Our Birds
FUN FACT
Vietnam Pheasants are a dimorphic species. This means the male and female have different markings to easily tell them apart. Male Vietnam Pheasants are known for having bright and even metallic blue feathers and a white crest (a group of feathers on the top of a bird’s head). This coloring helps them to attract mates. Female Vietnam Pheasants are a dark, chestnut shade of brown, perfect for blending into a forest setting, and do not have a crest.
The Vietnam Pheasant, also called the Edwards’s Pheasant, is a little-known species which may be Extinct in the Wild. It has not been observed in the wild since 2000 and is currently listed as Critically Endangered. Much of the species’ potential habitat was destroyed as a result of herbicide use during the Vietnam War, and subsequent logging and clearing of land for agriculture further contributed to the loss of suitable habitat. Hunting has also been a problem for the species. Only about 1,000 Vietnam Pheasants are in human care in zoos and aviaries, but conservation groups are hopeful that the species may be reintroduced to the wild in the near future.
The National Aviary is part of a collaborative effort to save Vietnam Pheasants.
Learn MoreHabitat
Non-mountainous terrain covered by secondary lowland evergreen forest that has a dense undergrowth of lianas, palms, rattan, and bamboo
Diet
Invertebrates including isopods, earwigs, insect larvae, mollusks, centipedes and termites as well as small frogs, drupes, seeds and berries
Status
Critically Endangered
Breeding
Females incubate 4-7 eggs, which hatch after 21-22 days.
The National Aviary is home to more than 500 birds representing 150 species; some of which live in behind-the-scenes habitats. To enhance our guests’ educational experience, and with regard to individual bird preferences, different species may spend time in various public-facing habitats.