Chinese monal pheasant (Lophophorus ihuysii), San Diego Zoo, 2007

This old male was the last of his species outside of China– and a creature of fantastic beauty. The astonishing, saturated iridescence of his plumage remains unmatched by almost any other bird I’ve ever seen. I first photographed him in the 1990’s and always looked for him on subsequent trips to San Diego. By 2007, however, he was getting on in years, but still dazzling– and could be easily observed in the row of “hidden” aviaries just behind Polar Bear Plunge ( a spot that is one of the secret gems of the San Diego Zoo: also home to kagu). This photo represents the last time I ever saw him.