Hainan Peacock-Pheasant
Polyplectron katsumatae
Rare and often excruciatingly difficult to find, this is the only large gray game bird on Hainan. Usually detected by the loud, scratching noises made by flipping and scuffling leaves as it forages. Very similar to the closely related Gray Peacock-Pheasant, with which it shares no range overlap. Gray overall with dark blue-green dots on the wings and tail. Male is longer-tailed, with a short bushy crest and a small patch of red skin around the eye.
Identification
The bird was long considered a subspecies of grey peacock-pheasant or Polyplectron bicalcaratum. The Hainan peacock-pheasant is smaller, and it possesses a short crest and ruff (Johnsgard 1986).[full citation needed] It has red facial skin as opposed to grey in the yellow-orange facial skin of the grey peacock-pheasant. Beebe (1922)[full citation needed] noted various plumage differences between the two and considered them separate species.
Taxonomy
Due to lack of detailed taxonomic studies, whether it was truly a subspecies (Polyplectron bicalcaratum katsumatae) or a full species remained unclear. Scientists used molecular markers, including the complete mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and intron G of the nuclear ovomucoid gene, to reevaluate the taxonomy of the Hainan peacock-pheasant. The results showed phylogeographic monophyly and large genetic distance between the Hainan peacock-pheasant and the grey peacock-pheasant. Sequence differences corroborated the species-level distinction between these two peacock-pheasants, which were inferred to have diverged about 1.4±0.3 million years ago, near the time Hainan Island became separated from mainland China. BirdLife International has also decided to recognize the split of Polyplectron katsumatae from Polyplectron bicalcaratum.
- Scientific name
- Polyplectron katsumatae
- Authority
- Rothschild, 1906
- Order
- Galliformes
- Family
- Phasianidae
- Genus
- Polyplectron
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
Due to a very low population density in tropical forest and declining population, it is now becoming severely endangered and should be regarded as the rarest species in the order Galliformes in China. Taking more conservation action immediately to protect this endangered island endemic is imperative.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
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