The global conservation status of green peafowl Pavo muticus ( Kang gnaok) has recently been
‘upgraded’ to Endangered by BirdLife International (2009). This paper reviews our current knowledge of
its status and distribution in Cambodia. The species is still relatively widespread, but much reduced, and
now locally common only in remote forests of the North and Northeast, the least disturbed riverine habitat
of the upper Mekong River system, and to a lesser extent, the lower river valleys of the Cardamom Mountains.
Southern Mondolkiri probably shelters the single largest population remaining in the world. Because
the species is conspicuous and valuable, it is actively hunted and collected. This threat is the main factor
behind the species decline, as it lives near permanent water, where most human activities take place. In consequence,
its surviving populations are increasingly fragmented and declining throughout the country. A
monitoring programme initiated in Seima Biodiversity Conservation Area, coupled with regular patrolling,
has nevertheless proven that the species can recover quickly with adequate conservation measures