Siamese Fireback

The Siamese fireback, also known as the prelate pheasant (Lophura diardi), is an elegant bird of the family Phasianidae. The male stands out for its bluish-grey plumage with metallic sheen on the belly, a striking patch of yellow feathers on the lower back, a curved black tail and pink legs armed with strong spurs; the bare, deep red face and a discreet crest complete its appearance. The female has much duller, brown plumage, typical of most females of the genus Lophura.

It is found in the lowland tropical forests of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, where it occupies the evergreen forests of South-East Asia. In Thailand it is regarded as the national bird.

Like most pheasants of its genus, it forages on the forest floor, eating seeds, fallen fruit and invertebrates.

It nests on the ground, like the other Asian pheasants, and the female incubates the clutch alone. Published data on the exact number of eggs and the length of incubation in this species are scarce, so these aspects should be treated with caution.

Its scientific name honours the French naturalist Pierre-Médard Diard, while the Spanish name "prelado" (prelate) comes from an old scientific synonym, Euplocamus praelatus, alluding to the stately bearing of its plumage. Recent population studies have revised its wild numbers upwards, which has allowed the species to remain in the Least Concern category despite the pressure on its habitat.