Crestless fireback  (Lophura erythrophthalma)

The prevailing threats that face the crestless fireback are habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation as a result of large-scale commercial logging and widespread clearance for plantations of rubber and oil. Sadly, commercial logging even continues within protected areas. The major fires of 1997-1998 in Indonesia are suspected to have had a significant impact, and fires appear to be increasing in frequency and severity on Sumatra and Borneo. Hunting for food may pose an additional, more localised threat in certain areas (4).

The crestless fireback’s existence in protected areas constitutes the only real conservation of the species. At least 16 protected areas are thought to hold the bird, of which three - Gunung Mulu National Park, Kerau Wildlife Reserve and Taman Negara National Park - are considered irreplaceably important to the long-term security of eastern Asian galliforms, and one site - Pasoh Forest Reserve - is considered important for the security of this particular species (7). At the end of 2002, 49 individuals were held in captivity in Europe and a further 43 in Malaysia (4). An EEP (European Endangered Species Programme) has recently been established for the Malaysian sub-species and some exchanges of captive bred birds has taken place between the Malaysian Department of Wildlife and National Parks and The World Pheasant Association in order to maintain genetic diversity in the conservation breeding flock (6). However, conservation efforts also need to focus on protecting the crestless fireback in-situ in its rapidly diminishing lowland forest habitat. Lowland forest of the Sundaic region of Indonesia and Malaysia has always been recognised as being a ‘biodiversity hotspot’ and of paramount ecological importance, but it now needs the strongest possible publicity and advocacy if it is to survive with that biodiversity intact (7).