Pheasants & Partridges of Vietnam – Phasianidae
With 20 species of Pheasants & Partridges of Vietnam, occurring over the country, some species really hard to see Vietnam’s four endemic forest jewels, the striking Edwards’s Pheasant, Orange-necked Partridge, Vietnamese Crested Argus, Germain’s Peacock-Pheasant and the more understated, though equally desirable, Green Peafowl & Siamese Fireback, will, without doubt, appear near the top of any birders wish list. Being endemic, their ranges spill over borders into several neighbouring countries but Vietnam is unquestionably the stronghold of these two beauties of the forest floor.
You may know: Mention Vietnam to anyone who has spent time birding in the country or is perhaps planning a birding trip to Vietnam in the future and the names of two particular bird families will surely come up, pittas, Pheasants & Partridges
The overview of Pheasants & Partridges families
The Phasianidae are a family of heavy, ground-living birds, which includes pheasants, partridges, junglefowl, chickens, turkeys, Old World quail, and peafowl. The family includes many of the most popular gamebirds. The family is a large one and includes 185 species divided into 54 genera. It was formerly broken up into two subfamilies, the Phasianinae and the Perdicinae.
However, this treatment is now known to be paraphyletic and polyphyletic, respectively, and more recent evidence supports breaking it up into two subfamilies: Rollulinae and Phasianinae, with the latter containing multiple tribes within two clades. The New World quail (Odontophoridae) and guineafowl (Numididae) were formerly sometimes included in this family, but are now typically placed in families of their own; conversely, grouse and turkeys, formerly often treated as distinct families (Tetraonidae and Meleagrididae, respectively), are now known to be deeply nested within Phasianidae, so they are now included in the present family.
The Phasianidae are mostly an Old World family, with a distribution that includes most of Europe and Asia (except the far north), all of Africa except the driest deserts, and south into much of eastern Australia and (formerly) New Zealand. The Meleagridini (turkeys) are native to the New World, while the Tetraonini (grouse) are circumpolar; both of these are members of Phasianinae. The greatest diversity of species is in Southeast Asia and Africa. The Congo peacock is specific to the African Congo.
The family is generally sedentary and resident, although some members of the group undertake long migrations, like ptarmigans and Old World quail. Several species in the family have been widely introduced around the world, particularly pheasants, which have been introduced to Europe, Australia, and the Americas, specifically for hunting purposes. Captive populations of peafowl, domestic chickens, and turkeys have also escaped or been released and became feral.
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Some Highlight Pheasants & Partridges of Vietnam
Orange-necked Partridge Arborophila davidi – Endemic
Status: Near-threatened
Best time to watch & Photo: Dec-Feb
Tour cover: Cat Tien Np.
Hotspot: Cat Tien Np.
Tonkin Partridge A. tonkinensis
Status: (E Tonkin
Best time to watch & Photo: Jun-Aug
Tours: May – Sep
Hotspot: Cuc Phuong
Edwards’s Pheasant Lophura edwardsi – Endemic
Status: Critically endangered
Best time to watch & Photo: UNKNOW
Tours: North of Central Vietnam
Hotspot: Khe Nuoc Trong
Vietnamese Crested Argus Rheinardia ocellata – Endemic
Status: Critically endangered
Best time to watch & Photo: UNKOWN
Tours: Central Vietnam
Hotspot: Tay Giang, Dong Giang
Germain’s Peacock-Pheasant Polyplectron germaini – Endemic
Status: Near-threatened
Best time to watch & Photo: Jan-Mar
Tours: Central Highland & South Vietnam
Hotspot: Cat Tien, Ma Da, Tan Phu, Dalat Pateau
Green Peafowl Pavo muticus
Status: Endangered
Best time to watch & Photo: Feb-Apr
Tours: Central Highland, South of Central & South East Vietnam
Hotspot: Cat Tien Np., Yokdon Np.
Silver Pheasant Lophura nycthemera
Status: Local common resident (throughout)
Best time to watch & Photo: Feb-Apr
Tours:
Hotspot: Cat Tien, Ma Da, Tan Phu
Siamese Fireback Lophura diardi
Status: Common breeding (C&S Annam, pass migrant E Tokin)
Best time to watch & Photo: Feb-Apr
Tours:
Hotspot: Cat Tien, Nui Dinh, Ma Da
Asian Blue Quail Synoicus chinensis
Status: Rare breeding visitor (W Tonkin, S Annam, Cochinchina)
Best time to watch & Photo: Feb-Apr
Hotspot: Ho Chi Minh, Mekong Delta
List of all Pheasants and Partridges in Vietnam
Pheasants and Partridges in Vietnam | Levels | |
1 | Hill Partridge | Hard |
2 | Rufous-throated Partridge | Easy |
3 | Bar-backed Partridge | Easy |
4 | Orange-necked Partridge | Maybe |
5 | Temminck’s Tragopan | Hard |
6 | Ring-necked Pheasant | Hard |
7 | Edwards’s Pheasant | Imposible |
8 | Silver Pheasant | Maybe |
9 | Siamese Fireback | Easy |
10 | Vietnamese Crested Argus | Hard |
11 | Green Peafowl | Easy |
12 | Scaly-breasted Partridge | Easy |
13 | Germain’s Peacock-Pheasant | Easy |
14 | Gray Peacock-Pheasant | Lack Data |
15 | Mountain Bamboo-Partridge | Lack Data |
16 | Red Junglefowl | Easy |
17 | Chinese Francolin | Easy |
18 | Japanese Quail | Easy |
19 | Blue-breasted Quail | Easy |
20 | Rain Quail | Easy |
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