The 286 species of pheasants and their relatives live in almost every corner of the world and are barometers of the health of all major terrestrial habitats. They are found from Pacific islands and tropical rainforests to African savannahs and the highest mountains in the world and in the extreme wind and snowswept tundra and forests of the Arctic Circle. They are one of the most threatened bird groups in the world, and 74 are listed on the 2006 IUCN Red List of threatened species. A further 37 are considered to be 'Near-threatened' or are so poorly known that we cannot determine their conservation status.

As well as rare and highly threatened species, the group also contains some of the most familiar bird species in the world such as the common pheasant, Indian peafowl and the red junglefowl – wild ancestor of the domestic chicken.

The Pheasantry and Wildfowl area at Sudeley houses a collection of 15 rare and endangered species of birds from around the world. Working closely with the World Pheasant Association, Sudeley is developing a programme of breeding and conservation for these beautiful and gloriously coloured birds.