Our Birds
FUN FACT
Within months of arriving at the National Aviary, two Vietnam Pheasants successfully hatched a chick! Every hatching of this Critically Endangered species is important for its survival.
The Vietnam Pheasant, also called the Edwards’s Pheasant, is a little-known species which may be extinct in the wild. It has not been observed in the wild since 2000 and is currently listed as Critically Endangered. Much of the species’ potential habitat was destroyed as a result of herbicide use during the Vietnam War, and subsequent logging and clearing of land for agriculture further contributed to the loss of suitable habitat. Hunting has also been a problem for the species. Only about 1,000 Vietnam Pheasants are in human care in zoos and aviaries, but conservation groups are hopeful that the species may be reintroduced to the wild in the near future.
Habitat
Non-mountainous terrain covered by secondary lowland evergreen forest that has a dense undergrowth of lianas, palms, rattan, and bamboo
Diet
Invertebrates including isopods, earwigs, insect larvae, mollusks, centipedes and termites as well as small frogs, drupes, seeds and berries
Status
Critically Endangered
Breeding
Females incubate 4-7 eggs, which hatch after 21-22 days.
The National Aviary is home to more than 500 birds representing 150 species; some of which live in behind-the-scenes habitats. To enhance our guests’ educational experience, and with regard to individual bird preferences, different species may spend time in various public-facing habitats.