Through the uncut grass on the elm's hill
It is something to own a pheasant,
Or just to be visited at all.
Across the garden
now beneath the bird food
You peck your lordly selfish portion,
Chest out, head back, all colours blazing.
Your Lady Hen still follows meekly to the fare
- Unknown
My Pheasant sitting on a rock on my patio
John, from Midmarsh Jottings's wonderful post on the visitors to his garden, in particular the Pheasant, reminded me to post a picture of my Pheasant, which we rescued from somebody trying to sell him for the pot. This is an introduced species into South Africa, probably from the U.K., where it is also a non-native bird that was first introduced by the Normans in the 11th century as a game bird. Here in South Africa they are sold as pets and kept as ornamentals in Aviaries.
Even though he would wait at the front door for his daily tit-bits and even venture into the lounge, he never really got very tame and would spend most of his day skulking under the shrubs in my garden with his female, who only ever ventured out once the coast was clear and not a soul in sight. They spent many wonderful years with me and unfortunately the male died of something unidentified and the female took wing shortly after that.
The Congo peafowl is Africa's only true native pheasant, according to the Arkive website. This bird, discovered in 1936, lives only within the Congo rainforest region.
A pair of Congo Peafowl at Antwerp Zoo
Photograph from Wikipedia
Henry skulking around the garden
Henry and his female in the garden
The very elusive female Pheasant
Henry softly calling to his female to come and check out his chosen spot
Henry running for cover as the gardener approaches
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