Change in status of green peafowl Pavo muticus (Family Phasianidae) in Southcentral Vietnam: A comparison over 15 years

Abstract

a b s t r a c tBiodiversity declines in Southeast Asia have led to predictions that many vertebrate species will become extinct within 50 years. Examples of quantified deterioration in species status remain scarce, however. The Southeast Asian geographical range of the Endangered Green peafowl is still contracting due to hunting pressure and habitat disturbance. In Vietnam, the main population lies in the southcentral region with a relatively high density reported in 1998. The aim of this study was to assess the species' current status in Yok Don and Cat Tien National Parks, which are thought to contain the most important Vietnamese populations. We used line and point transects to investigate the density and analyze habitat selection and effects of human activity. The Yok Don population has decreased sharply during the past 15 years, while in Cat Tien, the estimated density was higher. Animals were most numerous close to water sources and lowest where cattle numbers were highest and ground vegetation cover absent. Here we document a significant negative population change in a previously widespread vertebrate species. Although comparisons of population data over long periods are rare, we demonstrate that taking advantage of opportunities to resurvey species can quantify population declines.

Status and distribution changes of the endangered Green Peafowl (Pavo muticus) in China over the past three decades (1990s‒2017)

“…Compared with investigations conducted 20 years ago, more than 56% of the distributed counties and 80% of the distributed towns disappeared. The same distribution shrink also occurred in other Southeast Asian regions, including Java (Hernowo et al 2011), Laos (Vongkhamheng 2015), Myanmar (Aung et al 2013) and Vietnam (Sukumal et al 2015).…”

“…The Java Green Peafowl in Alas Purwo National Park, East Java increased by 86% in 8 years compared with the observations in 1998 (Hernowo et al 2011). In south and central Cat Tien National Park in southcentral Vietnam, the density of Green Peafowl was estimated to be higher than 15 years ago (Sukumal et al 2015). In addition, in the Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary of western Thailand, population recovery was also documented (Sukumal et al 2017).…”

“…In consideration of these challenges and the limitations of rigorous distance sampling methods, other methods, e.g. line transects were used to determine the density of calling male Green Peafowl (calling birds per km 2 ) during the breeding season in southcentral Vietnam and western Thailand (Sukumal et al 2015(Sukumal et al , 2017 or transect call counting and concentrated counting methods, were used in East Java (Hernowo et al 2011) and also point count method in Myanmar (Aung et al 2013). While these methods could work properly at the regional scale, such as in a reserve or national park (mentioned above), they are not efficient enough at a broad scale as covered by our study.…”

Conservation and Management of the National Bird, Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus, in Urban Green Areas of Delhi, India

“…Preference and avoidance of any habitat can be attributed to the vegetation structure and composition of a habitat but other factors also govern the distribution of a species (Hussain, 2002). Nehru Park was totally avoided by the peafowl perhaps because of a lack of understorey vegetation (shrub layer and ground cover) and large human presence with their related activities in this park (Sukumal , 2015). Human encroachment into their natural territories have brought peafowl and humans into increasing contact, but peafowl always maintains a threshold distance from them.…”

Habitat dan Interaksi Spatio-Temporal Merak Hijau dengan Sapi dan Herbivora Besar di Taman Nasional Baluran

“…jarak ke pusat aktivitas wisata. Pemilihan variabel tersebut di atas didasarkan pada hasil penelitian terdahulu(Brickle 2002;Sukumal et al 2015;Ilyas et al 2004; Rapolle 2000). Bentuk dan ukuran plot pengamatan serta metode pengukuran variabel habitat mengikuti metode sampling protokol(Noon 1981).…”