Palawan Peacock-Pheasant

     The Palawan Peacock-Pheasant is a Pheasant endemic to the island of Palawan in the Philippines, for which it gets its common name. It belongs to the Peacock-Pheasants’ family which consists of a group of pheasants that possess prominent round eye-shaped spots (ocelli) on their plumage.

     The Palawan Peacock-Pheasant is notable for the male’s impressive crest and vibrant plumage. His plumage is glossy-black with a dazzling metallic green-blue lustre on the crest, crown, neck, mantle and wings. The male Palawan Peacock-Pheasant’s long tail is black, finely speckled with buff and adorned with two rows of large and conspicuous green-blue ocelli. The face has a distinctive pattern of black and white, with bare red skin around the eyes. Female Palawan Peacock-Pheasants are rather drab in comparison, with a brown plumage scattered with buff markings. This actually provides a natural camouflage when nesting.

     Usually clutches consist of two eggs are laid and incubated for 18 to 20 days by the female Palawan Peacock-Pheasant only. Young chicks are precocial after few days from hatching, however the female will still guard them for more several weeks.