Bornean Peacock Pheasants
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The Bornean Peacock Pheasant, Polyplectron schleiermacheri, is the rarest and least known peacock-pheasant, inhabiting and endemic to lowland forests of Borneo, where it is known only from scattered localities in lowland forests up to 1100 m. Sight records of this species from Sumatra are presumed to be erroneous as no specimens have ever been collected there.
Due to declining habitat, the Bornean Peacock Pheasant is evaluated as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix II of CITES.
This shy bird prefers forest areas, roosting in trees or quietly walking about the forest floor by day. Males call and display their wings and tail but do not have dancing grounds.
Description:
This is a medium-sized pheasant, with the male averaging 17 inches (43 cm) and the female 15 inches (38 cm) in length. This pheasant marked with metallic (green in male, blue in female) eye-spots on the wings and tail. The male has a metallic blue-green crest and purplish green iridescent breast with white throat and breast patch. Its 22 tail feathers are decorated with large blue-green ocelli, which may be spread fan-like in display. The male has two spurs.
Female is smaller and duller brown than male. She has brown irises and no spurs on her feet.
Both sexes have contrasting pale buff chin, and throat. Iris-yellow; bill-dark greenish; bare facial skin-red; legs and feet-black.
Voice:
A melancholic, double whistle hor-hor.
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