bird · GBIF taxon 5227762
Great Argus
Argusianus argusAlso known as Greater Argus, Argus Pheasant
Great argus pheasants are renowned for the male's spectacular courtship display, where he fans out massive, eye-spotted secondary wing feathers to create a mesmerizing, circular screen. These secretive forest birds spend their days foraging quietly on the jungle floor, clearing large, circular display arenas of leaves and debris to attract females. Their loud, resonant calls echo through the canopy, serving as a signature sound of the Sundaic rainforests.
Elaborate CourtshipRainforestVocal
Licensed referenceFrancesco Veronesi from Italy / CC BY-SA 2.0 · cc-by-sa
- diet
- Fallen fruits, seeds, ants, termites, and other forest floor invertebrates
- family
- Phasianidae
- threats
- Habitat loss due to logging and agriculture, and hunting for meat and feathers
- life Span
- 15 to 20 years
VU
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Populations are declining rapidly due to the destruction of lowland rainforests and pressure from hunting.
Avoid entering active display arenas and use binoculars or a zoom lens to observe from a distance.- Listen for calls: Listen for the male's loud, double-syllable call echoing through the forest to locate their general vicinity.
- Look for cleared arenas: Search the forest floor for clean, circular patches of dirt where males have cleared away all leaves for dancing.
- Keep your distance: Approach quietly and remain hidden behind vegetation, as these birds are incredibly shy and will flee at the slightest disturbance.