Copper pheasant  (Syrmaticus soemmerringii)

Once common, the copper pheasant is now seldom seen in the wild, having declined dramatically in recent decades due to large-scale hunting for sport. Habitat loss has also impacted copper pheasant populations, and feral cats and dogs may be reducing breeding success. Hybridisation between the five subspecies may also pose a problem (5).

The shooting of females was banned in 1976, their preservation being more critical to the survival of the species because of their greater reproductive involvement (5). However, there is a need to further regulate sport hunting so that it is maintained at sustainable levels (2) (5).