# Argus (bird)

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{{Short description|Clade of bird}}
{{Paraphyletic group
| auto = yes
| name = Argus
| image = Descent of Man - Burt 1874 - Fig 52.png
| image_alt = An argus illustration from "The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex" by Charles Darwin
| image_caption = An argus illustration from ''[The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex](/source/The_Descent_of_Man%2C_and_Selection_in_Relation_to_Sex)'' by [Charles Darwin](/source/Charles_Darwin)
| parent = Pavonini
| includes = 
*''[Rheinardia](/source/Rheinardia)''
*''[Argusianus](/source/Argusianus)''
| excludes =
*''[Pavo](/source/Pavo_(bird))''
*''[Afropavo](/source/Afropavo)''
}}

An '''argus''', or '''argus pheasant''', is a member of a [clade](/source/clade) in the tribe [Pavonini](/source/Pavonini) of the family [Phasianidae](/source/Phasianidae), containing two [species](/source/species) of [bird](/source/bird) that are closely related to [peafowl](/source/peafowl).

==Description==
It has hundreds or thousands of tiny white spots on its [plumage](/source/plumage) pattern, and thus its naming might have been in reference to the mythical hundred-eyed giant, [Argus Panoptes](/source/Argus_Panoptes).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Great Argus|url=http://www.bukitlawang.com/greatargus|access-date=2021-08-02|website=www.bukitlawang.com}}</ref> These birds have a body shape similar to that of a [turkey](/source/Turkey_(bird)), however the males have long wing and tail [feathers.](/source/Feather) Males are over six feet long while females are just under three feet long. Their feathers are brown or [tan](/source/Tan_(color)), with black [mottling](/source/Mottle). The Male Argus have round, eye-like circles on their feathers. Males have quite long [tail](/source/tail)s, with some tails measuring nearly five feet long. Females choose males with the longest tails because it means they are the fastest and smartest of the other birds.<ref>{{Cite book |last=1.Arlott 2. van Perlo Jorge 3. Mata 4. Carrizo 5. Chiappe Huber |first=1.Norman 2. Ber 3. Rodriguez 4. Gustavo 5. Aldo 6. Luis |title=The Complete Birds of The World |publisher=Princeton University Press |year=2021 |isbn=9780691193922 |language=English}}</ref> This species of birds is primarily found in [tropical regions](/source/tropical_regions), or places with lots of plant growth and [rainfall](/source/rainfall). The Great Argus lives in [Sumatra](/source/Sumatra), [Southeast Asia](/source/Southeast_Asia), and [Borneo](/source/Borneo). In Asia, they primarily inhabit the [Malaysian Peninsula](/source/Malay_Peninsula),  [Thailand](/source/Thailand), and south [Myanmar](/source/Myanmar). Their population density depends on the region at hand. Populations in some areas are healthy and more common, while others are low and rare. The lifespan of the Argus in the wild is unknown, but zoos have reported the species living up to 20 years of age.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Great Argus Pheasants : Purely Poultry |url=https://www.purelypoultry.com/great-argus-pheasants-p-1228.html#:~:text=They%20are%20much%20less%20commonly,to%2020%20years%20of%20age. |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=www.purelypoultry.com}}</ref>

==Taxonomy==
[[File:Great Argus displaying wings 3 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Great Argus displaying wings, [National Aviary](/source/National_Aviary), Pittsburgh, PA ]]
Two [genera](/source/genera) of birds are considered arguses: ''[Rheinardia](/source/Rheinardia)'' and ''[Argusianus](/source/Argusianus)''. Within these genera there are a total of three recognized species. ''[Argusianus](/source/Argusianus)'' has also been credited with a mysterious second species that is sometimes thought to have gone [extinct](/source/Extinction), but this is most likely based on a simple [genetic aberration](/source/mutant) in the established species. Both genera are thought to be [sister taxa](/source/sister_taxa) to one another and are otherwise most closely related to the [peafowl](/source/peafowl) (genera ''[Pavo](/source/Pavo_(bird))'' and ''[Afropavo](/source/Afropavo)''), and slightly more distantly to the genus ''[Tropicoperdix](/source/Tropicoperdix).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Galliformes|url=http://www.bird-phylogeny.de/superorders/galloanseres/galliformes/|access-date=2021-08-02|website=bird-phylogeny|language=de-DE}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Taxonomic Updates – IOC World Bird List|url=https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/updates/taxonomy/|access-date=2021-08-01|language=en-US}}</ref>''

==Genus and distribution==
*Genus ''[Argusianus](/source/Argusianus)'' <small>[Rafinesque](/source/Constantine_Samuel_Rafinesque), 1815</small>
**[Great argus](/source/Great_argus) (''Argusianus argus'' <small>([Linnaeus](/source/Carl_Linnaeus), [1766](/source/12th_edition_of_Systema_Naturae))</small>) 
*Genus ''[Rheinardia](/source/Rheinardia)'' <small>[Maingonnat](/source/Charles_Anatole_Maingonnat), 1882</small>
**[Vietnamese crested argus](/source/Vietnamese_crested_argus) (''Rheinardia ocellata'' <small>([Elliot](/source/Daniel_Giraud_Elliot), 1871)</small>)
**[Malayan crested argus](/source/Malayan_crested_argus) (''Rheinardia nigrescens'' (<small>[Rothschild](/source/Walter_Rothschild), 1902)</small>)

==See also==
*[Great argus](/source/Great_argus), ''Argusianus argus''

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/great-argus-pheasant Great Argus pheasant mating dance], April 13, 2022 at [Atlas Obscura](/source/Atlas_Obscura)

Category:Pheasants
Category:Pavonini
Category:Bird common names
Category:Paraphyletic groups

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Argus (bird)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argus_(bird)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argus_(bird)?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.