They forage on the ground in fields, where they eat waste grain, other seeds, and insects when available. Ring-necked Pheasants usually walk or run and only occasionally resort to flying, usually when disturbed at close range by humans or other predators. Males give a loud, cackling display that can be heard over long distances.
These birds’ long delicacies of European tables were brought to this area in the mid to late 1800’s. They were easy to establish in places where there were large open grasslands and brushy cover with plenty of food for them. They love seeds, grasses, and berries.