Pheasant found and not sure what to do

jamesf85 · 10-08-2023 6:31pm #1

Hi all

found a pheasant on a walk this morning. Pheasant was visabily stunned and most likely hit by a car. I wasn’t sure what to do but brought it home and have left it in the shed in a box.

It seems in much better condition this evening but I’m hesitant to release it back into the wild as it’s not an adult yet so may not have the maturity to survive. Any suggestions on the best thing to do?

Jim_Hodge · 10-08-2023 6:55pm

It will survive fine if a juvenile bird

DBB · 11-08-2023 1:12am

I'd suggest releasing the bird in a safe place back where you found him. He's unlikely to be truly wild, more likely hatched and raised by a game bird breeder, bought by the local gun club along with dozens of other birds, and soft-released in the past month or two to the area you found him.

It's entirely possible that the gun club have grain-filled feeders in the area, and your bird will know where to look for this food, and will know the safe places to roost in that area.