Pheasants are ground-dwelling omnivores that exhibit a broad and adaptable diet. Their foraging habits are influenced by the resources available in their specific habitats. This adaptability allows them to thrive in various environments by utilizing diverse food sources throughout the year.
Primary Foraged Foods
In the wild, pheasants consume a wide array of food items. A significant portion of their diet consists of plant matter, including various seeds such as corn, wheat, oats, and weed seeds like ragweed. They also consume berries, shoots, leaves, roots, and tubers, often relying on agricultural spill and wild plants. About 90% of a pheasant’s diet can be made up of plants and grains.
Invertebrates form another substantial part of their diet, particularly during warmer months. Pheasants actively seek out insects like grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, grubs, and caterpillars. They also consume worms, slugs, and snails. While less common, pheasants are opportunistic feeders and may occasionally consume small vertebrates such as lizards, small birds, or rodents like mice, rats, and voles if available.
Seasonal Adaptations in Diet
During spring and summer, their diet includes a higher intake of protein-rich insects and fresh green vegetation, which is important for breeding and growth. Young shoots and berries also become available and are readily consumed. Insects are particularly numerous in summer, providing a crucial protein source.
As autumn arrives, pheasants increase their consumption of seeds, grains, especially from harvested fields, and fallen fruits. This dietary shift helps them build fat reserves, which are essential for survival during the colder winter months. In winter, when natural food sources are scarcer and potentially covered by snow, pheasants rely on resilient items like dormant seeds, leftover grains, and tougher plant material. They often concentrate their foraging efforts in agricultural areas, utilizing waste grains like corn and sorghum that remain after harvest.
Pheasant Chicks and Captive Diets
In the wild, newly hatched pheasant chicks require a high protein intake for rapid growth. Their diet consists almost entirely of small insects and other invertebrates for the first several weeks of life. This protein-rich diet is crucial for their development, allowing them to grow quickly and gain the ability to fly by about two weeks of age. As they mature, their diet gradually shifts to include more plant matter, mirroring the adult pheasant’s omnivorous habits.
For pheasants raised in captivity, their diet is carefully controlled and consists of specialized commercial feeds. These feeds are formulated to provide complete nutrition, with specific balances of protein, vitamins, and minerals. For instance, pheasant chicks typically require a starter feed with a high protein content, ranging from 28% to 30%, for the first few weeks. As they grow, the protein percentage in their feed is gradually reduced, with growers receiving around 20-26% protein and adult non-breeding birds around 14-19%.