Treasure of Truong Son range: Extremely rare animal species found in only 2 countries in the world, IUCN urgently protects!

The IUCN Red List calls for urgent protection of this species because they are at risk of complete extinction in the wild.

This animal species is classified as CR - Critically Endangered in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2021, which is the Vietnamese Crested Argus (scientific name: Rheinardia ocellata ).

Image of Vietnamese crested pheasant (male). (Source: Fletcher & Baylis/Arkive).

According to the IUCN Red List, the Vietnamese crested argus lives in only two countries in the world, Vietnam and Laos . This species is mainly found along the Truong Son mountain range that divides Laos and Vietnam; along with other mountain ranges in central and southern Vietnam; and in the moist evergreen forests of the high mountains of Laos.

Because this animal is facing an extremely high risk of becoming completely extinct in the wild in the near future, the Vietnamese crested pheasant is considered a "treasure" of the Truong Son mountain range in particular and the world in general . The Truong Son mountain range is over 2,700 meters high, one of the largest mountain ranges in the world, and is also the longest mountain range in Vietnam.

The Vietnamese Crested Pheasant has a beautiful, graceful appearance. This species belongs to the large peacock-like bird genus in the Pheasant family with generally black and dark brown plumage with star-like spots, a deep pink bill, brown irises and green skin around the eyes.

The male is 190–239 cm tall, the female 74–75 cm. The adult male is notable for its massive 12-feathered tail, with the central tail feathers being five times longer than the outermost pair. The female is smaller, with a shorter tail. The male is unmistakable, with a long white crest that can be flared, and the female has a distinctive head pattern (browner and duller than the male, with its shorter crest) and striped upperparts.

In addition to crowing, male Vietnamese crested pheasants often use their large feathers to impress females during the breeding season.

Image of a male Vietnamese crested pheasant. (Photo: Francesc Jutglar/Birdsoftheworld).

Image of female Vietnamese crested pheasant. (Photo: Francesc Jutglar/Birdsoftheworld).

This bird is omnivorous. Its food consists of various leaves, berries, grubs, amphibians, other insects and small frogs.

The Vietnamese crested pheasant inhabits primary and secondary evergreen forests from sea level up to 1,500 m and from 1,700 m to 1,900 m on the Da Lat Plateau. The highest density is in moist primary forests at about 900 m.

The IUCN Red List does not provide a specific number of individuals in the wild, but the IUCN stresses that, although its range remains large, it is strongly suspected that the population has been significantly reduced and is still declining extremely rapidly. Bach Ma National Park in Thua Thien Hue province is known to be a location where the species was common, but it also appears to have disappeared completely from the wild in the past decade.

2 major threats to Vietnamese pheasants

According to international experts, the most serious threat to the Vietnamese crested pheasant comes from high levels of hunting , mainly through the use of snares. The species is hunted mainly for meat, but also for the pet trade.

Particularly in lowland forests across Vietnam and Laos, snaring has increased dramatically since the early 2000s. The most recent wave of 'industrial-level' snaring has occurred across forested areas of central Vietnam and Laos.

Vietnamese crested pheasant image taken from a camera trap. (Photo: Paul Sweet/Birdsoftheworld).

Currently, the areas south of the Truong Son range are thought to be suffering from this wave of trapping and this may be where the decline is most rapid today. Previously, the south of the Truong Son range was the last area thought to be unaffected by this wave of trapping.

No effective measures have been taken to reduce trapping levels throughout the species' range, so population decline is likely to continue.

The second threat comes from habitat loss , due to recent deforestation for hunting. The rate of forest cover loss has increased between 2003 and 2020, according to the analysis. If this rate continues, the total loss of forest area across the species' range between 2016 and 2033 will be 21.4%.

Since its first description in the world in the early 20th century, and despite being considered quite abundant until a few decades ago, this pheasant is now very rare throughout its range and its population appears to be in almost inevitable decline. As a result, the Vietnamese crested pheasant has become extremely difficult to find.

To avoid the risk of complete extinction in the wild, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recommends conservation actions to preserve species diversity in Southeast Asia in particular and the world in general, including: Strict enforcement of hunting regulations in protected areas; Combined with local targeted conservation awareness raising initiatives; Surveying suitable habitats in Laos and Vietnam to clarify current distribution and assess species abundance.