Palawan peacock-pheasant - Polyplectron napoleonis (original) (raw)

Click for more still imagesClick for more information Email to a friend© Stan Osolinski / www.osfimages.com**Status:**Classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List 2006 and listed on Appendix I of CITES. DescriptionThe Palawan peacock-pheasant is notable for the male's impressive crest and vibrant plumage, which is glossy black with a dazzling metallic green-blue lustre on the crest, crown, neck, mantle and wings. The long tail is black, finely speckled with buff and adorned with two rows of large and conspicuous green-blue ocelli (eye-shaped spots). The face has a distinctive pattern of black and white, with bare red skin around the eyes. While males bear these lustrous colours and striking ocelli, which they flaunt in elaborate courtship displays to attract mates, females are rather drab in comparison. Their brown plumage, with scattered buff markings, helps camouflage and conceal the females while they incubate their eggs and brood their young.Click for more information