argus pheasant

British  

noun

1. either of two pheasants, Argusianus argus (great argus) or Rheinardia ocellata (crested argus), occurring in SE Asia and Indonesia. The males have very long tails marked with eyelike spots

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Example Sentences

Darwin was acutely aware of this and admired the modelling of the ocelli on the argus pheasant tail feathers as "more like a work of art than of nature".

From The Guardian

"The argus pheasant is too shy a bird to come within gunshot, your excellency," he replied somberly.

From Project Gutenberg

There was an extensive aviary in the grounds, with beautiful specimens of the argus pheasant, lyre-bird, parrots of many species, and doves with strangely gaudy plumage, as though they had barely escaped being parrots.

From Project Gutenberg

Lyre birds, argus pheasants, great eagles, and owls from Java, doves, pigeons, lories, and humming birds, the metallic lustre of whose plumage flashes in the light like the sheen of steel.

From Project Gutenberg

The long, full “coo-ee” of the stealthy argus pheasant sounded at intervals in distant parts of the forest.

From Project Gutenberg