Bulwer’s pheasant  (Lophura bulweri)

Extensive and ongoing habitat destruction, particularly of lowland forest, is leaving Bulwer’s pheasant with little room to survive (9). Although large stretches of suitable habitat still remain, the fragmentation of the forests through highways and clearings may be cutting off this nomadic species’ ability to move around and follow the fruiting cycle of different trees, which may also have a negative impact on breeding (5) (7). Forest loss, degradation and fragmentation are the result of large-scale commercial logging, mining, extensive forest fires, and widespread clearance for rubber and oil-palm plantations (7), with oil-palm being sold to the West to be used in everything from food products to cosmetics and toiletries (9). An additional problem is the disturbance of Bulwer’s pheasants by people searching the forest for gaharu, a fungus that infects some trees and creates a resinous wood prized in Asia and the Middle East and sold at a premium price (9). These threats are compounded by widespread hunting for food, and in some places its feathers are used as decorative brushes (7). Illegal trade is believed to occur in Sarawak as the bird can fetch a high price from overseas collectors (7). Meanwhile, this pheasant is not reproducing well in captivity (9).

Bulwer’s pheasant is protected by law in Kalimantan, Indonesia, and in Sarawak, Malaysia, and has recently been recorded in at least six protected areas (5). It has been argued that a vibrant zoo population of Bulwer's pheasants could help raise awareness of its conservation needs in Borneo, but the difficulty of captive breeding is a serious constraint (9).