shipment of normal great argus feathers. The feather is now housed in the Natural History Museum in London. Names Malay language: Kuang raya "great pheasant" Description 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 among Galliformes, the great argus has no uropygial gland. Male and female plumage The male is one of the largest of all pheasants, measuring in total length, including a tail of , and weighing . 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. Females are smaller and duller than males, with shorter tails and fewer eyespots. They measure in total length, including a tail of , and weighs . Behaviour Diet It feeds on the forest floor in early morning and evening. Mating dance 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. Breeding 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. The hen lays only two eggs. Distribution and habitat The great argus is native to the jungles of Borneo, Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula in southeast Asia. Conservation Due to ongoing habitat loss and to being hunted in some areas, the great argus is evaluated as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. It is listed on Appendix II of CITES. References Further reading External links ARKive – images and movies of the Great Argus (Argusianus argus) BirdLife Species Factsheet Red Data Book great argus great argus Birds of Malesia great argus great argus