon]], they rather represent a stereotyped hybrid swarm.<ref name=Sibley2000/> Body weight can range from {{Convert|0.5|to|3|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}, with males averaging {{Convert|1.2|kg|lboz|abbr=on}} and females averaging {{Convert|0.9|kg|lboz|abbr=on}}.<ref name=AAB /> Wingspan ranges from {{convert|56-86|cm|in|frac=2|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ring-necked Pheasant Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology|url=https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ring-necked_Pheasant/id|access-date=2020-09-26|website=www.allaboutbirds.org|language=en}}</ref>

The adult male common pheasant of the [[nominate subspecies]] ''Phasianus colchicus colchicus'' is {{Convert|60|–|89|cm|in|frac=2|abbr=on}} in length with a long brown streaked black tail, accounting for almost {{Convert|50|cm|in|abbr=on}} of the total length. The body plumage is barred bright gold or fiery copper-red and chestnut-brown [[Feather|plumage]] with iridescent sheen of green and purple; but rump uniform is sometimes blue.  The wing coverage is white or cream and black-barred markings are common on the tail.<ref name="Scott, p.85">Scott, p. 85</ref>  The head is bottle green with a small [[Crest (feathers)|crest]] and distinctive red [[Wattle (anatomy)|wattle]]. ''P.&nbsp;c.&nbsp;colchicus'' and some other races lack a white neck ring.<ref name="British Book of Birds, p.69">''British Book of Birds'' p. 69</ref> Behind the face are two ear-tufts, that make the pheasant appear more alert.<ref>''The Observer's Book of Birds'', p. 214</ref>

The female (hen) and juveniles are [[sexual dimorphism in birds|much less showy]], with a duller mottled brown plumage all over and measuring {{Convert|50|-|63|cm|in|frac=2|abbr=on}} long including a tail of around {{Convert|20|cm|in|0|abbr=on}}. Juvenile birds have the appearance of the female with a shorter tail until young males begin to grow characteristic bright feathers on the breast, head and back at about 10 weeks after hatching.<ref name="Scott, p.85"/>

The [[green pheasant]] (''P.&nbsp;versicolor'') is very similar, and hybridisation often makes the identity of individual farmed birds difficult to determine. Green pheasant males on average have a shorter tail than the common pheasant and have darker plumage that is uniformly bottle-green on the breast and belly; they always lack a neck ring. Green pheasant females are darker, with many black dots on the breast and belly.

In addition, various colour [[mutation]]s are commonly encountered, mainly [[melanism|melanistic]] (black) and flavistic ([[isabelline (colour)|isabelline]] or [[fawn (colour)|fawn]]) specimens. The former are rather commonly released in some areas and are named "tenebrosus pheasant"{{cn|date=December 2024}} or simply "melanistic mutant".<ref name="v694">{{cite book | last1=Heinzel | first1=Hermann | last2=Fitter | first2=Richard | last3=Parslow | first3=John | title=Birds of Britain & Europe | publisher=Harpercollins Pub Limited | publication-place=London | date=1995 | isbn=0-00-219894-0 | page=}}</ref>