THE COMMON PHEASANT
They also happen to be our largest game bird and are known for their fantastic eating qualities. North Island pheasant populations are significantly healthier than the South Island so for a wildlife photographer hailing from Marlborough, merely seeing a pheasant is a fairly momentous occasion...and actually getting a photograph of one is next level.
The Marlborough pheasant population has fluctuated over the years with habitat changes and destruction being one of the major causes. Urbanisation, roads, walkways and especially grapes have all contributed to loss of habitat, which in turn means fewer feeding and breeding opportunities.
Every once in a while during the first three decades or so of my hunting 'life', I would see a pheasant as a byproduct of duck, quail or rabbit hunting. I always enjoyed the encounters. More often than not it would involve a single bird suddenly flushing from thick
