Malayan Crested Argus
Photo: George Edward Lodge · Public domain

Partridges, Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies

Malayan Crested Argus

Rheinardia nigrescens

NTNear Threatened Endemic to Malaysia
Family
Partridges, Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies (Phasianidae)
Order
Galliformes

Overview

The Malayan crested argus (Rheinardia nigrescens) is a large and spectacular peafowl-like species of bird in the pheasant family with dark-brown-spotted black and buff plumage, a heavy pink bill, brown irises and blue skin around the eyes. The head has two crests; the hind crest, which extends down the occiput, is erected when alarmed and during intentional behaviors including pair bonding and courtship displays. The male has a broad and greatly elongated tail of twelve feathers. The tail covert (or "train") of the male is the longest of any bird and is believed to contain the longest (and widest) feathers to occur in a wild bird; the Reeves's pheasant has tail feathers of similar length but which are considerably narrower.

Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Range and habitat

Mountains of central Malay Peninsula (Taman Negara National Park).

Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.

Continents

Countries

Sources and further reading

Last updated September 29, 2026.