Laura Erickson's For the Birds

This splendid bird is a native of Asia, though it’s been introduced in many areas of the world as a game species. It probably isn’t too much of a competitor against declining Northern Bobwhites, though the popularity of pheasant hunting as almost certainly lowered the interest of hunters in helping conserve the smaller quail.

South Dakota named the Ring-necked Pheasant its state bird, making it one of only three states with an exotic, non-native state bird. (Delaware’s Blue Hen and Rhode Island’s Rhode Island Red are the other non-native state birds; those being domesticated fowl.)