The bronze-tailed peacock-pheasant is also known as the Sumatran peacock-pheasant. It is an Indonesian bird.
Region
Sumatra, Indonesia
Typical Environment
Occurs in montane evergreen and mossy forests along the Barisan Range. Prefers dense undergrowth, bamboo thickets, and steep ravines where it can remain concealed. Most records are from primary forest but it may persist in lightly logged tracts with intact understory. Typically stays close to the forest floor and along stream edges while foraging.
Altitude Range
600–2200 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
Also called the Sumatran peacock-pheasant, this shy forest bird is found only on Sumatra. Males court by fanning a tail adorned with metallic bronze-green eye-spots. It forages quietly on the forest floor, scratching through leaf litter for food, and is more often heard than seen. It is rarely kept in captivity and requires cool, humid montane conditions.
Temperament
shy and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief glides
Social Behavior
Usually encountered singly or in pairs, maintaining small territories on the forest floor. Courtship involves the male fanning and vibrating the tail to display its ocelli while circling the female. Nests are simple ground scrapes hidden in dense cover; clutches are small, often 1–2 eggs. The female undertakes most incubation, with the male guarding nearby.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are soft, low whistles and hoots that carry through dense understory. Males also produce rustling or drumming sounds with their wings during display. Calls are sporadic, often at dawn and dusk.
Plumage
Males show dark brown to blackish upperparts densely patterned with metallic bronze-green ocelli, with a subtle sheen on the tail; females are smaller and more cryptically mottled brown. Both sexes have fine vermiculations and a short crest.
Diet
Feeds on a mix of seeds, fallen fruits, and a wide range of invertebrates including ants, termites, beetles, and snails. It scratches and flicks through leaf litter methodically to uncover prey. Occasionally takes small vertebrates or shoots when available. Foraging is typically solitary and cautious.
Preferred Environment
Forages on the shaded forest floor, especially along trails, stream margins, and in dense thickets that provide quick cover. Uses areas with deep leaf litter and scattered bamboo where prey is abundant.
