 PHOTO: KENNETH W. FINK |
PHOTO: KENNETH W. FINK |
| The Malay Peacock Pheasant is the nominate race of this species and is another fairly rare pheasant in captivity. In 1976, over half the captive population was in America where the Bronx Zoo had been particularly successful in breeding them in humid well-planted aviaries. However, a cooperative project with the Malaysian Wildlife Department, Zoo Negara, and the Bronx Zoo has resulted in a good increase in captive numbers. As well, the first birds brought to the U.K. in a decade arrived in 1991. They are not common in the wild. As their name implies, they come from the Malay Peninsula where they can be found from sea level to 3,000 feet (900 meters), but they are more common at lower altitudes in thick forest. The Bornean subspecies P. m. schleiermacheri is rarer in captivity and is listed as endangered. A project funded by the World Pheasant Association is concerned with a four-year study of the Malay Peacock Pheasant and has used radio tracking to find out more about their feeding and roosting habits, and their breeding biology. |
| Avicultural Notes | |
| Minimum aviary size | 100 - 150 sq. ft. (9.3 - 14 m2) |
| Status in captivity | Rare, but increasing |
| Full adult plumage | First year |
| Egg clutch size | 2 eggs |
| Incubation Period | 22 days |
| Feeding Habits | Normal pheasant diet plus peanuts, chopped fruit, seeds, mealworms, etc. |