Pheasant - 1994

Breeding resident

The Pheasant was introduced from Ireland, probably by Sir John Perott, during the sixteenth century, in about 1586 according to George Owen. Mathew (1894) said it "thrives remarkably well in Pembrokeshire" while it was a common resident to Lockley et al. (1949).

Shooting interests release considerable numbers each year, some of which survive and have built into a sparse but widespread free breeding population. Ignoring those in rearing pens, and estimating an average breeding density of five to six nests per tetrad, the population in Pembrokeshire probably produces 1,200-1,500 nests each year. Pheasants also nest on the islands of Caldey and Skomer, having been introduced; however, these populations may have been augmented by birds flying from the mainland, for they also occur on Ramsey where there is no record of any introduction.

Fieldwork 1984-88 (based on 478 tetrads)

Red = breeding confirmed = 63

Orange = breeding probable = 103

Yellow = breeding possible = 88

Total tetrads in which registered = 254 (53.1%)

Donovan J.W. & Rees G.H (1994), Birds of Pembrokeshire