Edwards’s Pheasant, Lophura edwardsi, is a bird of the pheasant family Phasianidae and is endemic to the rainforests of Vietnam. It is named after the French ornithologist Alphonse Milne-Edwards and first described to science in 1896. The bird’s length is 58–65 centimetres (23–26 in) and has red legs and facial skin. The male is mainly blue-black with a crest, and the female is a drab brown bird. Edwards′s Pheasant is almost identical to the similarly sized Vietnamese Pheasant, which it overlaps with throughout its range. The male bird however lacks the white tail feathers of that species. The alarm call is a puk!-puk!-puk!.

This secretive bird has rarely been observed in the wild, and little has therefore been recorded on its biology and ecology, including details of its diet. Mating and nesting behaviour have not been observed in the wild, only in captivity. Eggs tend to be laid between March and May, typically in clutches of four to seven, and are incubated for between 21 to 22 days. As a general rule, individuals breed only after they are two years old

Edwards’s pheasant

Population size:

Unknown

Range:

Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue, Viet Nam

Threats:

Hunting and habitat loss Action required:

Effective law enforcement, habitat restoration and development of a captive breeding programme