Crested Argus (Rheinardia ocellata) - BirdLife species factsheet

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NT	Crested Argus Rheinardia ocellata

2010 IUCN Red List Category (as evaluated by BirdLife International - the official Red List Authority for birds for IUCN): Near Threatened

Justification This magnificent pheasant is classified as Near Threatened, owing to a suspected moderately rapid population decline resulting from unsustainable exploitation and a reduction in the extent and quality of its evergreen forest habitat.

Family/Sub-family Phasianidae

Species name author (Elliot, 1871)

Taxonomic source(s) Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)

Synonyms Rheinartia ocellata Collar and Andrew (1988)

Identification Male 190-239 cm, female 74-75 cm. Large pheasant with enormous tail. Male blackish-brown, peppered whitish all over. R. o. nigrescens has buff supercilium and throat and drooping, blackish-brown and white crest. R. o. ocellata has shorter, mostly brownish crest, white supercilium and throat, chestnut-brown foreneck, more numerous, smaller, buffier upperpart markings and more dark chestnut and grey on tail. Female is smaller, shorter-tailed and warm brown with blackish and buff bars, speckles and vermiculations. Somewhat paler below. Voice At dancing ground, very loud woo'o-wao. Also series of far-carrying oowaaaa phrases.

Population estimate	Population trend	Range estimate (breeding/resident)	Country endemic?
10,000-19,999	decreasing	99,700 km²	No

Range & population Rheinardia ocellata is endemic to South-East Asia. The nominate subspecies occurs along the Annamite mountain chain in central and southern Vietnam and neighbouring eastern Laos, south to the Da Lat Plateau in southern Vietnam. The range of subspecies nigrescens is wider than once thought, including the east flank of the East Coast Range of Peninsular Malaysia, although it is restricted to a narrow altitudinal band². Previously it had been known only from eight sites within, or very close to, Taman Negara National Park. Although the species' range and habitat have been reduced and fragmented in Laos and Vietnam, and a substantial population decline has occurred there in the past century, the nominate subspecies is still relatively widespread and locally common.

Important Bird Areas Click here to view map showing IBAs where species is recorded and triggers any of the IBA criteria.

Ecology: In Laos and Vietnam, it is resident in primary and secondary evergreen forest from sea-level up to 1,500 m, and from 1,700-1,900 m on the Da Lat Plateau. It has been frequently recorded from degraded forest habitats, including active logging concessions¹. It occurs at its highest densities in moist primary forest in lowlands up to c.900 m. In Malaysia, it inhabits tall hill dipterocarp/lower montane transitional forest, generally from c.800-1,100 m.

Threats The Indo-Chinese population is probably most at risk from continuing forest loss and degradation, both within and outside protected areas. The greatest problems stem from commercial logging, illegal timber extraction, clearance for agricultural plantations, encroachment by shifting cultivators and road-building. Disturbance and snaring at display arenas are more significant threats than deforestation in some areas. The Malaysian population is less threatened, with the main documented threat being limited habitat loss on the periphery of Taman Negara, although its narrow altitudinal range in this country lies mostly outside protected areas, exposing it to disturbance from logging².

Conservation measures underway CITES Appendix I. It occurs in numerous protected areas, including Bach Ma National Park and at least 10 nature reserves in Vietnam, at least two designated and two proposed National Biodiversity Conservation Areas in Laos, and Taman Negara National Park in Malaysia.

Conservation measures proposed Survey suitable habitat in Laos and Vietnam to clarify its current distribution and assess its abundance in relation to habitat degradation. Regularly monitor the Malaysian population and selected populations in Laos and Vietnam. Promote strict enforcement of hunting regulations in protected areas supporting populations, in combination with locally-targeted conservation awareness initiatives. Conduct taxonomic research into the relationship between the Malaysian and Indo-Chinese populations.

References BirdLife International (2001). 1. N. Brickle in litt. (2004). 2. D. Wells in litt. (2005).

Further web sources of information

Fully detailed species accounts from the Threatened birds of Asia: the BirdLife International Red Data Book (BirdLife International 2001), together with new information collated since the publication of the Red Data Book

Text account compilers Phil Benstead (BirdLife International), Geoffrey Davidson (Malaysian Nature Society), Aidan Keane (World Pheasant Association), Simon Mahood (BirdLife International)

Contributors Nicholas Brickle (Wildlife Conservation Society), Jonathan C Eames (BirdLife International in Indochina), David. R. Wells

IUCN Red List evaluators Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Simon Mahood (BirdLife International)

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2010) Species factsheet: Rheinardia ocellata. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 30/7/2010

This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.

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