Family Pheasants, Partridges, Turkeys, Grouse (Phasianidae)
Near Threatened
Crested Argus (Rheinardia ocellata)
Taxonomy
French: Argus ocellé German: Perlenfasan Spanish: Argos perlado
Other common names:
Ocellated Argus, Crested Argus-pheasant,
Malaysian Argus (nigrescens)
Taxonomy:
Argus ocellatus
Elliot
, 1871,Hue, Vietnam
.Races are well differentiated; taxonomic study possibly warranted. Two subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution
R. o. ocellata
(Elliot, 1871) – Annamite mountain chain in C & S Vietnam (S to the Da Lat Plateau) and neighbouring E Laos.
R. o. nigrescens
Rothschild, 1902 – mountains in C Peninsular Malaysia, mainly within Taman Negara National Park.
Descriptive notes
Male 190–235 cm (tail 120–173 cm); female 74–75 cm (tail 35–43 cm). Might only be confused with Argusianus argus in parts of C Malaysia, but... read more
Voice
Male’s territorial call is similar to that of Argusianus argus, a loud resonant,... read more
Habitat
Race nigrescens found between 680 m and 1200 m at six localities (all within the environs... read more
Food and feeding
Food believed to consist mainly of crickets, other insects (possibly including ants) and possibly frogs, but 17 droppings from one dancing... read more
Breeding
Little reliable information available, but season believed to begin in Mar, in both Vietnam and Malaysia; calling by court-holding males in... read more
Movements
No information available.
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened; currently considered Near Threatened. Mace-Lande: ocellata vulnerable; nigrescens endangered. CITES I. Overall population estimated... read more
Italian name
Rainardo ocellato