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| Great argus | |
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| Male | |
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| Female | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Galliformes |
| Family: | Phasianidae |
| Tribe: | Pavonini |
| Genus: | Argusianus Gray, GR, 1849 |
| Species: | A. argus |
| Binomial name | |
| Argusianus argus | |
| Synonyms | |
Thegreat argus (Argusianus argus), orgreater argus, is a large species ofpheasant fromSoutheast Asia. It is known for its impressive plumage and courtship behavior. It is not to be confused with the two species of closely relatedcrested argus, genusRheinardia.
Carl Linnaeus gave the great argus itsspecific name (from which its common name and genus name are derived) because of the intricate eye-likepatterns on its wings, in reference toArgus, a hundred-eyed giant inGreek mythology.[4] There are two subspecies recognized: Nominateargus of the Malay peninsula and Sumatra, andA. a. grayi ofBorneo. William Beebe considered the two races to be distinct species, but they have since been lumped.[citation needed]
The genusArgusianus was introduced in 1849 by the English zoologistGeorge Gray with the great argus as thetype species.[5][6][7]
The double-banded argus (Argusianus bipunctatus), known only from a portion of a single primaryflight feather, was long considered a potential second species.[8][9] It was described in 1871 from this feather piece, found in amillinery shipment imported toLondon. Its origin was hypothesized to be fromJava,Indonesia orTioman Island ofMalaysia, because of the great argus's absence from these locations. Parkes (1992) rejected the double-banded argus's validity and argued that it almost certainly represents amutant form of the great argus. TheIUCN, following theprecautionary principle, listed thistaxon asextinct until 2012. It was removed from the IUCN Red list because theIOC had removed this species from its list of valid bird taxa in 2011. While the feather is indeed quite distinct, it represents a fairly simple divergence: The entirely asymmetrically-patterned vanes are instead near-symmetrical, and both bear the darker brown shaftward area with dense whitish speckles. The shaft is thinner than usual and the feather would probably not have been useful for flight.[citation needed]
Nothing similar has come to notice ever since, and as the feather piece is not a composite of two feather halves glued together but an apparently natural specimen, a hoax or fake can be ruled out. Despite all conjecture that has been built around the feather piece, all that can be said is that at some time around 1870, an argus pheasant which bore at least one such feather was shot in an unknown location. Even if this individual was one of the last remnants of a now-extinct population, it is unlikely that only a single feather would have been taken from an unusual specimen of a well-known, often-hunted, and conspicuous bird, and that this single feather would have then been bundled into a shipment of normal great argus feathers. The feather is now housed in theNatural History Museum in London.[citation needed]
The great argus is known in theMalay language asKuang raya, the "great pheasant"[10]
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The great argus is a brown-plumaged pheasant with a blue head and neck, rufous red upper breast, black hair-like feathers on the crown and nape, and red legs.
Unusual amongGalliformes, the great argus has nouropygial gland.[citation needed]
The male is one of the largest of all pheasants, measuring 160–200 cm (63–79 in) in total length, including a tail of 105–143 cm (41–56 in), and weighing 2.04–2.72 kg (4.5–6.0 lb).[11] Males have very long tail feathers and huge, broad and greatly elongated secondary wing feathers decorated with large eyespots. Young males develop their adult plumage in their third year.[12]
Females are smaller and duller than males, with shorter tails and fewer eyespots. They measure 72–76 cm (28–30 in) in total length, including a tail of 30–36 cm (12–14 in), and weighs 1.59–1.7 kg (3.5–3.7 lb).[11]
It feeds on theforest floor in early morning and evening.
The male clears an open spot in the forest and prepares a dancing ground. He announces himself with loud calls to attract females, then he dances before her with his wings spread into two enormous fans, revealing hundreds of "eyes" while his real eyes are hidden behind it, staring at her.[13]
Despite displays similar to polygamous birds and though the great argus was thought to be polygamous in the wild, it has been discovered that it is actually monogamous.[14] The hen lays only two eggs.[15]
The great argus is native to the jungles ofBorneo,Sumatra and theMalay Peninsula insoutheast Asia.[1]
Due to ongoing habitat loss and to being hunted in some areas, the great argus is evaluated asVulnerable on theIUCN Red List.[1] It is listed on Appendix II ofCITES.[16]
The argus pheasant has also been found to be monogamous in the wild.
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