The Bornean Peacock Pheasant is a pheasant found only on Borneo. Its iridescent eye-spots on the wings and tail stand out, and males and females have different plumage.
Both sexes have iridescent eye-spots on their wings and tails. The male has a green crest, a purplish-green breast, and white throat and breast patches; the female is duller and bluer.
Bornean Peacock-Pheasants inhabit Borneo’s forests, including riverine and hill forests. Adult females have blue-green eyespots on their tails. These elusive ground birds are sometimes detected by their calls.
A 2017 report described photographs taken in North Kuamut Forest Reserve, Sabah, in May–June 2016. One camera recorded the species three times. Three birds appeared on 18 June, including an adult female and an apparent juvenile lacking adult tail eyespots.
The camera stood on an old logging skid trail in repeatedly logged forest, where many large trees had been lost and young vegetation predominated. The juvenile provided evidence of breeding and the photographs confirmed the species’ continued presence in Sabah.
IUCN Red List · Endangered · Global
The 2024 IUCN global assessment lists the species as Endangered with a decreasing trend. Plantation conversion and logging combine with hunting and trade pressures. Proposed actions include habitat protection, enforced no-hunting areas, assessment of restoration opportunities and research on habitat use.