Assessing the status of Cambodia's Galliformes

Emerging from many years of civil unrest, Cambodia's environment is very poorly known. However, several areas of habitat have been recognised as being particularly important for some of the world's threatened pheasants and partridges, most notably the green peafowl which has been extirpated from many parts of its natural range.

WPA has collaborated with the Cambodian Government’s Wildlife Protection Office to establish the Cambodian Galliformes Conservation Programme. To gather more information on the 14 galliform species in Cambodia, trapping surveys, questionnaires and direct observations have been made. Importantly, records of two Vulnerable species were made: the green peafowl and the endemic chestnut-headed hill-partridge. Data gathered on the number of Galliformes hunted clearly show that illegal trapping is a major threat to the status and conservation of many birds. Species which are easy to catch, such as the scaly-breasted hill-partridge, and that are desirable for meat, such as the green peafowl, are especially targeted. Habitat degradation is also a major problem, caused by illegal logging for timber and forest clearance for cultivation, as is habitat disturbance resulting from the collection of forest products.

WPA has begun to pinpoint key populations of threatened species, such as those in Mondalkiri and Ratanakiri Provinces and the lowland areas of the Cardamom Mountains, and determine exactly what their conservation needs are. Locations have been identified with healthy populations of chestnut-headed hill-partridge and green peafowl. Future surveys will include northwest Cambodia which remains to be fully investigated. Training of local people, particularly at the Wildlife Protection Office, is an important part of the work and is interwoven throughout the project. Future work will also aim to develop community-based conservation projects that will increase local awareness.