Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Pheasant |
PheasantNoun1. Large long-tailed gallinaceous bird native to the Old World but introduced elsewhere. 2. (game bird) flesh of a pheasant; usually braised. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "pheasant" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1010. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Dream Interpretation | Dreaming of pheasants, omens good fellowship among your friends. To eat one, signifies that the jealousy of your wife will cause you to forego friendly intercourse with your friends. To shoot them, denotes that you will fail to sacrifice one selfish pleasure for the comfort of friends. Source: Ten Thousand Dreams Interpreted .... |
Literature | Pheasant So called from Phasis, a stream of the Black Sea. "There was formerly at the fort of Poti a preserve of pheasants, which birds derive their European name from the river Phasis (the present Rion)."- Lieut-General Monteith. Source: Brewer's Dictionary. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
The Common Pheasant, Phasianus colchicus, is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds.
Common Pheasant
Male Ringnecked Pheasant, race torquatusScientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Galliformes Family: Phasianidae Genus: Phasianus Species Common Pheasant, Phasianus colchicus
Green Pheasant, Phasianus versicolorThe adult pheasant is 50-90 cm in length with a long tail, often accounting for half the total length. The male (or cock) has barred bright brown plumage and green, purple and white markings, often including a white ring around the neck, and the head is green with distinctive red patches. This bird is also called the Common or English Pheasant, or just Pheasant.
The nominate race P. c. colchicus lacks a white neck ring. This is however shown by the race Ring-necked Pheasant, P. c. torquatus.
The female (hen) is much less showy, with a duller mottled brown plumage all over, similar to that of the partridge. The birds are found on wooded land and scrub. They feed on the ground on grain, leaves and invertebrates, but roost in trees at night. They nest on the ground, producing a clutch of around ten eggs in April to June. While they are able short-distance fliers, they prefer to run: but if startled they can suddenly burst upwards at great speed, with a distinctive wing sound.
They are native to Asia but have been widely introduced elsewhere, where they are bred to be hunted and are shot in great numbers. The doggerel "up flies a guinea, bang goes sixpence and down comes half-a-crown" reflects that they are often shot for sport rather than as food. If eaten the meat is somewhat tough and dry, so the carcasses were often hung for a time to improve the meat by slight decomposition, as with most other game. Modern cookery generally uses moist roasting or farm-raised female birds.
Pheasant farming is a common practice. Birds are supplied both to hunting preserves and restaurants, with smaller numbers being available for home cooks. Pheasant farms have some 10 million birds in the U.S. alone.
The bird was brought to Britain around the 10th century but became extinct in the early 17th century; it was reintroduced in the 1830s and is now widespread. Repeated reintroduction has made the pheasant a very variable species in regard to size and plumage. Pheasants have probably been present in North America from the 18th century but became common in the wild in the late 1800s. They are most common in the Great Plains.
The term pheasant can also be used for other gallinaceous birds such as the quail or partridge, and in North America it is occasionally used to refer to the ruffed grouse.
Male colchicus Pheasant: note peanut baitThe Green Pheasant of Japan is very similar to Common Pheasant, but the males have greenish plumage.
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Common Pheasant."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
Phasianidae
Indian Peacock.Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Galliformes Family: Phasianidae The Phasianidae is a family of birds which consists of the pheasants and their allies.
These are terrestrial species, variable in size but generally plump, with broad relatively short wings. Many have a spur on their legs.
Males of the larger species are often brightly coloured. The typical diet is seeds with some insects and berries.
This large family has several groups, some of which correspond to a genus, others being loose collections of not particularly closely related genera.
The groups are listed below, together with other members of the gamebird family, with the genus where appropriate:
- ORDER GALLIFORMES
- Family Megapodidae: mound-builders
- Family Cracidae: chachalacas, guans and curassows
- Family Tetraonidae: grouse
- Family Odontophoridae: New World quail
- Family Numididae: guineafowl
- Family Meleagrididae: turkeys
- Family Mesitornithidae: mesites
- Family Phasianidae
- Quails:
- Coturnix
- Anurophasis
- Perdicula
- Ophrysia
- Partridges:
- Perdix (more)
- Pheasants:
- Ithaginis
- Catreus
- Rheinartia
- Crossoptilon
- Lophura
- Argusianus
- Pucrasia
- Syrmaticus
- Chrysolophus
- Phasianus
- Snowcocks:
- Tetraogallus
- Francolins:
- Francolinus
- Spurfowl:
- Galloperdix
- Tragopans:
- Tragopan
- Monals:
- Lophophorus
- Peafowl:
- Pavo
- Arguseses:
- Rheinardia
- Argusianus
- Junglefowl:
- Gallus
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Phasianidae."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
INDEX
1. Definition
2. Crosswords
3. Usage: Modern
4. Usage: Commercial5. Images: Slideshow
6. Images: Photo Album
7. Quotations: Spoken
8. Usage Frequency9. Names: Frequency
10. Expressions
11. Expressions: Internet
12. Translations: Modern13. Translations: Ancient
14. Derivations
15. Rhymes
16. Anagrams17. Bibliography Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
