The World Pheasant Organisation has funded new breeding aviaries for endangered firebacks at the famous conservation ark in Indonesia. JOCHEN MENNER reports
THE two species of crestless fireback pheasants, Lophura erythrophthalma from Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula and L. pyronota from Borneo, have recently been recognised as under imminent risk of extinction. Whereas the Bornean fireback is now assessed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List, the Malayan fireback has been uplisted to Critically Endangered.
For this reason, it seemed obvious that Prigen Conservation Breeding Ark (PCBA) at Taman Safari Prigen, East Java, Indonesia, would need to commit more capacity to these two most threatened Indonesian pheasant species.
Wings out: a Bornean fireback displays in the dedicated aviaries at Prigen. Photo: Jon Pointer
Thanks to generous support by the World Pheasant Association (WPA), we have been able to build four additional aviaries dedicated to these beautiful birds. Each aviary measures 10m long, 3m wide and up to 4m high (33ft x 10ft x 13ft), and offers ample space for future breeding pairs. In combination with the existing eight double aviaries in the first Galliformes complex (which is also funded by WPA), these aviaries will enable us to start ex-situ conservation for Indonesia’s crestless firebacks.
● For more information, go to: www.pheasant.org.uk
Jochen K Menner is the curator at Prigen Conservation Breeding Ark (PCBA).
Find more news and articles like this on the Cage & Aviary Birds website. Subscribe to Cage & Aviary Birds magazine now.
