Pheasant is the common (or ring-necked) pheasant, Phasianus colchicus, a long-tailed game bird of the family Phasianidae whose lean, firm, darker meat carries a mild but distinct gamey character. A European autumn-and-winter staple, it is the most widely eaten game bird in the world — roasted whole and barded with fat, or braised, because its low-fat flesh dries out fast under dry heat.