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Bornean Crestless Fireback, the Captivating Pheasant from Borneo Jungle

Bornean Crestless Fireback is a timid pheasant. In Borneo, along with many other species, its population suffers the direct impact of settlement expansions and deforestation concessions. These two reasons are among the threatening factors to the existence of the pheasant. However, despite being moderately tolerant to deforestation, massive hunting has greatly affected the population of this species in its natural habitat.

Almost all pheasants in Kalimantan are distributed scarcely, and most of them have been assessed by the IUCN as endangered on their conservation status, including the Bornean Crestless Fireback (Lophura pyronota) which is endemic to Borneo Island.

Since its ecological niche is in the undamaged and wide lowland forests, finding the Bornean Crestless Fireback is a difficult task. The current population of the species is estimated to be only around 10,000-19,999 adult individuals. Due to its increasing threat, the IUCN has included this species on the red list of endangered species with Vulnerable (VU) status.

The damage level of Kalimantan forests is very high. During the period of 1985-1997, Kalimantan has lost almost 25% forest cover. Driven by this fact, a number of parties carry out conservation actions of this species in some protected areas, including in Tanjung Puting National Park and Gunung Mulu National Park di Sarawak in Malaysia.

The Bornean Crestless Fireback is a new species derived from species splitting of the Malay Crestless Fireback (Lophura erythrophthalma) which distributed in Sumatera, Malaysian Peninsula and Kalimantan. In comparison, they have different physical traits. The feather of the Malay Crestless Fireback is glossy dark blue, while the Bornean Crestless Fireback is pale grey on its neck that continues thick white to the belly.

The thick white pattern also appears on the back of its neck and mantle. Based on this, the Bornean Crestless Fireback was designated as a separate species.

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Important fact: Out of 10.000 bird species in the world, Indonesia is a home for 1.769 wild birds. Discovering the various types of birds and their services for the environment is a way of appreciating the biodiversity richness of Indonesia.

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