Malaysian peacock-pheasant  (Polyplectron malacense)

Lowland forest clearance and modification for cultivation (rubber and palm oil plantations especially) pose the primary threats to the Malaysian peacock-pheasant (8). 75 percent of suitable habitat that was available prior to 1970 has been lost (9). This pheasant has consequently suffered a rapid population decline, and its small remaining population is becoming increasingly fragmented with the progressive erosion of its specialised lowland forest habitat (1). Hunting for food, sport and the bird trade is thought to have contributed to this pheasant’s probable extinction in Thailand, but there is no evidence that this is a particularly sought after species in Malaysia (8).

Populations of the Malaysian peacock-pheasant occur in at least two protected areas in Malaysia - the Taman Negara and Krau Wildlife Reserve - and further populations have been reported at Sungai Dusun Wildlife Reserve (8). A number of forest reserves that do not officially qualify as protected areas under wildlife legislation also contain populations of this bird, including Pasoh (8). Although captive breeding projects have been successful, the low reproductive rate of the Malaysian peacock-pheasant makes it difficult to raise large numbers in captivity (4). Nevertheless, the Malaysian Department of Wildlife and National Parks, aided by the World Pheasant Association, is currently using captive stock in a reintroduction project to bolster numbers in the wild (10).