New Home Sought for Stray Pheasant

Over the past year, we’ve seen a noticeable increase in pheasants being reported in highly urban areas of South East London, including Woolwich, Orpington, Bromley, Thamesmead, Deptford, Blackheath and New Cross. In many of these cases, it’s genuinely unclear whether the birds are truly wild, inappropriately released, escaped from transport, or are lost or dumped domesticated birds - which can make deciding on the safest and most ethical outcome challenging.

This female pheasant was found wandering on a busy high street. She was initially injured, but has since made a full recovery and is now healthy. Behaviour-wise, she appears calmer and more human-tolerant than we would expect of a truly wild bird, though she is not overly keen on close contact and does not seek out human interaction. She's a beautiful bird, but a little grumpy, to be honest!

Given the urban find location, lack of a known point of origin, and the welfare risks associated with release, returning her to the wild would not be appropriate. We are therefore seeking a permanent, welfare-led placement rather than a release.

She would be best suited to:

- A sanctuary, smallholding, or experienced poultry/game bird keeper

- A secure enclosure or aviary, with the option of managed free-ranging where appropriate

- A home where she will not be bred, shot, or used for meat

Pheasants are commonly kept semi-captive in rural settings and can live well alongside chickens or other ground birds when properly housed. Hens in particular often settle well in calm, managed environments.

If you have suitable facilities, or know of a sanctuary or experienced keeper who may be able to help, please get in touch with us directly by emailing greenwichwildlifenetwork@gmail.com. We’re happy to answer questions and ensure she goes to the right home