Species

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Justification
This pheasant has a very small and severely fragmented range and population, which are continuing to decline owing to destruction of its specialised lowland forest habitat and high levels of hunting. These factors currently combine to qualify it as Endangered. If habitat loss and hunting continue, it may require uplisting to Critically Endangered in the very near future.

Taxonomic source(s)
Sibley, C. G.; Monroe, B. L. 1990. Distribution and taxonomy of birds of the world. Yale University Press, New Haven, USA.

Identification
58-65 cm. Blue-black pheasant (male) with short, shaggy white crest, red facial skin and white central tail feathers. Female uniform cold greyish-brown with warmer tinged wings and blackish tail with brown central tail feathers. Similar spp. Like Edwards's Pheasant L. edwardsi, but males have variable number of white central tail feathers. Female not obviously distinguishable from L. edwardsi. Voice Alarm call is subdued, hard puk puk puk puk puk (probably same as L. edwardsi).

Distribution and population
Lophura hatinhensis is endemic to central Vietnam, where it was discovered in 1964 (BirdLife International 2001). There are recent records from localities in Ha Tinh and Quang Binh provinces, most of which are within the Ke Go Nature Reserve. The continued existence of a population in the Net river watershed, where several birds were seen in 1994, may be in doubt because of extensive logging and other degradation of suitable habitat there. Its global population has been estimated at fewer than 2,500 individuals.

Population justification
The total population is placed in the band 1,000-2,499 individuals, equating to 667-1,666 mature individuals, rounded here to 600-1,700 mature individuals.

Trend justification
The species is suspected to be declining rapidly owing to the widespread clearance of forest that has taken place and continues, even within protected areas. The reliance of local communities on forest products causes additional disturbance and may be exacerbating declines.

Ecology
It inhabits primary and secondary (including logged) evergreen forest in lowlands and hills from sea-level (at least historically) to c.300 m. It may tolerate habitat degradation, but is apparently far more common in closed-canopy forest, and has been trapped in dense streamside vegetation.

Threats
Most of the coastal lowlands of Ha Tinh and Quang Binh provinces have been completely deforested by expanding human populations clearing land for wet-rice cultivation. Pressure from hunting may still be significant within Ke Go Nature Reserve, particularly from illegal loggers and various forest-product collectors. Shortfalls in household rice production render certain local communities seasonally dependent on forest products to generate income.

Conservation actions underway
Recent surveys for the species between 1988 and 1994, in part, led to the drafting of a management plan for the Ke Go Nature Reserve, which was gazetted in 1996. A larger project planned for 2000 was cancelled (J. Eames in litt. 2004). The captive population, established at Hanoi Zoo, has now provided individuals to several European collections, including Chester Zoo, UK, where breeding activity first produced a chick in 2001 (Wilkinson 2002). A Site Support Group has been established at Khe Net IBA (Quang Binh province) and another is planned for Truong Son IBA (Quang Binh province) (J. Eames in litt. 2004). In December 2003, the known captive population numbered 177 individuals (A. Hennache in litt. 2004).

Conservation actions proposed
Conduct further surveys to clarify its status and habitat requirements. Support full establishment of a protected area and Site Support Group at Khe Net and enhance the existing Site Support Group at Ke Go Promote food security projects in the communes within Ke Go Nature Reserve that are most dependent on natural resources. Promote the careful separate management of captive Vietnamese Lophura pheasants through the ISB system, and regularly review ex-situ measures until their taxonomic relationships are clarified

References
BirdLife International. 2001. Threatened birds of Asia: the BirdLife International Red Data Book. BirdLife International, Cambridge, U.K.

Keane, A.M.; Garson, P.J.; McGowan, P.J. K. in press. Pheasants: status survey and conservation action plan 2005-2009. IUCN and WPA, Gland, Switzerland.

Wilkinson, R. 2002. Vietnamese Pheasants Lophura hatinhensis bred at Chester Zoo. The Babbler: BirdLife in Indochina 1(4): 6.

Further web sources of information
Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE) species/site profile. This species has been identified as an AZE trigger due to its IUCN Red List status and limited range.

Click here for more information about the Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE)

Detailed species accounts from the Threatened birds of Asia: the BirdLife International Red Data Book (BirdLife International 2001).

Text account compilers
Benstead, P., Bird, J., Davidson, P., Keane, A., Taylor, J.

Contributors
Eames, J., Hennache, A.

IUCN Red List evaluators
Butchart, S., Symes, A.

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2013) Species factsheet: Lophura hatinhensis. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 19/06/2013. Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2013) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 19/06/2013.

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.

To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife

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Additional resources for this species

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