JimLondon Posted March 31, 2013 Report Share Posted March 31, 2013 Took a walk round my permission today and the dog flushed a jet black cock pheasant out of the hedgerow. I've seen a white one before anyone else seen a black or unusual coloured pheasant. Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontbeck Posted March 31, 2013 Report Share Posted March 31, 2013 It would appear black but on close inspection very dark green and or blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLondon Posted March 31, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2013 It would appear black but on close inspection very dark green and or blue About 8 weeks to late for a close inspection Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr pigeon Posted March 31, 2013 Report Share Posted March 31, 2013 Normally called menalistic mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontbeck Posted March 31, 2013 Report Share Posted March 31, 2013 That's correct I've never seen a black pheasant but melanistics look black but are remarkable shades of green and blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamekeeper1960 Posted March 31, 2013 Report Share Posted March 31, 2013 This just show it in a different light you can see all the colours ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scolopax Posted March 31, 2013 Report Share Posted March 31, 2013 Half the birds we put down were pure blacks, they are different from the old style melanistics, even the hens are black. Our game farmer calls them 'obscures' and says they originated from France. They are very pretty birds. Only problem with them is they are so distinctive that you become aware of just how far pheasants in general wander away from home! A few accounted for on a final day walk around the previous season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontbeck Posted March 31, 2013 Report Share Posted March 31, 2013 Where are the black ones ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scolopax Posted March 31, 2013 Report Share Posted March 31, 2013 The hens are black as, the cock birds are very dark green blue, from a distance they appear black, only close up do their clours become manifest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontbeck Posted March 31, 2013 Report Share Posted March 31, 2013 That's right no black pheasants I pick up or have picked up on two estates where they put down 50000 plus birds.I 've been a member of several syndicates over the years, talking of literally millions of pheasants and not one black one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reece Posted March 31, 2013 Report Share Posted March 31, 2013 They look black, but they will be a bluish colour if you approach them, except if they are female, in which case you do get black instead of blue. I've seen quite a few of them. Someone in our village used to rear pheasants, including a lot of black/blue ones. I can't remember the details but I think there was a fire and loads of them escaped. I don't see them often, but there are a noticeable number of black pheasants in the area, so it seems that the escaped ones later bred. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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