Siamese fireback
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Galliformes
Family: Phasianidae
Genus: Lophura
Species:
L. diardi
Binomial name
Lophura diardi
(Bonaparte, 1856)

The Siamese fireback (Lophura diardi), also known as Diard's fireback, is a fairly large, approximately 80 cm (31 in) long, pheasant. The male has a grey plumage with an extensive facial caruncle, crimson legs and feet, ornamental black crest feathers, reddish brown iris and long curved blackish tail. The female is a brown bird with blackish wings and tail feathers.

Head
Lophura diardi

The Siamese fireback is distributed to the lowland and evergreen forests of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam in Southeast Asia. This species is also designated as Thailand's national bird. The female usually lays between four and eight rosy eggs.

Naming

The scientific name commemorates the French naturalist Pierre-Médard Diard.

This species of pheasant has a common name in Thai Kai Fah Phaya Lo (Thai: ไก่ฟ้าพญาลอ; Lord Lo's pheasant), according to Thai folk literature, Lilit Phra Lo where Phra Lo, the protagonist, is charmed by following the pheasant until he meets Phra Phuean and Phra Phaeng, the two sisters and later his lovers.[2]

Status

Due to habitat loss and over-hunting in some areas, the Siamese fireback was evaluated as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List; however, it is now Least Concern.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 BirdLife International (2016). "Lophura diardi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22679274A92808547. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22679274A92808547.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. ↑ "ไก่ฟ้าในประเทศไทย" [Pheasants of Thailand]. ไก่ฟ้า.com (in Thai).
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