Palawan Peacock-pheasant
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| Polyplectron napoleonis Lesson, 1831 |
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The Palawan Peacock-pheasant, Polyplectron napoleonis also known as Napoleon Peacock-pheasant is a medium-sized, up to 50cm long, bird in the family Phasianidae. It was long known as Polyplectron emphanum (Dickinson 2001).
The male is the handsomest and most peacock-like member of genus Polyplectron. It has an erectile crest, white stripe over eye, and highly iridescence metallic green and black plumage. The tail feathers are decorated with large blue-green ocelli, which may be spread fan-like in courtship display. The female is smaller than male. It has a dark brown plumage with short crest, and whitish on throat, cheeks and eyebrow.
A Philippines endemic, the Palawan Peacock-pheasant is distributed to humid forests of Palawan Island in the southern part of Philippines archipelago. The female usually lays up to two eggs.
The Palawan Peacock-pheasant with its unique male plumage and distant range represents a basal (Early? Pliocene, c.5-4 mya[2]) offshoot of the genus Polyplectron (Kimball et al. 2001).
Due to ongoing habitat loss, small population size, limited range and hunting and capture for trade, the Palawan Peacock-pheasant is classified as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix I of CITES.
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[edit] Gallery
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 female |
[edit] References
- BirdLife International (2004). Polyplectron napoleonis. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 29 October 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is vulnerable
- Dickinson, E. C. (2001): The correct scientific name of the Palawan Peacock-pheasant is Polyplectron napoleonis Lesson, 1831. Bull. B. O. C. 121(4): 266-272.
- Kimball, Rebecca T.; Braun, Edward L.; Ligon, J. David; Lucchini, Vittorio & Randi, Ettore (2001): A molecular phylogeny of the peacock-pheasants (Galliformes: Polyplectron spp.) indicates loss and reduction of ornamental traits and display behaviours. Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 73(2): 187–198. HTML abstract
- Lesson, René-Primevère (1831): Traite d'Ornithologie 7:487; 8: 650.
- Temminck, Coenraad Jacob (1832): Nouveau Recueil de Planches coloriées d'Oiseaux 88 plate 540.
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ See Dickinson (2001).
- ^ Note that the molecular clock calibration method used by Kimball et al. (2001) is now known to be inappropriate, yielding far too low estimates in galliform birds.[citation needed]
[edit] External links
