Current view: Data table and detailed info
Taxonomic note
Traditionally treated as a subspecies of P. bicalcaratum, but differs in size and morphology. Male katsumatae differ from males of other taxa in P. bicalcaratum in their smaller size (effect size on wing 8.57, score 3); brilliant red and more extensive vs dirty grey to pale yellow and less extensive facial skin (3); green vs purplish ocelli, with a somewhat different shape (2); lack of elongate crown feathers (1); darker crown (1); more densely and neatly vermiculated body plumage (ns1); browner vs greyer overall coloration (ns1) (Collar 2009, Davison et al. 2012, Pilgrim et al. 2009). Iris colour may also be a character, and the taxa are in fact not each other’s closest relatives, bicalcaratum being sister to P. chalcurum with P. inopinatum sister to this pair (Chang Jiang et al. 2008, Davison et al. 2012). Monotypic.
Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Red List history
| Migratory status |
not a migrant |
Forest dependency |
high |
| Land-mass type |
shelf island
|
Average mass |
- |
Population justification: The population was estimated at 2,700 individuals in 1990 (Gao and Yu 1990). In 1993, a density (based on visual observations) of 3.74 individuals/km2 was estimated (Gao 1998). Applying this density estimate to the area of available of habitat in 2018 (per Savini et al. [2021]) of 1,663 km2 and a habitat occupancy rate of c. 0.3 inferred from camera trapping data by Mo et al. (2021) in Hainan Jianfengling National Nature Reserve, yields a more recent estimate of 1,865 individuals, equivalent to c.1,230 mature individuals. Allowing for uncertainties introduced by not using contemporaneous data sources, the population is estimated here to fall in the band 700-2,000 mature individuals.
Liang and Zhang (2011) identified 18 sites with records of the species. Accounting for its small home range (inferred from radio-tracking data) and the species' avoidance of even well-vegetated plantations (Liang and Zhang 2011), it is assumed that the population is comprised of many novel subpopulations with little to no gene flow between them. Based on the values used to calculate the total population size, it is considered likely that no single population contains more than 51-250 mature individuals.
Trend justification: Recent data indicate that forest loss in this species' range has been slow. Including only patches >40 km2 in their analysis, Savini et al. (2021) estimated a c.3% contraction in suitable habitat between 2000 and 2018, while Global Forest Watch (2021) indicate a similar rate of c.4% forest loss over three generations (18 years; Bird et al. 2020) between 2002 and 2020. Hunting pressure however remains relatively high: of 169 local people interviewed (Wang et al. 2021), 77 knew of the species and 20 responded with exploitation-related knowledge (trade and price, hunting, consumption, use as medicine, and ornamental use). The additive impacts of these threats are inferred to be causing a slow ongoing decline, especially given its extirpation from formerly occupied sites (BirdLife International 2001).
Country/territory distribution
Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Hainan Peacock-Pheasant Polyplectron katsumatae. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/hainan-peacock-pheasant-polyplectron-katsumatae on 22/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 22/12/2024.
