I went out today to find all kind of birds near or in the water of the Mississippi and other wetlands. And there were lots of them today. However, my most surprising encounter today was this Ring-necked Pheasant. I found the bird in full courtship display on a piece of marshland at the Mississippi near Sabula, Iowa. His behavior indicated that he was either posing for a female or tried to impress another competitor. Although, I never saw another bird between the reeds and brushes along the river shore.
This wasn’t a first sighting for me but it was the first time that I was able to shoot a number of pictures of a pheasant. The Ring-necked Pheasant is a native to Asia and was introduced as a game bird in California in 1857 (source: iBird Pro app). I’m very happy that I finally can add this species to the BIRD GALLERY - NORTH AMERICA. Check it out if you like.