Pheasant Suicide Season
There are two seasons in the year when it is easy to find pheasants dead on the road. Early Autumn when the young birds have been released and haven't learnt any road sense and now, Spring. I'm not totally sure why that is but I have a theory. Most of the birds on the road are cock pheasants. Often when I am driving around they seem to be loitering in or next to the road and leave it until the last minute before flying up. Sometimes I have to come to a complete stop only to have one reach up and stare at me over the bonnet before walking stiffly to the side of the road. So what is going on with these birds? Why are they prepared to take such risks? In my opinion there can only be one of two reasons why any animal would risk their life; either to obtain food or to reproduce. There is not normally any food to be found on a road so I believe it is the latter. The males are looking to impress the females and in order to show o...
