Common Pheasant

Taxonomic Anchor

Use Phasianus colchicus as the provisional species anchor, recording the adopted authority and version. [RSPB species account](https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/pheasant)

1. Which taxonomic authority and version define Phasianus colchicus for this identification? definition
2. Does the evidence support Common Pheasant, or should the record remain an unresolved pheasant identification? boundary

Recognition Evidence

Record visible head, body and tail features, their visibility and alternative explanations; distinguish species identification from recognition of the same individual.

1. Which observed features support the sex and life-stage assessment, and which are obscured? measurement
2. Could incomplete tail growth, feather loss or atypical plumage explain the apparent mismatch? boundary
3. What ring, marking or encounter evidence supports treating two sightings as the same bird? provenance

Origin Evidence

Represent origin as an evidence-backed history, allowing unknown origin and uncertain matches to release records.

1. Is there a hatch, breeder, ring or release record that can be matched to this individual? provenance
2. Is captive-reared or wild-hatched origin documented, inferred or unknown? boundary

Residence and Responsibility

Keep enclosure status, local occurrence and documented responsibility separate from ancestry and inferred ownership.

1. Is the bird currently enclosed, temporarily held or free-ranging, and when was that established? measurement
2. Which records support a relationship to a keeper, release site or local population? provenance
3. What remains unresolved about responsibility before a handling or transfer decision? action

Functional Mobility

Describe gait, weight-bearing, wing carriage and any spontaneous flight, preserving what was not assessed.

1. Does the bird bear weight symmetrically and move without a visible limp or persistent wing droop? measurement
2. Was flight observed spontaneously, or is flight capability simply unknown? boundary
3. Which observed impairment warrants referral to a qualified wildlife or veterinary service? action

Feeding Function

Record actual food intake and condition evidence without treating a brief absence of feeding as failure to feed.

1. What food was taken and swallowed, over what observation period? measurement
2. Are comparable mass or professionally assessed body-condition observations available? provenance
3. Does the evidence indicate poor access, possible impairment or insufficient observation? boundary

Breeding Stage

Record observed breeding behaviour without converting male display or proximity between birds into proof of an active nest.

1. What evidence supports display, courtship, laying, incubation or brood attendance? measurement
2. Is the nest association directly observed or inferred from nearby pheasant activity? provenance

Chick Attendance

Chicks leave the nest and feed themselves while following the female; being mobile does not establish independence. [Cornell life history](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ring-necked_Pheasant/lifehistory)

1. How many chicks and attending adults were observed, with what visibility and observation duration? measurement
2. What evidence distinguishes temporary separation from loss of attendance? boundary
3. Could the proposed approach, capture or movement separate the brood? action

Resource Use

Separate observed feeding, sheltering, roosting and nesting use from suitability inferred from vegetation.

1. Which site functions are directly observed for this bird, and at what times? measurement
2. Which resources or cover are accessible, and which are separated by barriers? boundary

Road and Machinery Exposure

Road traffic and agricultural machinery are documented pheasant hazards; record actual proximity and activity before recommending a response. [Cornell life history](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ring-necked_Pheasant/lifehistory)

1. Is the bird, associated nest or brood within an active traffic or machinery path? measurement
2. What evidence establishes the timing and severity of the exposure? provenance
3. Which site-level adjustment could reduce exposure without moving the bird? action

Action-Specific Authority

Require current, location-specific evidence for decisions about capture, keeping, relocation, release or harvest; this draft supplies no jurisdictional permission.

1. What precise action is proposed, for what purpose and at which location and date? action
2. Which current authority or documented permission governs that action? provenance
3. Does unresolved identity, origin or responsibility prevent the decision from being made? boundary

Handling and Release Readiness

Record the specialist assessment, receiving context and observable outcome criteria needed for a proposed handling, care or release workflow.

1. What assessment supports proceeding given the bird's mobility, feeding state and brood relationships? action
2. For transfer or release, which receiving-site and health requirements have been verified? provenance
3. What follow-up observations would establish success or trigger reassessment? measurement

Kinds and varieties

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

1. Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of Common Pheasant this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Identifiers and schemes

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

1. Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of Common Pheasant this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Standards and regulation

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

1. Which of these standards and regulation hold for the sense of Common Pheasant this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Real-world use

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

1. Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of Common Pheasant this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Typical measurements

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

1. Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of Common Pheasant this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Failure modes and hazards

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

1. Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of Common Pheasant this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Regional variation

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

1. Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of Common Pheasant this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

1. Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of Common Pheasant this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance