The ring-necked pheasant

Block Island has always been a wonderful spot to go birding, not only because the island is an important stopover during migration, but due to the many species that live here.
At the Block Island School, we are following the tradition started by Elizabeth Dickens, who began the bird program at the School in the early 1900s. We are grateful to Kim Gaffett for continuing it.
Each year, Mrs. Szabo includes a bird unit in her fourth grade class, and asks her students to choose a bird they think will best make the “Block Island Bird of the Year.” Through nature walks, bird banding with Miss Gaffett, and research, each student chose a bird they believe best represents Block Island.
This is the third in a series.
You hear a screeching call and turn to see a flash of color fly from the grass into the bushes. This streak of color and call belong to the ring-necked pheasant, also known as Phasianus colchicus, one of many birds on Block Island. Being a small island off the coast of Rhode Island, the island landscape is full of rolling fields, which makes a great habitat and migration spot for

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