White pheasants are a color morph of the common pheasant that have white or piebald plumage. They are sometimes considered an albino variety, but true albino pheasants with pink eyes are extremely rare. White pheasants are the result of a recessive gene and they tend to be less common than the normal colored pheasants. However, the prevalence of white pheasants compared to normally colored pheasants varies in different regions and specific habitats. So are white pheasants actually rare in the UK? Let’s explore this question further.
Background on Pheasants in the UK
The common pheasant was introduced to the UK by the Normans around 1059 AD and became widespread and naturalized across the country over the centuries. Pheasants are not native to the UK but are now abundant across the countryside, woodlands, and farmlands. They are an important game bird that is bred and released in large numbers for shooting. It is estimated there are around 35 million pheasants in the UK.
Pheasants thrive in the mild and fertile rural habitats of Britain. The UK climate and landscape provides ideal conditions for pheasants to flourish. Over the centuries, pheasants have adapted well to the British countryside. The males are known for their colorful plumage and long tails. The females are more drab and camouflaged in brown and black.
Pheasants are ground nesting birds. The females lay clutches of around 10-12 eggs in scrapes concealed in vegetation. Incubation takes around 23-25 days before the eggs hatch. The chicks are precocial and leave the nest shortly after hatching to feed themselves. They live on seeds, berries, and invertebrates.
Prevalence of White Pheasants
So within the large common pheasant population in the UK, how prevalent are white pheasants? There are limited official statistics or scientific studies quantifying the percentage of white versus normal pheasants across the country. But looking at anecdotal evidence from observers, rural residents, gamekeepers, and photographers, some broad estimates can be made.
Most accounts suggest that about 1 in 100 pheasants have predominantly white plumage. Some localized populations may see slightly higher or lower percentages, but the consensus is that roughly 1% are white. This aligns with the expectations of a recessive gene causing the white color morph.
The UK climate and habitat generally does not impede white pheasants. The mild weather, lack of snow cover, and abundance of grain crops means white pheasants do not stand out excessively and can find sufficient food throughout the seasons. Harsher winter climates make life more difficult for predominantly white animals. But the UK environment is reasonably hospitable for white pheasants year-round.
Distribution of White Pheasants
While around 1% of pheasants overall are white, they are not evenly distributed across the country. Certain areas and habitat types see higher concentrations of white pheasants. Reports indicate that white pheasants are most frequent in southern and central England, while more scarce in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Within England, white pheasants tend to be more common in lowland rural areas dominated by agriculture. The croplands around Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire are particuarly associated with high numbers of white pheasants. Some localized pockets may see up to 5% of pheasants having white plumage.
In contrast, white pheasants are less frequently observed in the forested and mountainous areas of northern England and Scotland. The cooler climate, snowier winters, and woodland nesting sites make white plumage less advantageous in these regions. But scattered white pheasants can still be spotted even in the Scottish Highlands.
Reasons for Distribution Patterns
So what factors drive the distribution and concentrations of white pheasants seen across the UK?
Climate
As mentioned above, climate is a key reason. The mild year-round weather of southern England allows white pheasants to thrive. While they can survive the UK winters further north, the colder temperatures and snow cover make life more difficult. The thermally advantageous drab plumage of normal pheasants gives them an edge in harsher environments.
Habitat and Nest Sites
Habitat also plays a role. The lowland farmlands of England with winter stubble fields and grazing grasslands provide ideal habitat. Scotland has more expansive heather moors and dense coniferous forests less suited for white pheasants. In southern England, pheasants also often nest in fields of oilseed rape. This yellow flowering crop camouflages drab brown females but hides white females sitting on nests.
Predation Pressures
Predation may also be a factor. The white plumage could make pheasants more visible to aerial predators like birds of prey in open habitats. However, in the agricultural areas where white pheasants are common, dense crop cover minimizes this issue. And mammalian foxes or mustelids hunt by smell rather than sight. So predation may influence distributions but its impact is debated.
Game Management
Finally, game management influences white pheasant numbers. Many pheasants released for shooting are captive bred. Game farms control breeding and likely cull white chicks. So release of excess normal pheasants into the wild suppresses the percentage of whites. But in areas with less intensive releases, natural white recessive genes persist in higher ratios.
Legal Protection and Conservation
While not considered a separate subspecies, white pheasants are still of conservation interest in the UK for their unique recessive color morph. They are protected under the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act that prohibits killing or injuring any wild bird except permitted game species.
However, white pheasants are still legally hunted as part of overall pheasant shooting. There are no bag limits or protection for white color morphs. Many hunters view white pheasants as particularly prized game due to their rarity. Conservation groups have called for specific protections for white pheasant numbers to preserve this unique variant of Britain’s most common game bird. But currently no special restrictions are in place.
White pheasants do receive additional protection on some private country estates. It is not uncommon for landowners to forbid shooting white pheasants on their properties to conserve their numbers. This occurs more frequently on estates in southern England where white game birds are more abundant.
Beyond hunting, white pheasants face the same threats and environmental pressures as common pheasants. Loss of habitat, agricultural intensification, and predation affect white and normal color birds alike. Maintaining diverse rural environments will benefit pheasants of all plumage. Careful game management and protection of birds on private estates also preserves white pheasant populations.
Rarity of True Albino Pheasants
While white pheasants with recessive piebald genes are the subject of this article, true albino pheasants are exceptionally rare across the UK. True albinism produces birds with pure white plumage and pink eyes, feet, legs, and bills. This results from an absence of melanin pigment throughout the body.
True albino pheasants likely occur in 1 per 100,000 birds or less. They generally do not survive long in the wild due to the visual impediment and lack of camouflage. There are occasional anecdotal reports of albino pheasant sightings, but most are white pheasants misidentified as albinos. Confirmed records of true albinos are exceptionally uncommon.
So while white pheasants are interesting in their distributions and concentrations around Britain, truly albino all-white birds are far rarer. White pheasants can at least blend in partially with drab vegetation. But pure albino pheasants stand out starkly in the landscape, making them extremely vulnerable to predation and early mortality. Even in the ideal climate of England, albino pheasants seldom survive long enough to be reported.
Summary and Conclusions
In summary:
- White pheasants comprise around 1% of the common pheasant population in the UK
- They are most prevalent in southern and central England due to the mild climate
- Lowland farmland habitats have higher densities of white pheasants
- Several factors influence white pheasant distribution, including climate, habitat, predation, and game management
- White pheasants are legally hunted like other pheasants and have no special protections
- True albino all-white pheasants with pink features are extremely rare in the UK
So while not abundant, white pheasants are common enough across parts of Britain to be a notable color variety. Their concentrations in certain habitats and regions are influenced by environmental and human factors. Game managers could consider specific measures to protect white pheasant numbers where they are locally common. Meanwhile true albino pheasants remain incredibly rare across the UK countryside.