It is featured prominently in the culture of the indigenous people of Palawan. The bird is also depicted in the official seal of the city of Puerto Princesa.
The adult male is the most peacock-like member of the genus Polyplectron in appearance. It has an erectile crest and highly iridescent electric blue-violet, metallic green-turquoise dorsal plumage. Its breast and ventral regions are dark black. The rectrices are wide, flat, and rigid. Their terminal edges are squared. Each tail plume and upper-tail covert is marked with highly iridescent, light reflective, ocelli. The tail is erected and expanded laterally together with the bodies of the birds. The males also raise one wing and lower the other, laterally compressing the body during pair-bonding, courtship displays as well and may also be antipredator adaptation.
The female is slightly smaller than the male. Its contour plumage is cloudy silt in colouration. The mantle and breast are a dark sepia in coloration. The rectrices are essentially similar to those of the male, exhibiting marked adumbrations and stunning ocelli. Throughout, their plumage is earthen and difficult to distinguish from the substrate and branches. While it has similar proportions of the tail to the male, its markings are not as visually arresting. Like the male, the female has a short crest and is whitish on the throat, cheeks and eyebrows.
Chicks are vivid ginger and cinnamon hued with prominent yellow markings. Juveniles of both sexes in the first year closely resemble their mothers. Subadult males in their second year more closely resemble their fathers but the mantle and wing coverts are marked with adumbrations analogous with the ocelli in the contour plumage of other peacock-pheasant species.
Like other peacock-pheasants, Palawan males and some females exhibit multiple spurs on the metatarsus. These are used in anti-predator defense, foraging in leaf litter and contests with other males. The male Palawan excavates slight depressions in which it orients its body during postural display behaviors. The bird vibrates loudly via stridulation of rectrice quills. This communicative signal is both audible and as a form of seismic communication.
Palawan peacock-pheasants are strong fliers. Their flight is swift, direct and sustained.
The Palawan peacock-pheasant, with its unique male plumage and distant range, represents a basal (Early? Pliocene, c.5-4 mya)[4] offshoot of the genusPolyplectron (Kimball et al. 2001). The species is widely accepted to be monotypic, but while some males have white supercillia, giving a "double-barred" or masked appearance, others lack this trait, exhibiting dark faces, taller, denser crests and prominent white cheek spots. The birds with white supercillia are sometimes classified as a distinct subspecies, nehrkornae. The white-cheeked form may inhabit deep forest habitat with low ambient light in rolling terrain whilst the masked form appears to inhabit taller, more open forest on flatter terrain with higher ambient light. This masked form exhibits an abbreviated, more tightly compacted and highly iridescent crest. Females of the two respective forms exhibit analogous differentiation. The female of the masked form is more prominently patterned and densely crested with paler contour plumage.
It was long known as Polyplectron emphanum, but the name Polyplectron napoleonis was given one year before and takes priority over the newer name (Dickinson 2001).
They are strictly monogamous, renesting yearly. The female usually lays up to two eggs. Both parents rearing chicks for up to two years. Males act as sentinels of nest sites and are highly pugnacious during the reproductive cycle.
Status and conservation
Due to ongoing habitat loss, small population size and limited range as well as hunting and capture for trade, the Palawan peacock-pheasant is classified as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix I of CITES.
Gallery
male
female
male
References
Footnotes
^BirdLife International (2018). "Polyplectron napoleonis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22679398A132051467. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22679398A132051467.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
^ Note that the molecular clock calibration method used by Kimball et al. (2001) is now known to be inappropriate, yielding far too low estimates in galliform birds.[citation needed]
Works cited
Dickinson, E. C. (2001): The correct scientific name of the Palawan Peacock-Pheasant is Polyplectron napoleonis (Lesson, 1831). Bull. B. O. C.121(4): 266–272.
Kimball, Rebecca T.; Braun, Edward L.; Ligon, J. David; Lucchini, Vittorio & Randi, Ettore (2001): A molecular phylogeny of the peacock-pheasants (Galliformes: Polyplectron spp.) indicates loss and reduction of ornamental traits and display behaviour. Biol. J. Linn. Soc.73(2): 187–198. HTML abstract
Temminck, Coenraad Jacob (1832): Nouveau Recueil de Planches coloriées d'Oiseaux88 plate 540.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Polyplectron napoleonis.
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BirdLife Species Factsheet
March 07, 2023
palawan, peacock, pheasant, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor,. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Palawan peacock pheasant news newspapers books scholar JSTOR August 2013 Learn how and when to remove this template message The Palawan peacock pheasant Polyplectron napoleonis is a medium sized up to 50 cm long bird in the family Phasianidae Palawan peacock pheasantConservation statusVulnerable IUCN 3 1 1 CITES Appendix I CITES 2 Scientific classificationKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass AvesOrder GalliformesFamily PhasianidaeGenus PolyplectronSpecies P napoleonisBinomial namePolyplectron napoleonisLesson 1831Palawan peacock pheasant rangeSynonymsPolyplectrum napoleonisLesson 1831 lapsus Polyplectron emphanumTemminck 1832 3 It is featured prominently in the culture of the indigenous people of Palawan The bird is also depicted in the official seal of the city of Puerto Princesa Contents 1 Description 2 Distribution and habitat 3 Taxonomy 4 Behavior and ecology 5 Status and conservation 6 Gallery 7 References 7 1 Footnotes 7 2 Works cited 8 External linksDescription EditThe adult male is the most peacock like member of the genus Polyplectron in appearance It has an erectile crest and highly iridescent electric blue violet metallic green turquoise dorsal plumage Its breast and ventral regions are dark black The rectrices are wide flat and rigid Their terminal edges are squared Each tail plume and upper tail covert is marked with highly iridescent light reflective ocelli The tail is erected and expanded laterally together with the bodies of the birds The males also raise one wing and lower the other laterally compressing the body during pair bonding courtship displays as well and may also be antipredator adaptation The female is slightly smaller than the male Its contour plumage is cloudy silt in colouration The mantle and breast are a dark sepia in coloration The rectrices are essentially similar to those of the male exhibiting marked adumbrations and stunning ocelli Throughout their plumage is earthen and difficult to distinguish from the substrate and branches While it has similar proportions of the tail to the male its markings are not as visually arresting Like the male the female has a short crest and is whitish on the throat cheeks and eyebrows Chicks are vivid ginger and cinnamon hued with prominent yellow markings Juveniles of both sexes in the first year closely resemble their mothers Subadult males in their second year more closely resemble their fathers but the mantle and wing coverts are marked with adumbrations analogous with the ocelli in the contour plumage of other peacock pheasant species Like other peacock pheasants Palawan males and some females exhibit multiple spurs on the metatarsus These are used in anti predator defense foraging in leaf litter and contests with other males The male Palawan excavates slight depressions in which it orients its body during postural display behaviors The bird vibrates loudly via stridulation of rectrice quills This communicative signal is both audible and as a form of seismic communication Palawan peacock pheasants are strong fliers Their flight is swift direct and sustained Distribution and habitat EditEndemic to the Philippines the Palawan peacock pheasant is found in the humid forests of Palawan Island in the southern part of the Philippine archipelago Taxonomy EditThe Palawan peacock pheasant with its unique male plumage and distant range represents a basal Early Pliocene c 5 4 mya 4 offshoot of the genus Polyplectron Kimball et al 2001 The species is widely accepted to be monotypic but while some males have white supercillia giving a double barred or masked appearance others lack this trait exhibiting dark faces taller denser crests and prominent white cheek spots The birds with white supercillia are sometimes classified as a distinct subspecies nehrkornae The white cheeked form may inhabit deep forest habitat with low ambient light in rolling terrain whilst the masked form appears to inhabit taller more open forest on flatter terrain with higher ambient light This masked form exhibits an abbreviated more tightly compacted and highly iridescent crest Females of the two respective forms exhibit analogous differentiation The female of the masked form is more prominently patterned and densely crested with paler contour plumage It was long known as Polyplectron emphanum but the name Polyplectron napoleonis was given one year before and takes priority over the newer name Dickinson 2001 Behavior and ecology EditPeacock pheasants are highly invertivorous taking isopods earwigs insect larvae mollusks centipedes and termites as well as small frogs drupes seeds and berries They are strictly monogamous renesting yearly The female usually lays up to two eggs Both parents rearing chicks for up to two years Males act as sentinels of nest sites and are highly pugnacious during the reproductive cycle Status and conservation EditDue to ongoing habitat loss small population size and limited range as well as hunting and capture for trade the Palawan peacock pheasant is classified as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species It is listed on Appendix I of CITES Gallery Edit male female maleReferences EditFootnotes Edit BirdLife International 2018 Polyplectron napoleonis IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018 e T22679398A132051467 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2018 2 RLTS T22679398A132051467 en Retrieved 12 November 2021 Appendices CITES cites org Retrieved 2022 01 14 See Dickinson 2001 Note that the molecular clock calibration method used by Kimball et al 2001 is now known to be inappropriate yielding far too low estimates in galliform birds citation needed Works cited Edit Dickinson E C 2001 The correct scientific name of the Palawan Peacock Pheasant is Polyplectron napoleonis Lesson 1831 Bull B O C 121 4 266 272 Kimball Rebecca T Braun Edward L Ligon J David Lucchini Vittorio amp Randi Ettore 2001 A molecular phylogeny of the peacock pheasants Galliformes Polyplectron spp indicates loss and reduction of ornamental traits and display behaviour Biol J Linn Soc 73 2 187 198 HTML abstract Lesson Rene Primevere 1831 Traite d Ornithologie 7 487 8 650 Temminck Coenraad Jacob 1832 Nouveau Recueil de Planches coloriees d Oiseaux 88 plate 540 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Polyplectron napoleonis ARKive images and movies of the Palawan peacock pheasant Polyplectron napoleonis BirdLife Species Factsheet Red Data Book Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Palawan peacock pheasant amp oldid 1121427224, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
