The International Studbook for the Edwards's Pheasant (Lophura edwardsi) and its Conservation / Conservation et Studbook International du Faisan d'Edwards

About this book

Language: Bilingual in English and French

The Edwards’s Pheasant (Lophura edwardsi) has a history of more than a century, punctuated by tragic events which very nearly led to its loss. Most scientists thought, until August 1996, that this species was extinct in the wild, in Vietnam. But the recent “rediscoveries” give cause for a new glimmer of hope.

The Edwards’s Pheasant was collected from Vietnam between 1924 and 1930. From the few specimens brought back by Jean Delacour, to Clères, and others to Japan and to England, a captive population of several hundred individuals was established throughout the world. No other well documented importation has been done since. The current livestock therefore is the result of a number of original specimens of which females have been greatly in the minority and over more than 70 years of breeding in captivity. The first symptoms of inbreeding came to light at the end of the 1960s with reduced fertility in France and especially in England, and morphological modifications in the United States. The World Pheasant Association (WPA) decided to establish the first studbook, with Dr. Tim Lovel as coordinator, and to start a breeding programme.

The book’s principal themes include the preservation of the species in or ex situ, the phylogenetic relations in the three endemic species of Lophura in Vietnam, the problems of reintroduction ... each section is therefore presented by the best international specialists in their subject. Likewise, the preservation of the Pheasants in Vietnam is dependant on the preservation of the natural forests. An aspect which has not been neglected.

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