Cambodia is home to 14 species of Galliformes, of which four (orange-necked partridge, chestnut-headed partridge, Germain's peacock-pheasant and green peafowl) are globally threatened. The Cambodian Galliformes Conservation Programme was established in 2005 and used methods learnt from Pilot Study on the Cambodian partridge within Cardamom Mountains, south-west Cambodia from 2004. The Cardamom Mountain range is one of the most important areas for Galliformes in Cambodia, supporting nine species. This project was designed to assess the status of Cambodia's Galliformes. Project commenced: 2005 Partners: WPA and Cambodian Government's Wildlife Protection Office. Methods - Direct observations
- Questionnaires
- Trapping surveys
ResultsEight areas were surveyed across four provinces, duringg which eight species of Galliformes were heard calling at 303 locations. Of particular importance were the records of two vulnerable species; green peafowl and chestnut-headed partridge. Questionnaires revealed the knowledge of local communities about Galliformes and their attitudes towards them. The response provided for habitat use and abundance of species broadly agreed with the bird survey data. Data gathered on the numbers of Galliformes hunted clearly show that illegal trapping is a major threat to the state and conservation of many species. Collectors of non-timber forest products trap Galliformes to supplement their diet whilst in they live in the forest. Additionally, people enter the forest specifically to catch wildlife for food, to sell at market or for the pet trade. Not all species are equally effected by hunting as those that are easy to catch (chestnut-headed partridge, scaly-breasted partridge, red junglefowl) or desirable for meat, eggs or feathers (green peafowl) are targeted by hunters. Future- To implement community-based conservation projects in key areas identified by the surveys. This is likely to be highly beneficial for wildlife protection in these areas.
- To implement conservation actions recommended by our findings.
Assessing the status and threats of the green peafowlThe green peafowl Pavo muticus is globally classifies as endangered, and Cambodia is thought to support a large proportion of the global population, however precise information on the distribution is incomplete. As part of the Cambodian Galliformes Conservation Programme, intensive surveys in three key areas of Cambodia were undertaken to provide detailed information on the status and threats of the green peafowl. Surveys were designed especially for this species and included point counts and habitat surveys. The results confirmed that Cambodia is important for green peafowl and that threats are present in the areas surveyed. Future work will focus on further surveys to give as accurate an assessment of the species status as we can provide. Key speciesChestnut-headed partridge Arborophila cambodiana Scaly-breasted partridge Arborophila chloropus Chinese francolin Francolinus pintadeanus
Green peafowl Pavo muticus Germain's peacock-pheasant Polyplectron germani Siamese fireback Lophura diardi Silver pheasant Lophua nycthemera
Red junglefowl Gallus gallus
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