The Species: Crested Argus

Only 10,000 individual birds still inhabit Vietnam

Scientific name	Rheinardia ocellata
Conservation status	Vulnerable
Status in Vietnam	Threatened
Endemism	Vietnam, Lao PDR, peninsular Malaysia

With its amazing plumage, the crested argus is unmistakable.

Endemic to Vietnam, Lao PDR and a small population in Malaysia, this large pheasant is distinguished by its huge tail feathers which are up to five inches wide and nearly six feet long in adult males. When spread, the tail feathers display a beautiful and complicated pattern of chestnut and almost white eye-shaped spots on a grey background.

The female is much smaller with a shorter tail. Overall, she is also darker and her plumage is more barren than spotted as in the males. The head of the female argus has distinctive patterns and is crested.

Elaborate courtship
Usually shy and retiring, the crested argus is not easy to observe. However, even if out of sight, it can be identified by its two distinct calls: one a prolonged whistle, the other a soft clucking. During the mating season, it performs an elaborate courtship ritual and dance.

This increasingly rare bird is found in primary, logged and secondary evergreen forests at elevations between 100 and 700m. Threatened by hunting and the loss and fragmentation of their forest habitat from logging and land clearance, it is estimated that only 10,000 individual birds still inhabit Vietnam.