Among the endemic birds in the Democratic Republic Congo, the Congo Peafowl occupies an outstanding position, being the only phasianid in Africa. This large bird was described as late as 1936 from specimens that were originally thought to be Common Peafowl, a relative from Asia. Molecular research has indicated that the two species are each other closest relatives, but they differ quite a bit in functional morphology (colorful feathering in both sexes of the Congo Peafowl) and aspects of ecology (monogamy in Congo Peafowl). Congo Peafowl has a rather puzzling range, encompassing parts of the Congo equatorial forest; it is thought that it is limited by (or excluded from) the general area of flooded forest in the west, close to the Congo river and Ubangi river confluence, and by the mountains of the Albertine Rift in the east, but even then it seems to be absent from seemingly convenient intermediate forest areas. This may be due to local extirpation from human activity or from historical dispersion differences. Field work in Salonga National Park revealed that it lives in both secondary and primary forest habitat, perhaps using the secondary strips to connect with primary forest patches. Areas with good canopy cover, sufficient litter coverage of the soil and not too far from water (but not flooded) are preferred. Its food is rather unspecialized. Continuing survival of this emblematic bird will, to a limited extent, depend on successful breeding in captivity (which at present does not work well), but much more so on sufficient protection in the wild, where it is vulnerable because of hunting and habitat degradation.