Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)Where and when to see it in the UK
Resident · reporting peaks April to May · Partridges, Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies · BOU category C1E*F
Peak months
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (grid squares, place names from OS Open Names). Northern Ireland place names: OSNI Open Data, OGL v3.0. County and country boundaries: Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence v3.0. Coastline: Natural Earth. Bird records from the data partners listed here.
Pheasant has been recorded in 2,566 of the 2,971 10 km squares covering UK land (86%) in records to 2026. Resident in the UK. Its strongest squares are in England, Scotland and Wales. Reporting peaks in April to May.
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, LC)
View on the IUCN Red List- Very high
- 42% or more of visits
- High
- 22% to 42%
- Moderate
- 10% to 22%
- Low
- under 10%
- Surveyed, not recorded
- at least 20 qualifying visits, no record
- Insufficient records
- too few visits to say
- Lighter fill
- Few visits, lower confidence
- Small dot
- Occasional: a single record, or out of season
Relative to this species' best squares (how classes are calculated)
Seasonality
| Month | Relative to peak | Share of visits | Typical class |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57% | 18% | Very high |
| February | 59% | 19% | Very high |
| March | 82% | 27% | Very high |
| April | 100% | 32% | Very high |
| May | 86% | 28% | Very high |
| June | 60% | 19% | High |
| July | 38% | 12% | Low |
| August | 33% | 11% | Low |
| September | 42% | 14% | Low |
| October | 59% | 19% | Very high |
| November | 63% | 20% | Very high |
| December | 57% | 18% | Very high |
Squares with the highest reporting rate in April
| Square | Where | Share of visits | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| C31 | Derry City and Strabane, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| C73 | Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| C90 | Mid Ulster, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| C94 | Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| D10 | Mid and East Antrim, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| D20 | Mid and East Antrim, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| D22 | Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| D23 | Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| HY42 | Orkney Islands, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| J04 | Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |