Overview
The Great Argus is a large pheasant species and one of the world’s most distinct and renowned birds, primarily due to its spectacular plumage display. Its extravagant courtship display, featuring its enormous wing feathers decorated with numerous “eyes,” makes it one of the fascinating birds to observe.
This ground-dwelling bird is found in the forests of Borneo, Sumatra, and the Malay Peninsula. Though a large bird, it is also elusive and secretive, making sightings relatively rare. The Great Argus is omnivorous, feeding on various insects, fruits, seeds, and small animals.
The Great Argus is under pressure due to habitat loss and hunting, but it has a relatively stable population and wide range. Conservation efforts are in place to protect its habitat and mitigate the impacts of hunting.
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Physical Description:
The Great Argus is renowned for its grandeur and striking appearance. The males are more significant than females, with body lengths reaching up to 200 cm, owing primarily to the extensive tail and wing feathers. The wings are adorned with multiple “eyes” or ocelli – dazzling, buff-edged spots, modified feathers. The body is covered in a coarse, brownish-grey plumage that serves as effective camouflage in their native forest habitats.
The head of the Great Argus is small relative to its body size, with a long neck and a short, robust bill. The bird has bare, blue skin and a double crest around the eye. The legs are powerful and adapted for terrestrial life, as the Great Argus spends most of its time on the ground. While less flashy than the male, the female Great Argus is still a large bird with a more uniform brown plumage.
Lifespan: Wild: ~20 Years || Captivity: ~25 Years
Weight: Male: 4.6-7.3 lbs (2.1-3.3 kg) || Female: 3.5-5.7 lbs (1.6-2.6 kg)
Length: Male: 63-79 inches (160-200 cm) || Female: 29-31 inches (73-78 cm)
Top Speed: 20 mph (32 km/h)
Characteristic:
Native Habitat:
The Great Argus is native to the rainforests of Borneo, Sumatra, and the Malay Peninsula. These birds prefer lowland dipterocarp forests but can also be found in secondary forests and on forest edges. They are ground-dwelling birds and rarely fly, preferring to walk or run through the undergrowth.
Despite their large size, they are well-adapted to navigating dense forests, using their long necks to move foliage aside while walking through the underbrush. They are solitary creatures, each bird or pair having a territory they guard vigorously against intruders. At night, they roost in trees to avoid ground predators.
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Diet & Feeding Habits:
The Great Argus is an omnivorous bird that displays opportunistic feeding behavior. It consumes a broad range of food items based on their availability in its forest habitat. These birds use their strong beaks and feet to forage on the forest floor for food.
Their diet primarily comprises fruits and seeds, which they supplement with insects, small reptiles, and amphibians. Great Argus eat roots and other vegetation, mainly when animal prey or fruits are less abundant. Their ability to adapt their diet to available resources plays a crucial role in their survival in various environments.
Mating Behavior:
Mating Description:
Male Great Argus are polygamous, courting multiple females during the breeding season, typically from May to July. Males perform an elaborate courtship display to attract females. This display involves the male clearing a small area on the forest floor, known as a “dance court,” and decorating it with leaves, sticks, and other forest debris.
The male then positions himself in the center of the dance court, fans out his wings to expose the eye spots, and begins a series of moves and calls to attract females. If a female is impressed, she will mate with the male. After mating, the female leaves to build a nest and raise the offspring alone.
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Social Structure Description:
Great Argus are mainly solitary birds, with males and females coming together only for mating. Each bird or pair has a territory that they guard vigorously against intruders. Males maintain several “display courts” within their territory where they perform their spectacular courtship displays.
These birds are known to be quiet most of the year, except during the breeding season when males make loud calls to attract females. Despite their largely solitary nature, they are not particularly territorial, often tolerating the presence of other individuals as long as they do not approach their display courts.
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Population Trend:
The Great Argus has a widely distributed but fragmented population across Southeast Asia, with an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 individuals in the wild. Although it’s not globally threatened, the species has been extirpated from some parts of its range due to deforestation and hunting.
Despite these pressures, the Great Argus maintains a foothold in various protected areas and national parks, contributing to a relatively stable population in those regions. However, continued habitat loss and hunting could further impact these numbers, which is a significant concern for conservationists.
Population Threats:
The primary threats facing the Great Argus are habitat loss due to deforestation and hunting. Logging, agricultural expansion, and urban development are leading to substantial habitat loss across their range. This forest fragmentation impacts the birds’ ability to find food and mates and increases exposure to predators.
Hunting for the bird’s meat and feathers also poses a significant threat. The impressive plumage of the Great Argus is highly prized, leading to overhunting in some areas. Additionally, they are occasionally captured for the pet trade, further reducing their population.
Conservation Efforts:
Efforts to conserve the Great Argus primarily focus on habitat preservation and reducing hunting. This includes establishing and maintaining protected areas like national parks and reserves, where logging and hunting are controlled or prohibited. Many of these areas have management plans to ensure sustainable use of resources and protection of critical species, including the Great Argus.
Education and awareness campaigns are also important, focusing on the importance of biodiversity and the specific role that the Great Argus plays in the ecosystem. There are also regulations in place in many countries to control hunting and the trade of this bird. There are ongoing studies to monitor population trends and distribution to better understand the species and develop effective conservation strategies.
Additional Resources:
Fun Facts
- The Great Argus is named after the hundred-eyed giant Argus from Greek mythology due to the eye-like spots on its wings.
- The males perform one of the most spectacular courtship displays in the bird world.
- Despite their large size and impressive plumage, these birds are quite elusive and can be difficult to spot in their dense forest habitats.
- The “eyes” on the male’s wings are among the largest of any bird species.
- Great Argus seldom fly; they prefer to walk or run through the forest floor.
- The sound of their wings during courtship displays can be heard up to a kilometer away.
- Despite being hunted for their meat and feathers, Great Argus are not particularly easy to capture due to their elusive nature.
- The chicks are precocial; they are able to feed themselves shortly after hatching, though they stay with their mother for several months.
- These birds roost in trees at night to avoid ground predators.
- They have a wide vocal range; their calls include harsh croaks, soft whistles, and loud, clear notes often heard at dawn and dusk.
