Vietnamese pheasant

The Vietnamese pheasant is one of the rarest bird species in the world. It lives exclusively in the lowland forests of Central Vietnam. Deforestation, hunting and the destruction of large areas of forest during the Vietnam war caused its population to decline sharply. Zoos and conservation breeding programmes now play a crucial role in the species’ suvival.

Vietnamese pheasants usually stay on the ground. When danger threatens, they flee by running into the protective vegetation. At night, however, they sleep in trees, where they are better protected from predators.

Their diet consists of seeds, fruits and young parts of plants. They also enjoy eating insects, worms and other small invertebrates. Using their strong feet, they scratch the forest floor in search of food.

Depending on the light, the rooster’s plumage shimmers blue, violet or almost black – this is caused by a special feather structure.