Fighting Pheasants

Watched a territorial dispute between two male pheasants this morning, it was very protracted and was already in full force when I glanced out of the window and noticed it, I continued to watch until it ended seven minutes later.

There were no females in the vicinity so that was why I thought the dispute was territorial. I found it interesting to watch, there was much bowing of heads and circling each other. At no point did either pheasant turn his back on the other.

There was much wing flapping and many points of attack when both creatures would rise up in the air facing each other and with feet pushed outward toward the other. This seemed to be the point of contact and this would happen in mid air. At no point did their feet lock together.

Neither pheasant seemed stronger than the other and in all the time I watched, it was only the feet that ever came in contact. Usually after the attack the birds landed, but sometimes they would rise higher in the air. It was interesting to watch these large seemingly unwieldy birds return gently to earth, unruffled after their attacks on each other. Although it wasn't always so, there were times when they were clearly unbalanced and would sink ignominiously to the ground --- wings spread, tails upturned, feet still pointing upward, landing on their derriere in a very undignified manner and then struggle to regain their balance and composure, before starting all over again.

Throughout they were a mirror image of each other and in the end it looked as if a truce had been called, for suddenly it was over. Each one turned away from the other and slowly majestically, head held high strolled off in opposite directions.

When I watched this event I didn't have my camera to hand, however a few days later I again watched the same pheasants disputing territory in the field at  the end of the garden. This time I did have my camera with me and was able to photograph the happening. Note in the bottom picture under the top bar of the fence can be seen a pheasant still in mid-air, while the other one is about to land unceremoniously on his derriere.