Prelate pheasant

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Prelate pheasant
Portrait of a prelate pheasant cock

Portrait of a prelate pheasant cock

Systematics
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Chicken birds (Galliformes)
Family : Pheasants (Phasianidae)
Genre : Chicken Pheasants ( Lophura )
Type : Prelate pheasant
Scientific name
Lophura diardi
( Bonaparte , 1856)
Rooster of the prelate pheasant

The Siamese Fireback ( Lophura diardi ) is a Hühnervogel art from the family of pheasant-like . It is native to eastern Thailand , Laos , Cambodia and Vietnam . The species is threatened by increasing forest use and hunting.

description

The rooster of this rather slender pheasant species has a head of up to 90 mm long made of tattered black feathers on its black feathered head, which is set up when excited. Since the shafts of these feathers are bare, the feathered part looks like a pennant. The featherless eye region is intense red and shows conspicuous facial lobes. The iris is red to red-brown, the bill blackish horn-colored. The body plumage is gray on the neck, chest and front back and has a finely wavy pattern. The entire underside is black with very broad, shiny blue edges. The wing length is between 220 and 240 mm. The wing covers show a black wave pattern on a gray background as well as wide black, finely white lined bands. The wings are brown-gray. On the middle back there is a broad, golden yellow field; the feathers of the lower back, the rump and the smaller upper tail-coverts shine metallic blue and have dark copper-red hems. The larger upper tail covers are black with a metallic shimmering sheen. The feathers of cm 33-63 long tail are wide and arcuate. They are dark grayish and have a metallic sheen. The legs are carmine red and long spurred.

The head of the hen is pale brownish, the featherless eye area is red, but not as extensive and not expanded into lobes as in the rooster. The lower neck, back, chest and the upper part of the underside are light chestnut colored, the lower abdomen light gray. There is a black, wave-shaped drawing on the back, the feathers of the lower breast and the flanks are lined with white. The wings, lower back, upper tail-coverts and the middle pair of control feathers are black with isabel-colored, finely black-speckled banding. The remaining feathers of the tail, which is between 22 and 26 cm long, are a solid chestnut brown. The wing length is between 220 and 240 mm. The legs are crimson, like the rooster.

The rooster weighs about 1180 g, the hen 890 g.

voice

The rooster 's call for territory is described as whistling and is followed by a flutter of wings. Another call that is often made in a row is a loud pi-ju . In addition, a faint chuckle can be heard from time to time.

Distribution and existence

The monotypical species colonizes eastern Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and the southern and central regions of Vietnam. In Thailand it occurs scattered, the population is estimated here at up to 5000 birds. In the other countries of distribution it is widespread and common locally. Due to increasing forest use and sometimes intensive hunting, the stocks have declined by 30% in the last ten years. The world population is estimated at 5,000-10,000 birds. The IUCN therefore lists the species on the warning list ("near threatened").

Way of life

Egg of the prelate pheasant

The prelate pheasant prefers evergreen, partly deciduous primeval forests and bamboo forests, but also occurs in dense secondary vegetation and in bushland. It occurs mainly in the lowlands, sometimes at heights of up to 800 m. It is often found near roads or forest aisles.

The species is believed to be monogamous . In the side balz typical of many pheasant-like species, the cock fans out the tail, turns the body with drooping wings towards the female and especially presents the colored areas of the rear back. The breeding season is probably around mid-April and early May. The clutch consists of 5–8 reddish-beige eggs that are short and rounded and measure 48 × 38 mm. They are incubated for about 23 days.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ BirdLife species factsheet, s. Web links

Web links

Commons : Prelate Pheasant  - Collection of images, videos and audio files