Polyplectron bicalcaratum
The Grey Peacock-Pheasant, a truly captivating member of the Phasianidae family, is a medium-sized terrestrial gamebird renowned for its subtle beauty and iridescent plumage. Males typically measure 50-76 cm (20-30 inches) in length, including their proportionally long tails, while females are slightly smaller. Their overall coloration is a finely vermiculated grey-brown, providing excellent camouflage in their forest habitat, but it's the striking metallic blue-green ocelli (eye-spots) adorn...
Found in dense, evergreen or semi-evergreen broadleaf forests of tropical and subtropical regions. It typically inhabits low to moderate elevations, generally up to 1,800 meters (6,000 feet) above sea level.
Omnivorous, feeding primarily on insects such as termites, ants, and beetles, along with larvae, grubs, seeds, berries, fruits, shoots, and occasionally small reptiles or amphibians. Foraging occurs by scratching through leaf litter and gleaning food items.
Grey Peacock-Pheasants are generally secretive, diurnal birds, most active during the early morning and late afternoon hours, retreating to dense cover or roosting in trees at night. They forage primarily on the forest floor, using their strong legs and bills to scratch and probe through leaf lit...
The Grey Peacock-Pheasant boasts a wide distribution across Southeast Asia and parts of the Indian subcontinent, encompassing evergreen and semi-evergreen broadleaf forests. Its breeding range stretches from northeast India (e.g., Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram) and eastern Bangladesh, thro...
Least Concern
- The 'bicalcaratum' in its scientific name directly translates to 'two-spurred', referring to the male's unique double spurs on each leg. - The dazzling blue-green eye-spots (ocelli) on their feathers are not pigmented but are structural colors, reflecting light due to microscopic feather struct...