Pheasants of the World

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Pheasant species in the 'threatened' category

Photo source : Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crested_Fireback

33 of the 49 species of pheasants are listed as Endangered, Vulnerable or Near-threatened in the Red List. Together with other Galliform species, it makes this Order of birds, one of the most threatened with extinction due to deforestation and illegal hunting, among the birds.

Endangered

Edward's pheasant
Vietnamese pheasant
Bornean peacock-pheasant

Vulnerable

Western Tragopan
Blyth's tragopan
Cabot's tragopan
Sclater's monal
Chinese monal
Aceh pheasant
Salvadori's pheasant
Crestless fireback
Bulwer's pheasant
Brown eared-pheasant
Cheer pheasant
Elliot's pheasant
Reeve's pheasant
Mountain peacock-pheasant
Malaysian peacock-pheasant
Palawan peacock-pheasant
Congo peafowl
Green peafowl

Near-threatened

Satyr tragopan
Swinhoe's pheasant
Crested fireback
Siamese fireback
Tibetan eared-pheasant
White eared-pheasant
Hume's pheasant
Mikado pheasant
Copper pheasant
Germain's peacock-pheasant
Crested Argus
Great Argus

For details about the Red List, visit -

http://www.iucnredlist.org/about/red-list-overview

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IUCN_Red_List_of_Threatened_Species

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Rainforests in Peril

A film about SE Asian Rainforests -

http://www.greenthefilm.com/

Friday, May 7, 2010

Life in South East Asian Rainforests - Wildlife and People

Friday, April 23, 2010

Borneo's wildlife unveiled

Latest species discoveries in Borneo - Rainforests at

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8637951.stm

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Why are the Pheasant habitats in danger?

Pheasant habitats, which include montane temperate forests and tropical rain-forests, have been reduced in area and disturbed drastically. The forests are a source of timber, bamboo, medicinal plants and other food sources, and are also being cleared for urbanisation and agriculture. Hunting, invasive species, and pesticides are some of the other threats to the pheasant species.

See photo -

http://www.flickr.com/photos/phitar/3695917447/

Timber, coffee, tea, rubber, palm oil, and chocolate plantations are eating into rain-forest land. The ever present and growing demand for these products shrinks the wildlife habitat everyday. So, the next time you sip that cup of cappuccino, or lounge on that deck chair, think about how you are impacting the rain-forests.

Several NGOs, like the Rainforest Alliance, are promoting products such as coffee that is 'rain-forest friendly'.

Photo source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainforest_Alliance

Some countries in the SE Asian region have legislation making it illegal to harvest timber, and practise limited plantation forestry for timber. This timber is certified by the government.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Videos of Pheasant Species

The following videos are of various pheasant species housed in zoos and private aviaries around the world (including a 3 part documentary on Formosan ring-necked pheasants in their natural habitat), posted on YouTube. [Videos by various contributers on YouTube].

Private aviaries in Europe and the USA have been keeping pheasants for more than a century. The pheasants were brought back from expeditions to Asia, and at that time were an awe-inspiring species. In more recent past, due to deforestation and over-hunting, the pheasants started becomming rarer in their natural habitats. The private aviaries (although themselves facing problems of inbreeding) became an important source of pheasants for conservation breeding projects by organisations like the IUCN partner World Pheasant Association.

Today, all the rare pheasant species housed in zoos and aviaries are recorded in Studbooks, and exchanged between countries for conservation breeding. In India, the pheasants are a protected species, and are only kept and reared in Government owned zoos.

Some of the species of pheasants are shown here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2waNeMsqtXk&feature=player_embedded

Sunday, February 28, 2010

What are Pheasants? Where are they found?

Pheasants are a group of domestic chicken-size, ground-dwelling birds found in the moist temperate forests and tropical forests of Asia (one of the species, called the Congo peafowl, occurs in Congo, Africa). There are 49 species of pheasants, including the Tragopans, Junglefowl, Peacocks and Peacock Pheasants. Pheasants have characteristically colourful and iridescent feathers. They are classified in the Family Phasianidae in Order Galliformes, Class Aves.

In India, the Pheasant species occur in the Himalayan mountains, from Jammu and Kashmir in the north to the North-Eastern states in the east. Some of the species are - the Western Tragopan, the Cheer Pheasant, the Kalij Pheasant, the Monal and the Eared Pheasant. Pheasant species such as the Red Junglefowl and the Blue Peafowl have a more widespread distribution in the Indian sub-continent. The Grey Junglefowl is found in the forests of southern India.

The Western Tragopan at Kufri Nature Park in Himachal Pradesh, India.