Rothschild's Peacock-pheasant
VU

Rothschild's Peacock-pheasant

Polyplectron inopinatum

Unknown

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_peacock-pheasant

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

Rothschild's Peacock-pheasant faces severe pressure from rapid deforestation and habitat conversion throughout its limited range in peninsular Malaysia. Logging operations and palm oil plantation expansion have fragmented the lowland and hill forests essential for this ground-dwelling species. Hunting pressure for food and the illegal wildlife trade further compounds population declines, while the species' naturally low reproductive rate limits recovery potential.

Threat summary

Habitat

This species inhabits primary and secondary lowland dipterocarp forests and hill forests up to 1,200 meters elevation in peninsular Malaysia. It prefers dense forest understory with thick leaf litter where it forages for invertebrates, seeds, and fallen fruits.

Other threatened species in Phasianidae

PartridgeVU

Partridge

Perdix perdix

Unknown
Manchurian Eared-pheasantVU

Manchurian Eared-pheasant

Crossoptilon mantchuricum

Unknown
Common QuailVU

Common Quail

Coturnix coturnix

Unknown
Dulit PartridgeVU

Dulit Partridge

Rhizothera dulitensis

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Rothschild's Peacock-pheasant classified as Vulnerable?
Rothschild's Peacock-pheasant is classified as Vulnerable because the population is declining and the species faces a high risk of extinction in the medium-term future if current pressures continue. Rothschild's Peacock-pheasant faces severe pressure from rapid deforestation and habitat conversion throughout its limited range in peninsular Malaysia. Logging operations and palm oil plantation expansion have fragmented the lowland and hill forests essential for this ground-dwelling species. Hunting pressure for food and the illegal wildlife trade further compounds population declines, while the species' naturally low reproductive rate limits recovery potential.
Where does Rothschild's Peacock-pheasant live?
Rothschild's Peacock-pheasant occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Rothschild's Peacock-pheasant?
The main threats to Rothschild's Peacock-pheasant are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

Get weekly conservation intelligence

One short digest a week of the most striking species and country data we ship, plus breaking conservation news paired with our database where it matters.

Free, no spam. One-click unsubscribe in every email.