Borneo peacock pheasant
| Borneo peacock pheasant | ||||||||||
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Borneo peacock pheasant ( Polyplectron schleiermacheri ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||
| Polyplectron Schleiermacheri | ||||||||||
| Brüggemann , 1877 |
The Borneo peacock pheasant ( Polyplectron schleiermacheri ), also called Borneo mirror peacock , is a species from the pheasant-like family . Its distribution is limited to the lowlands of Borneo , where it is the only representative of the peacock pheasant genus . Very little is known about the species; it is rarely observed in its natural range. Most of the knowledge about this species comes from captivity.
Appearance
Borneo peacock pheasants have a wing length of about 16.5 (females) to 20.0 centimeters (males). Weight data for this species have not yet been published.
The male has an almost black underside of the body. Within the peacock pheasant, this is the only species that has such a plumage color. The chest and sides of the neck are an iridescent green. The actual neck is greenish to purple-iridescent. A small area of red skin runs around the eyes. The females have no conspicuous plumage colors. When observing them in the wild, they can only be distinguished from other pheasant-like females by staying in the vicinity of male Borneo peacock pheasants.
Two rows of conspicuous eye spots run on the tail feathers. The coat, which is also bristled during courtship, is covered with a multitude of green-purple eye spots.
Way of life
Bornean peacock pheasants in captivity prefer food rich in insects. But they also eat berries and seeds. In captivity, they can only be kept individually or in pairs. The animals are extremely aggressive during the courtship season. The ornithologist Paul Johnsgard reports that he was attacked by a Borneo peacock pheasant. The bird tried to injure his face with its spurs. Like other peacock pheasants, this bird has a pronounced courtship behavior in which the display of the plumage plays a major role.
Systematics
In general, the Borneo peacock pheasant is an independent species within the genus of the peacock pheasant. In the scientific literature it has also been suggested to classify the Borneo peacock pheasant as a subspecies of the Malay mirror peacock .
The only on the island of Palawan occurring Palawan Peacock-Pheasant , which is the most geographically isolated under all Pfaufasanen, is considered a species that has emerged from the Bornean peacock-pheasant. Today there are about 150 kilometers between the islands of Borneo and Palawan. However, during the Pleistocene , sea levels were so low that a chain of islands enabled species exchange between the two islands.
literature
- Paul Johnsgard: Pheasants of the world - Biology and natural history, Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington 1999, ISBN 1-84037-129-3
Web links
- Videos, photos and sound recordings for Polyplectron Schleiermacheri in the Internet Bird Collection
- Polyplectron Schleiermacheri in the Red List of Endangered Species of the IUCN 2013.2. Listed by: BirdLife International, 2013. Retrieved February 2, 2014.