Conflict between cultural development and wildlife conservation: A potential threat to Reeves's pheasant (Syrmaticus reevesii)

Abstract

Reeves's pheasant feathers are used to make headgears for the Chinese opera—Xiqu; however, this posed a considerable threat to the bird's population before it was banned from hunting/trade. It is unclear whether Xiqu-troupes currently use feathers from wild or captive breeding; therefore, we investigated their source and scale of feather utilization. Through interviews, we clarified the current status of feather-use by state-run troupes. We conducted a cluster analysis and established a “random forest” model using stable isotopes as variables to distinguish sources of feathers from Xiqu-troupes. Annual demand for feathers in China was estimated as 1159.4 pairs. Isotope analysis revealed that feathers used by Xiqu-troupes are likely derived from wild sources. We suggest strengthening the supervision of acquisition of Reeves's pheasant feathers and harvesting feathers through captive breeding. Stable isotope analysis can be an effective method for identifying the source of tail feathers, which will support law enforcement efforts.