EDWARDS'S PHEASANT
Class: Birds
Order: Galliformes
Family: Phasianidae
Genus: Lophura
Species: Edwardsi
Geographic distribution: Vietnam
Habitat: Forest environments
Size: 65 cm
Longevity: 10 to 12 years
Weight: 1.1 kg
Sexual maturity: 2 years
Incubation: Approximately 25 days
Clutch: 4 to 7 eggs
Diet: Omnivorous, seeds, shoots, berries, tubers, insects, etc.
Protection Status: IUCN Status CR – Critically Endangered
Description
Males of this species have a black–blue plumage with a white crest, while females have a brown plumage. This bird is name after French ornithologist Alphonse Milne-Edwards, who first described the species in only 1896.
Threats and perservation
After the Second World War and the conflicts in Vietnam, the species remained nowhere to be found, suggesting its extinction in the wild.The main cause of its decline is habitat loss throughout its former distribution area. The Edwards’ Pheasant was rediscovered on August 26, 1996 in the Phong Dien area, Thua Thien Huê province. Today, its habitat is very restricted and highly fragmented. A project to reintroduce individuals from the controlled environment into protected forests is underway.
