Palawan Peacock Pheasant
(Polyplectron emphanum)
Classification
and Range
Pheasants belong in the order Galliformes. Other
representatives of this order are turkeys, grouse, quail,
guineafowl and curassows. Peacock pheasants are members
of the genus Polyplectron, of which there are six species.
The Palawan peacock pheasant is endemic to the island
of Palawan in the Philippines. Several habitat sites
are known to exist in the central mountain range, from
the limits of disturbed forest up to 2,000 feet (610
m). Due to deforestation, it is now thought that the
Palawan peacock pheasant is becoming increasingly restricted
to the island's mountains.
|
|
Habitat
They inhabit the island’s humid, coastal lowland forest, which is rapidly
diminishing.
Length & Weight
Adult length: Males average 20 inches (51 cm); females average
16 inches (41 cm); Woodland Park Zoo male: 21 ounces (594 g);
Woodland Park Zoo female: 18 ounces (503 g). Wild Palawan peacock
pheasants may weigh less.
Life Span
Life span in the wild is unknown; up to 15 years in zoos.
|
Range Map |
Diet
In the wild: Seeds, grains, nuts, fruit, leaves, roots, insects, worms and slugs.
At the zoo: They are fed a pelleted diet that meets all their nutritional needs.
They are also given live insects such as meal worms or crickets, with the occasional
peanut as a treat item.
Reproduction
Although
males reach sexual maturity at about 1 year of age, they often
do not breed until about 3 years of age, when they attain full
adult plumage and can compete successfully for females with other
adult Palawan peacock pheasants.
Females reach
sexual maturity and can lay at about 2 years of age. Nesting may occur
both on
and above ground. The clutch is
normally two off-white eggs which are incubated by the hen
for 18-20 days. Males take no part in the incubation but will help
feed and rear the chicks.
Some reseachers
suggest that the Palawan peacock pheasant is monogamous in the wild, while
others state that there
is little
evidence to support this claim. One author observed that
males may have a 3-4 feet (0.9-1.2 m) display arena similar to argus
pheasants. This suggests that the Palawan peacock pheasant
is polygamous. Another researcher suggests that all six species
of peacock pheasant are polygamous. He cites the presence
of multiple tarsal spurs used in territorial fighting between
males
as a possible strategy to remain polygamous despite their
small size.
Life
Cycle
Newly
hatched chicks are fed beak-to-beak by their parents. Within a few days, however,
the parents will begin to "call" to the chicks, encouraging them
to leave the safety of their hidden nest and feed on open ground. At about
10 weeks, young attain full juvenile plumage.
No
Mistaking a Male for a Female
It’s easy to tell a male and female Palawan peacock pheasant apart.
Males are probably the most beautifully colored of the six peacock pheasant
species. The crown of their head is adorned with dark-green, metallic-looking
feathers, and a long, erect, black-green crest. The face is bare and
red, with white ear coverts (small feathers that cover the ears) and
stripes above and below the eyes and down the neck. The remainder of
the head, neck and whole of the lower body is black. The tail is adorned
with blue-green ocelli (eye spots), encircled by rings of black and gray.
Females are colored in mostly brown tones with a white face and throat.
Strutting
His Stuff!
A male (cock) is attractively colored for a reason—to attract a female
(hen). In courtship display, a male first gets a female’s attention with
courtship feeding. Spreading the feathers of its lower neck and mantle, and bobbing
its head with a tantalizing bit of food in its beak, the male will drop the food
in sight of the female. If she takes the food, the male will assume a dazzling
lateral display posture that best shows off all the ocelli on the tail and tail
coverts. The crest is erected and pointed diagonally forwards. He also emits
a long hissing sound while walking circles around the female. If all goes as
planned, his display will so impress the female enough that she will accept him
for breeding. Location
at the Zoo
Palawan peacock pheasants can be viewed at the Conservation Aviary in the Temperate
Forest, located in the southwest section of the zoo. Our male is frequently seen
displaying to the hen in April and May.
Conservation
Connection
As with many island species, the Palawan peacock pheasant is an endangered species.
Due to limited range and declining habitat, it has national protected status
on Palawan. The present population is estimated at less than 10,000 and is thought
to be declining. Hunting for food and trapping for the bird trade also continue.
It
is estimated that there are approximately 1,000 Palawan peacock pheasants in
captivity worldwide. As habitat declines, captive propagation should not be
viewed as the sole answer for their future survival. Priority needs to be given
to protecting undisturbed lowland forests on Palawan. Presently, these magnificent
birds are protected in the island’s 15 square miles (39 sq km) St. Paul’s
Subterranean River National Park. A conservation initiative proposed by The World
Conservation Union, Birdlife International, and the Species Survival Commission
recommends: 1) conduct surveys to identify suitable habitat, particularly in
the south part of the island. If suitable sites are found, they should be proposed
for protected status; 2) control hunting and the bird trade more effectively;
3) carefully manage the captive population to minimize loss of genetic diversity;
and 4) initiate a government-supported educational campaign focused on protecting
habitat and endangered wildlife. How
You Can Help!
The effort to save endangered species requires cooperation and support at the
international, national, regional and individual levels. You can help in this
cause. Join and become active in Woodland Park Zoo and other conservation organizations
of your choice. Recycle
forest products. Eliminate or reduce pesticide use.
Contact
Woodland Park Zoo at webkeeper@zoo.org to
find out about ways you can support conservation efforts at the zoo.
Learn other ways you can help conserve wildlife and the habitats they
require for survival by visiting our How
You Can Help page.
Sources
and Suggested Reading
Delacour, J. 1977. The Pheasants of the World. Spur Publications,
Surrey, UK. 395 p.
Johnsgard,
P. A. 1986. The Pheasants of the World. Oxford University
Press, New York, NY. 300 p.
McGowan,
P.J.K. and P.J. Garson. 1995. Pheasants: Status Survey and Conservation
Action Plan 1995-1999. WPA/Birdlife/SSC Pheasant Specialist Group.
IUCN Publications Services Unit, Cambridge, UK. 116 p.
Tayton,
K.M. 1984. Palawan Peacock Pheasant at the Jersey Wildlife Preservation
Trust. Dodo, J. Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust, 21: 92-109.
|