A RARE pheasant typically found in the rainforests of South East Asia has been bred at Chester Zoo for the first time.

The two newly-hatched great argus pheasant chicks arrived on Wednesday after a 24-day incubation.

Numbers of great argus pheasants are in a steep decline much of its native range.

The birds which are found on the Malaysian peninsula, south Myanmar, South West Thailand, Borneo and Sumatra, are iconic in their homeland but are threatened by hunting and habitat loss.

Curator of birds Andrew Owen said: “The great argus pheasant is under real pressure in parts of South East Asia.

"Like so many bird species in that part of the world they are the victim of rapid deforestation and illegal trapping.

“Great argus males in particular are amongst the most unusual and distinctive of all birds, with their astonishingly long wing and tail feathers adorned with thousands of eye-spots.

"It is their beauty which is, in part, what makes them so prized by hunters.

“To have two chicks hatch here for the very first time in the zoo’s long history is a great achievement – they’re certainly important young birds.”