Pheasant surprise for Moray snapper

This pheasant – pictured strutting his stuff in a field near Roseisle – is a member of species with a long history in Moray.

Here are ten things you may not know about the bird:

• 1. The bird, which is common around the world due to its ability to live in many climates, was naturalised in Britain around the time of William Conqueror. However they may have been introduced several centuries earlier by the Romans.

• 2. Common pheasants are gregarious and, outside the breeding season, form loose flocks.

• 3. They prefer to run but are competent fliers over a short distance, reaching speeds of 50mph when chased.
• 4. The birds nest in 'scrapes' on the ground. Usually lined with grass and leaves, these are frequently sited under dense cover or hedges.
• 5. Larger males are often accompanied by several hens who generally produce a clutch of about a dozen eggs. The incubation period is between three and four weeks.
• 6. After hatching the chicks leave the nest while still just hours old, however they remain with their mums for several weeks.
• 7. They are able to fly within a fortnight and fully resemble adults after only 15 weeks.
• 8. Their diet is varied and can include fruit, seeds, grain, berries, leaves as well as a wide range of insects and even small mammals, such as bird chicks.
• 9. The pheasant shooting season runs from the start of October to the first day of February.
• 10. As a part of contest with a friend, King George V shot more than 1000 pheasants over six days in December 1913, but still lost.

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