The Bornean peacock-pheasant is a rare bird endemic to the lowland rainforests of Borneo, the third largest island in the world, situated in the Malay Archipelago, Southeast Asia. Shy and reclusive, it prefers to roam the forest floor or perch on trees during daylight hours. Males have vibrant metallic green eyespots on their tails and wings, a blue-green crest, and a purplish-green breast with a white throat patch. Females are duller brown and lack the spurs seen in males.
Borneo, home to one of the oldest rainforests in the world, is politically divided between Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. In Sabah, a Malaysian state in northern Borneo, the Bornean peacock-pheasant was first documented in the 1890s in the Paitan area, but this area has now been mostly deforested for palm oil plantations. Searches for the bird from 1938 to 1939 found no sightings, leading to fears of its extinction in the Sabah region. It wasn’t until January 1996 that the bird, an adult male, was sighted in the Ulu Tongod Forest Reserve, near Telupid, a city in Sabah, Malaysia. In May–June 2016, the peacock-pheasant was photographed in the North Kuamut Forest Reserve, Sabah. Currently, the population of the Bornean peacock-pheasant, classified as Endangered, has been estimated at about 600 to 1700 individuals.
The Bornean peacock-pheasant was high on my list in my birding trip to Borneo in June 2024. I naively asked our local guide, Denis Degullacion (an experienced nature guide whose main interest is birding), if we would see one while trekking through the forest. He chuckled, ‘I’ve been birding for over twenty-five years, and I’ve seen it only once—even then, it was hidden inside a bush. But from the bird hide at Telupid, if we’re lucky and the bird comes out, you can observe them closely.’ His words made me realize just how elusive this beautiful bird is in its natural habitat, and I was even more excited about our hide experience.
We arrived in Telupid one early morning at 7 a.m. After breakfast, we hopped on a 4x4 vehicle, which took us through rugged terrain, to reach the hide area. Following a 20-minute uphill trek, we reached the hide.
The hide, a thoughtfully constructed shelter built from natural materials like wooden planks and poles and expertly camouflaged to blend into the surroundings, had wooden seating arrangement and multiple windows for viewing and photography.
Denis told us that we might see two birds, the Bornean peacock-pheasant and the crested fireback pheasant, and that the fireback usually came first and chased away the peacock-pheasant, so we should look out for the fireback in the morning and the peacock-pheasant by noon. So we were expecting to spot the crested fireback pheasant, but after an hour of wait, to our surprise, a Bornean peacock-pheasant slowly emerged from a bush. It was one of the most beautiful birds I had ever seen, and we eagerly began taking photographs and videos. The bird retreated quickly, only to reappear after half an hour. My camera’s memory card soon filled up with stunning shots. Satisfied, we once again looked out for the crested fireback, but it never came. As rain clouds threatened our birding, we had to descend quickly to avoid slippery paths.
On our drive back to our hotel, I was reminded of a John Keats poem about the importance of beauty in our life and how it brings endless joy and peace. He says beauty is eternal and never fades, like a shady shelter that offers restful sleep, sweet dreams, good health, and relaxation. Similarly, the breathtaking beauty of the rare Bornean peacock-pheasant evoked in me a deep sense of joy and wonder—all in all, an extraordinary experience!
A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.
(John Keats, ‘Endymion’)
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