Introduction
The Bornean Crestless Fireback (Lophura pyronota) is a ground-dwelling pheasant in the family Phasianidae. Endemic to Borneo, it inhabits humid lowland forest and is recognised as a separate species from the Malayan Crestless Fireback (Lophura erythrophthalma) in major modern bird taxonomies. It is an elusive forest bird and remains poorly studied in much of its range.
Physical Description
The Bornean Crestless Fireback is a medium-sized pheasant with marked sexual dimorphism. Museum measurements reported by Fischer et al. (2017) give an average body length of about 47 cm for adult males and 42 cm for adult females, although total length can vary according to measuring method.
The adult male has a crestless, dark head with conspicuous scarlet facial wattles. Its neck is pale grey, while the breast, belly and undertail-coverts are blackish with a purple-blue gloss and contrasting silvery-white feather shafts. The rump and uppertail-coverts are chestnut, and the tail is relatively short and dark.
The adult female is generally darker and plainer, with an all-dark, glossy plumage, a brownish cast to the head and tail, scarlet facial wattles and blue-grey legs. Females lack the male’s pale streaking and contrasting chestnut rump. Both sexes have short tails and visible leg spurs, with the spurs generally more developed in adult males.
Juvenile and immature plumages are less well documented. Young birds may show rusty-buff feather tips and can be difficult to separate from other Bornean Lophura pheasants without clear views of the head, tail, wattles and legs.
Range and Habitat
The species is endemic to Borneo and is recorded from the northern part of the island, including areas of Malaysian Borneo, Brunei and Indonesian Kalimantan. Its distribution is associated mainly with humid lowland forest, especially mature evergreen forest, peat forest and suitable regrowth. It is not a migratory species.
The Bornean Crestless Fireback is closely associated with forest on or near the ground, where dense undergrowth and leaf litter provide cover and feeding opportunities. It may tolerate some partially logged or regenerating forest, but the extent of this tolerance and its effect on population viability are not well understood. The species is best treated as a forest-dependent bird requiring the retention of connected, structurally diverse habitat.
Behaviour and Diet
This is a secretive, mainly terrestrial pheasant that forages by day on the forest floor. It is usually encountered singly, in pairs or in small groups, although larger gatherings may occur occasionally. Its behaviour and ecology remain incompletely known because the bird is difficult to observe in dense forest.
The diet includes both animal and plant material. Recorded food items include invertebrates collected from the leaf litter, as well as berries, fallen fruit, leaves and seeds. By disturbing leaf litter while feeding, the species may contribute locally to the movement of seeds and the turnover of organic material, although its wider ecological role has not been quantified.
Breeding information is limited. A breeding season from approximately April to June has been suggested, but the available evidence is sparse and the timing may vary with local conditions. Ageing studies indicate that Bornean Lophura species undergo a substantial change from juvenile to adult plumage, making reliable identification of immature birds particularly important in field surveys.
Identification Tips
Look for the following combination of features:
- A ground-dwelling, crestless pheasant in humid Bornean forest.
- An adult male with a pale grey neck, dark glossy body, silvery-white streaking on the underparts, chestnut rump and scarlet facial wattles.
- An adult female with plain, glossy dark plumage, a short dark tail, scarlet facial wattles and prominent spurs.
- A relatively short tail compared with some other Bornean Lophura pheasants.
The adult male is particularly distinctive because of the combination of a crestless head, pale grey neck, white streaking and chestnut rump. Adult females can be more difficult to identify and may be confused with immature or female Bulwer’s Pheasant (Lophura bulweri) in poor-quality photographs. Clear views of the all-dark plumage, facial wattles, short tail and relatively long spurs are useful for confirmation.
The species should not be confused with the Bornean Crested Fireback (Lophura ignita), which has a prominent crest and belongs to a different species group.
Conservation Status
The Bornean Crestless Fireback is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. It was uplisted from Vulnerable in the 2022 Red List update because of continuing concern over forest loss and the resulting decline in suitable habitat.
The principal threats are the clearance and degradation of lowland forest through logging, agricultural expansion and plantation development. Habitat fragmentation can also increase access for hunters and trappers. Hunting pressure is an additional concern, particularly where remaining forest is accessible and populations are already reduced or isolated.
Conservation priorities include protecting remaining lowland and peat forests, maintaining links between forest blocks, enforcing restrictions on hunting and trapping, and improving field surveys and population monitoring. Protected areas are important, but conservation planning also needs to address suitable forest outside formal reserves.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the Bornean Crestless Fireback live?
It is endemic to Borneo and occurs mainly in humid lowland forest in parts of Malaysian Borneo, Brunei and Indonesian Kalimantan.
Is the Bornean Crestless Fireback a separate species?
Yes. Modern taxonomies generally recognise Lophura pyronota as a separate species from the Malayan Crestless Fireback, Lophura erythrophthalma. It was previously treated as a subspecies or part of a wider Crestless Fireback species complex.
How can the male be identified?
The adult male has a crestless dark head, scarlet facial wattles, a pale grey neck, silvery-white streaking on the dark underparts, a chestnut rump and a short dark tail.
What does the Bornean Crestless Fireback eat?
It eats a mixture of animal and plant material, including leaf-litter invertebrates, berries, fallen fruit, leaves and seeds.
Is the Bornean Crestless Fireback endangered?
Yes. The species is currently assessed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, with habitat loss, forest degradation, hunting and trapping among the principal concerns.
Does it migrate?
No. It is regarded as a resident forest bird rather than a migratory species.
References
- BirdLife International. 2022. Lophura pyronota. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T22727425A212049633. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T22727425A212049633.en
- BirdLife International. 2022. “Deforestation and climate change take their toll in 2022’s Red List update.” BirdLife International. https://www.birdlife.org/news/2022/12/09/strongdeforestation-and-climate-change-take-their-toll-in-this-years-red-list-update-strong/ Accessed 8 September 2026.
- Fischer, J. H., Jones, S. E. I., Brodie, J. F., Marshall, A. J., Setiawan, E., Wain, A., van Berkel, T. B. T., Wearn, O. R., van der Kaaden, A., Granados, A., Mathai, J., Cheyne, S. M. and Denny, M. J. H. 2017. “The potential value of camera-trap studies for identifying, ageing, sexing and studying the phenology of Bornean Lophura pheasants.” Forktail 33: 92–102. https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/ajmarsha/wp-content/uploads/sites/162/2018/08/Fischer-et-al.-2017-The-potential-value-of-camera-trap-studies-for-identifying-ageing-sexing-and-studying-the-phenology-of-Bornean-Lophura-pheasants.pdf
- Giam, X., Scheffers, B. R., Sodhi, N. S., Wilcove, D. S., Ceballos, G. and Ehrlich, P. R. 2020. “Impacts of four decades of forest loss on vertebrate functional habitat on Borneo.” Frontiers in Forests and Global Change 3: 53. https://doi.org/10.3389/ffgc.2020.00053
- International Ornithologists’ Union. 2022. “Species Updates: Bornean Crestless Fireback, Lophura pyronota.” IOC World Bird List. https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/updates/species-updates/ Accessed 8 September 2026.
- International Ornithologists’ Union. 2026. IOC World Bird List, version 15.2. World Bird Names. https://www.worldbirdnames.org/ Accessed 8 September 2026.
- eBird Science. 2022. “2022 eBird taxonomy update.” Cornell Lab of Ornithology. https://science.ebird.org/en/use-ebird-data/the-ebird-taxonomy./2022-ebird-taxonomy-update Accessed 8 September 2026.
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