Ring-necked Pheasant (Common Pheasant)

An exceptionally long, tapering tail feather with characteristic dark transverse barring on a pale golden-brown background, belonging to the male Ring-necked Pheasant, a large, ground-dwelling game bird known for its brilliant plumage and explosive flush

Buff to warm golden-brown background crossed by distinctive, evenly spaced dark brown or black transverse bars (chevron pattern), featuring a striking coppery-pinkish iridescence along the edges

Pennaceous near the rachis with relatively loose, soft barbs along the lower lengths, lacking a prominent afterfeather

Sturdy, rigid, pale-to-dark brownish central rachis tapering smoothly toward the tip, with barbs set at a wide angle creating a broad vane that narrows dramatically

Stiff yet flexible rachis with smooth, somewhat matte vanes that are soft toward the base

Central tail rectrix, highly diagnostic central deck feather

Extraordinary length, pale golden-brown ground color, and prominent dark transverse barring coupled with coppery-pink reflections

Agricultural fields, brushy hedgerows, open woodlands, wetlands, and grassy prairies

Native to Asia, but widely introduced and established across North America and Europe

Serves as an important prey species for various mammalian and avian predators, and helps control insect populations and weed seeds

Reeves's Pheasant or Lady Amherst's Pheasant, but distinguished by the specific warm buff coloration and simple dark transverse bars

The male pheasant's tail can make up more than half of its total length, acting as an aerodynamic rudder during sudden vertical takeoffs

Extremely popular in fly-tying for trout and salmon flies, historically used in millinery and traditional decorative arts

Often found lying in brushy fields, near roosting sites, or along agricultural borders where males display or fall prey to predators

Good condition with minor wear at the extreme distal tip, intact rachis, and no major structural damage