Peacock-pheasants of Southeast Asia

This group of spectacular Pheasants needs no introduction. They are among the most revered and desired bird species that bird watchers want to see in their lifetimes. Who can blame them? They are stunning! From the shimmering Bornean Peacock-pheasant to the dazzling and emblematic Palawan Peacock-pheasant, these are some of the most beautiful in the whole world. Bird photographers from all over the world pay top dollar to visit hides that offer these rare Peacock-pheasants.

This illustration is based on the 2025 AviList, which currently recognizes seven species of Peacock-pheasants in Southeast Asia. Only the Male plumage of each species is shown here. These illustrations were done roughly to scale with one another. Flags are placed to indicate which countries these Peacock-pheasants can be seen in.

In terms of fun stats:

• Malaysia and Thailand have the most Peacock-pheasant species recorded in their area, with three species!

• Philippines and Indonesia are the only countries with endemic Peacock-pheasant species; the Philippines has the Palawan Peacock-pheasant of Palawan, and Indonesia has the Bronze-tailed Peacock-pheasant of Sumatra. Both species are island endemics!

• The Mountain Peacock-pheasant has been photographed in Thailand since 2023 (eBird Records), and is a breeding resident species according to the Bird Conservation Society of Thailand.

• There are no records of Peacock-pheasants in Singapore, Brunei, or Timor-Leste. I think Brunei might have a slight chance of hosting the Bornean Peacock-pheasant, as it is a Bornean endemic, but it has yet to be recorded.

• Deviating from my Broadbills and Malkohas post, since they are all ground-dwelling birds, they are now perched on rocks, hehe!