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Great Argus – Argusianus argus
Great Argus – Argusianus argus
This is a galliforme from the Phasianidae family (pheasants).
Its plumage is brown, beige covered by numerous ocelli. The head and neck are partially covered with bare blue skin. Red feet have a sharp spur. The female has among others the neck and chest with a brighter reddish-brown.
This bird is one of the most mysterious members of the Phasianidae family. There are two species which are living exclusively in the island of Borneo.
The other race lives in the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra where it stands in the jungles and mountains. It is truly a bird of the primitive jungle, intensely shaded. It lives on the ground. Its race is fast and it can spring vividly and rarely flies . It demonstrates a fairly long life in captivity if it gets all the care required.
It acquires sexual maturity in its third year. This pheasant is monogamous. The male landscape an arena or a dance floor, where it engaged in spectacular courtship displays. It stands in this place that it cleared of leaves and twigs, and it comes back until it find a partner. The ritual of the parade is to recover and spread its large flight feathers, faced with the female.
The nest is built on the ground and usually contains 7 to 8 eggs. Incubation lasts about 25 days. The female takes care only of breeding chicks.
Its lifetime is estimated at 15 years.
