Pheasants: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan ... - IUCN

4.2 Regional projects
Project 5. Review of information on
Indochinese pheasants
Aims: to review the status of species in Laos, Vietnam, and
Cambodia from information in unpublished reports; to
make an assessment of their conservation needs.
Justification: there has been a considerable amount of
ornithological survey work in parts of Vietnam since the
late 1980s, and general faunal surveys in Laos since the
early 1990s. In contrast, Cambodia has only recently
received survey attention after a sustained period of unrest.
Whilst some of this work has been written up and is
available internationally, much remains in unpublished
reports to government agencies and donors. The amount
and quality of suitable habitat appears to vary across these
three countries. As they have many species and habitats in
common, it will be useful to assess the status of species and
their habitats across the whole of this biogeographical
area.
Project description: this will involve the collation of
information on species distributions and habitat use from
the unpublished literature. This should then be related to
information on the distribution and quality of various
habitat types, which will, in turn, lead to an improved
understanding of the status and conservation requirements
of each species in these countries. The work could conclude
with a strategy for ensuring the most crucial needs are met.
This project should also consider the threatened partridges
found within this region.
Timescale: a report could be produced in about four
months.
Resources: these would be needed to cover the cost of
employing a researcher to visit Vientiane, Hanoi, and
Phnom Penh.
Project 6. Surveys for threatened
pheasants in southwest China
Aims: to conduct extensive distribution surveys of
threatened Galliformes in southwest China; to re-assess
the adequacy of the protected area network.
Justification: the part of China adjacent to eastern Nepal,
Bhutan, and northeast India is the world’s most important
region for pheasant diversity, and contains parts of several
Endemic Bird Areas. No less than 14 pheasant species
have been recorded from the region and, although some
work has been done recently, large areas remain little
visited by ornithologists in recent decades. Distribution
data are required to make future assessments of the
adequacy of protected area coverage in the region.
Project description: there is much scope for teams to conduct
ground surveys in this area at various times of year. The
PSG will attempt to collate any site records for other
species in this region, as well as any unexpected absences.
These data will be sent to relevant SSC Specialist Groups.
At a minimum, information on exact locality, altitude,
date, and habitat type should be collected. All information
on Galliformes species should be made available to the
Asian Galliformes Sites Database (Project 3).
Timescale: projects of any duration can contribute useful
information.
Resources: needs will vary depending on the length and
scope of individual surveys.
Project 7. Surveys for threatened
pheasants in Sumatra
Aims: to conduct extensive distribution surveys of
threatened pheasants in Sumatra; to assess the adequacy
of the protected area network.
Justification: knowledge of most Indonesian pheasant
species remains poor. The country has the longest list of
birds believed to be threatened with extinction. In many
cases, however, this reflects problems presumed to have
arisen as a result of habitat loss or degradation rather than
direct evidence of declines in numbers. The threats facing
Indonesia’s biodiversity are very real, but the continuing
lack of baseline information on pheasants prevents any
objective assessment through which to propose appropriate
conservation actions.
Project description: the island of Sumatra covers
476,000km 2 , and establishing the distribution and status
of the threatened species occurring there (Salvadori’s and
Sumatran pheasant, and crestless fireback) will not be an
easy task. There is a need to survey many different parts of
the island at various times of year. The PSG will attempt
to collate any site records for other species in Sumatra, as
well as unexpected absences. These data will be sent to
relevant SSC Specialist Groups. At a minimum,
information on exact locality, altitude, date, and habitat
type should be collected. All information on Galliformes
species should be made available to the Asian Galliformes
Sites Database (Project 3).
Timescale: projects of any duration can contribute useful
information.
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