The ringneck pheasant is a large, distinctive gamebird species that was introduced to Ontario nearly 150 years ago from Asia. Ringnecks have flourished in the province over the decades thanks to an abundance of suitable habitat, ample food sources, and management efforts to support pheasant populations for hunting purposes. Today, ringneck pheasants can be found across much of southern and central Ontario, especially in agricultural areas interspersed with wetlands, grasslands, and brushy cover. However, pheasant numbers have declined significantly in Ontario since the 1960s and 1970s, primarily due to habitat loss. Pheasants remain a popular gamebird for hunters in Ontario when populations are sufficient to allow for a hunting season.
History of Pheasants in Ontario
Ringneck pheasants are not native to North America. They originated in Asia and were first introduced to Ontario in the late 1880s. Between 1898 and 1906, the provincial government released over 10,000 pheasants, most of which came from China and England. These initial stockings were focused in southwestern Ontario. By 1910, pheasants were established across southwestern Ontario and spreading on their own. From the 1920s through the 1960s, the Ontario government continued to release thousands of pheasants annually to supplement wild reproduction and expand their range across southern and central regions of the province.
At their peak in the 1960s, ringneck pheasant numbers in Ontario were estimated at around 2 million birds. They could be found in suitable habitat across southern Ontario from Windsor to Ottawa and as far north as Algonquin Park. The highest densities occurred in the southwest near Lake St. Clair, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The Ontario government even operated pheasant game farms during this period, releasing upwards of 300,000 pen-raised birds each year.
Pheasant Habitat in Ontario
Ringneck pheasants thrive in a patchwork of habitats that provide cover adjacent to sources of abundant food. Ideal pheasant habitat includes:
– Agricultural fields of row crops, hay, small grains that provide food and nesting cover
– Undisturbed grasslands and meadows with tall, dense grasses and forbs
– Wetlands, marshy areas, ditches that supply cover and insects
– Brushy areas with shrubs and young deciduous saplings for cover
– Unmowed fence rows, waterways, roadsides that connect habitats
This mosaic of habitat types once covered much of rural southern Ontario, supporting high pheasant densities on the landscape. Pheasants also adapted well to settled habitats in rural areas, taking advantage of gardens, orchards, crop fields, and cover around farmsteads. The decline of pheasants in Ontario since the 1960s has closely mirrored the large-scale loss and fragmentation of suitable habitat due to modern agricultural practices and development.
Pheasant Diet and Behavior
Ringneck pheasants are omnivorous ground feeders that eat a wide variety of plant and animal material. Their diet consists primarily of seeds, grains, fruits, greens, and insects when available. In spring and summer, pheasants heavily use emerging wheat and oat fields, alfalfa, clover, fresh greenery, and insects including beetles, flies, larvae, worms, and ants. They ingest grit such as gravel to help grind up food in their muscular gizzard.
In fall and winter, pheasants rely more on seeds from herbaceous plants, agricultural grains, berries, acorns, and leftover crops in the field like corn, soybeans, or grain stubble. A key factor limiting northern pheasant populations in winter is the availability of adequate food above the snow to survive periods of severe weather.
Ringneck pheasants are non-migratory residents throughout their range. They establish home ranges averaging 25-50 acres in size and often travel only short distances between seasonal habitats if food and cover resources are available nearby. Pheasants spend their nights roosting on the ground in areas of dense, tall cover. They form social groups outside of breeding season, sometimes gathering in large winter roosts.
Pheasant Reproduction
The breeding season for ringneck pheasants in Ontario runs from April through July. Males establish and defend breeding territories averaging around 10 acres in size. Their loud, two-noted crowing call advertises territorial boundaries to other males. Groups of males will spar competitively for status and access to hens.
Pheasant nests consist of shallow scrapes lined with dead grass and leaves, well concealed in dense vegetation. Hens lay 8-12 eggs over a 2 week period, with one egg deposited daily. Incubation lasts 23-25 days. The chicks are precocial, able to feed themselves soon after hatching while still under the care of the hen. Broods often break up within a few weeks as the quickly growing young become more independent.
Ideal nesting cover is critical for pheasant reproduction. Nest success and chick survival tend to be highest in large blocks of undisturbed grasslands, wet meadows, hayfields, and wheat stubble. Nest loss is frequently caused by haying, grazing, or crop planting that destroys nests and young. Hen pheasants that successfully hatch a brood in good habitat can raise 5-10 chicks to adulthood.
Pheasant Population Decline
After peaking between 5-10 million birds in the 1960s, ringneck pheasant numbers in Ontario declined dramatically starting in the 1970s. Today’s provincial pheasant population is estimated to be fewer than 70,000 birds. The range of self-sustaining pheasant populations has also contracted. Once found across southern Ontario, pheasants are now primarily limited to the southwest, especially Essex, Chatham-Kent, and Lambton counties.
There are several reasons cited for the substantial drop in Ontario’s pheasant numbers since their peak:
– **Habitat loss** – Modern agricultural practices and urbanization have greatly reduced pheasant habitat. Farmland is now intensively managed, wetlands have been drained, and brushy non-crop habitat has been removed.
– **Habitat fragmentation** – Remaining pheasant habitat tends to be fragmented into pieces too small to support pheasant populations.
– **Nesting cover deficits** – Lack of large blocks of undisturbed grasslands and wet meadows has reduced nest success.
– **Severe winters** – Harsh winter weather has impacted pheasants when food and cover are limited.
– **Predation** – With reduced habitat, pheasants are more vulnerable to predators including foxes, raccoons, skunks, and raptors.
Without restoration of higher quality habitat, it appears unlikely ringneck pheasant numbers will rebound significantly across the province. However intensive management on some public lands and private farmland has succeeded in maintaining huntable pheasant densities locally.
Pheasant Hunting in Ontario
Ringneck pheasants have been a popular gamebird for hunters ever since they became established in Ontario. Pheasant hunting seasons typically run from late September through late December. Bag limits are 6 birds per day. The province used to release up to 300,000 pen-raised pheasants annually in the 1960s specifically for hunting opportunities.
As wild pheasants declined, the government ended pheasant stocking programs in the 1990s. There are now only a few regions of Ontario with sufficient pheasants to allow limited hunting seasons. Since 2007, pheasant hunting has been restricted to wildlife management units in southwestern Ontario that still maintain huntable pheasant densities.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry monitors pheasant populations and hunting pressure to set annual season lengths and bag limits. Hunter participation levels continue to decline as pheasant hunting opportunities decrease. Innovative habitat management partnerships focused on improving wildlife habitat on private farmlands provide hope for locally bolstering pheasant populations that can sustain hunting.
Where to Find Pheasants in Ontario
The core pheasant range in Ontario is now confined to the southwest, with Essex, Chatham-Kent, and Lambton Counties supporting the majority of remaining wild pheasant populations. The Thames River Valley inland towards Lake Huron has locally significant pheasant densities as well.
Some of the best public hunting opportunities for pheasants occur on provincial Wildlife Management Areas managed specifically for upland gamebirds, including:
- St. Clair Wildlife Area
- Lake Ridge Pheasant Management Area
- Howard Drain Conservation Area
- Wheatley Provincial Park
- Rondeau Provincial Park
- Long Point Provincial Park
Additionally, some southern Ontario national wildlife areas and conservation areas provide pheasant habitat and potential hunting opportunities, such as Big Creek, Long Point, and Norfolk County conservation areas. Hunter success depends heavily on annual conditions and population levels. Outside of southwestern Ontario, pheasant densities drop off sharply with only scattered, localized populations present.
Pheasant Reintroduction Efforts
Given the significant decline of wild ringneck pheasants across their former range in Ontario, there have been some local efforts to try reintroducing pheasants in areas with suitable habitat but reduced populations. Typically these projects involve releasing captive-raised adult pheasants prior to breeding season in hopes they will establish breeding populations.
For example, Long Point Waterfowl has released over 2,000 pheasants on properties in the Norfolk County area since 2017 as part of their upland bird recovery program. The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority, in partnership with volunteers, landowners, and government agencies, released over 3,000 pheasants between 2009 and 2019 in the Upper Thames watershed. The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters also operates a pheasant recovery program releasing birds across southwestern Ontario.
While costly and labor intensive, these supplemental stocking efforts have shown promise in reestablishing pheasant densities that can provide local hunting opportunities. The challenge is in maintaining quality habitat at a large enough scale to sustain populations over the long term. Integrating habitat management with annual releases holds the greatest potential.
Pheasant Habitat Initiatives
To reverse the decline of ringneck pheasants in Ontario, the key is re-establishing quality habitat at a meaningful scale. Some initiatives aimed at improving habitat conditions for pheasants include:
– **Government habitat programs** – Funding through the Natural Heritage System, Greenbelt Foundation, and Species at Risk Stewardship Fund has supported projects creating and managing habitat on over 4,500 acres in Ontario’s pheasant range since 2010.
– **CREP** – The Canada-Ontario Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program provides incentives to farmers to take marginal land out of production for wildlife habitat.
– **NPGMAP** – The Natural Pheasant and Grassland Management Project has worked with landowners to enhance over 60,000 acres of habitat in southwestern Ontario since 2003.
– **ALUS** – The Alternative Land Use Services program pays farmers to restore and maintain wildlife habitat on their properties. Over 8,000 acres of grassland and wetlands have been established through ALUS.
– **PFGP** – The Pheasant and Waterfowl Habitat Enhancement Program provides guidance and funding for landowners improving wildlife habitat.
– **NGOs** – Non-profits like Pheasants Forever, Quail Forever, and Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters all have programs devoted to enhancing pheasant habitat locally.
Habitat creation does not help pheasants if it becomes degraded through disturbance, succession, or poor management. Therefore stewardship and monitoring of habitat projects is critical for building connected networks of high quality habitat at scales that can sustain pheasant population recovery.
Outlook for Pheasants in Ontario
Ringneck pheasant populations peaked in Ontario in the 1960s and 1970s, when an estimated 2 million birds could be found across much of southern and central Ontario. Widespread habitat loss led to a dramatic decline over the following decades. Today, Ontario’s pheasant population likely numbers fewer than 70,000 birds restricted primarily to Essex, Chatham-Kent and Lambton counties in the southwest.
While pheasants have proven adaptable to Ontario’s climate and habitats after introduction from Asia, their future as a sustainable gamebird looks uncertain without significant improvement and expansion of suitable habitat. Modern agriculture has transformed rural landscapes once rich in the diversity of habitat pheasants need.
Some promising local habitat initiatives aimed at working cooperatively with landowners, combined with ongoing stocking efforts, provide hope for bolstering pheasant numbers in strongholds. Realistic goals include maintaining huntable populations in the core southwest range and expanding foothold populations through reintroduction projects where habitat allows.
But it appears unlikely ringneck pheasants will ever regain their peak provincial distribution and abundance without major policy changes in how farmland and natural areas are managed across broad landscapes. The needs of grassland wildlife like pheasants may be incompatible with intensive agriculture that aims to maximize cultivation and economic returns.
Conclusion
In conclusion, ringneck pheasants were successfully introduced to Ontario in the late 1800s and flourished in the province through the 1960s, spreading across southern and central regions and reaching a population peak of around 2 million birds. However, habitat loss to intensive agriculture and development since then has caused pheasant numbers to dwindle to fewer than 70,000 today, now found primarily in southwestern Ontario.
Pheasants remain a popular gamebird for hunters, though opportunities are now limited outside of a few strongholds in Essex, Chatham-Kent and Lambton counties. While supplemental stocking and habitat initiatives have locally improved conditions, the long-term outlook for a broad recovery of ringneck pheasants to their former abundance and distribution in Ontario seems bleak without significant policy changes in how rural landscapes are managed to sustain grassland wildlife.