Phil the Pheasant

Phil the pheasant has been a visitor to our school since November 2017. He seems to enjoy looking and pecking at his reflection in the windows on the school roof and has been spotted while the children are working in class and also when eating in the hall, even pecking on the windows during morning assemblies.

He has also been seen on the field and playgrounds and is quite happy to be strutting around while the children are at play.

Fun Facts about Pheasants

• Phil is a male pheasant.
• Male pheasants have a green head and colourful feathers, female pheasants have brown feathers all over.
• Male pheasants are known as “cocks” and females are called “hens”.
• The average length of the cock pheasant is about 91cm. The average hen length is 51cm.
• The main predators to pheasants are foxes, cats and dogs
• Pheasants like to eat a mixture of berries, seeds, young shoots and insects.
• The average clutch size of a pheasant is 12 eggs.
• Pheasants do not migrate, and stay locally the whole year round.
• Pheasants can fly for short distances at a speed of up to 48 mph. Most of the time, they hide in grasslands and stay on the ground.
• Pheasants build their nests on the ground.
• Pheasants are often a symbol of good luck. Legend has it that a Burmese hunter once found an emerald in a pheasant. When he went back to the pheasant’s home, he found an emerald mine.