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 off their beautiful plumage to the full they need an open space, often referred to as a lekking ground.  A good spot needs to be defended not just against other males but anything that threatens to push them out of the way if they can possibly take it on.  Pheasants have never been renown for their brains so seeing an approaching car might not necessarily make them realise this is a fight they are not going to win until the last minute.  Hence they get squashed.  OK, so why is it not only males getting killed you may well ask?  Well, the whole point is to attract females so it is not surprising that occasionally a hen gets hit too but most are most certainly male.  This collection of 3 cocks and 1 hen is pretty typical and was picked up on a journey between Reading and Evesham yesterday.  There were many many more but either too squashed or in places were I simply couldn't stop.  I would, however, just like to point out I was not responsible for any of these deaths.  I generally drive slow enough to be able to react if I see one and also to be able to stop should I see a dead one worth collecting.