Bulwer's Pheasant

Bulwer's Pheasant (Lophura bulweri)

Family: PHASIANIDAE
Pheasants are a worldwide family of ground-living birds with short round wings, but often long tails. Males are usually very decorative while females are drably camouflaged. They nest on the ground but roost in trees. Some species have loud, clear calls. Many species have wing-whirring or shaking displays. Most species have fighting spurs on the males' legs. Flight is flurried and usually only for short distances, but the birds can run well.

There are 22 species in the Greater Sundas. None is migratory.

Description: A large handsome pheasant (male 77 cm, female 50 cm). Male unmistakable with splendid blue facial wattles and a long, spreading, curved white tail. The general body colour is bluish black with blue edges to feathers; throat and upper breast purplish. Female: dull mottled brown with blue facial skin.
Iris - red; bill - dark horn; legs and feet - red (male has a small spur).

Voice: In mating season gives a shrill, piercing cry (Heinroth). Penetrating metallic kook kook given by both sexes, and a sharp nervous kak kak in alarm (Beebe).

Range: Endemic to Borneo.

Distribution and status: Found in hill forests to 1600 m in all regions. The species is locally common but getting rarer.

Habits: Similar to junglefowl (which is absent from Borneo). Lives in primary and old secondary forests. In display male extends wattles, and raises and spreads tail.