Rare creature — named after ‘hundred-eyed giant’ — spotted showing off at Thai park
A rare creature stepped into a sunlit forest clearing in Thailand, ready to show off. Calling loudly, the animal wanted attention — and it got attention, just probably not the way it expected.
The singing creature caught the ear of wildlife officials at the Kathun Wildlife Sanctuary in Nakhon Si Thammarat, according to an April 17 news release from Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
Looking at trail cameras, wildlife officials spotted the great argus, a rare type of pheasant, the release said.
The great argus has an elaborate pattern of eyespots on its tail feathers, according to Thai National Parks. Because of this feather pattern, the bird was named after “Argus, a hundred-eyed giant in Greek mythology.”
Trail camera photos show the bird stepping into a clearing. The creature has a bright, royal blue head with a white beak and white mohawk-like hair. Its body has a darker brown coloring with speckles of white throughout, extending into long tail feathers.
Male great arguses display their elaborate tail feathers in a “remarkable” ritual, according to Thai National Parks. The bird “clears a spot in the forest,” calls loudly “to attract females” then shows off by spreading his feathers and dancing for her, park officials said.
Photos shared by wildlife officials show the great argus as he spreads his feathers dramatically. The feathers fan out, almost like a cape, around the creature.
Fully extended, the pheasant’s feathers have blue, yellow and brown tones, photos show. Some of its countless “eyes” are visible, small brown circles with a white patch.
The wildlife sanctuary’s director, Teerawut Noonsung, estimated “there are about 20 great argus birds left in the sanctuary,” Thai PBS World reported. A survey will verify the exact population size.
Nakhon Si Thammarat is a province about 445 miles south of Bangkok.
Google Translate and Baidu Translate were used to translate the news release from Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
This story was originally published April 26, 2023 at 11:30 AM with the headline "Rare creature — named after ‘hundred-eyed giant’ — spotted showing off at Thai park."
