Palawan Peacock Pheasant
(Polyplectron emphanum)
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.
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.