Thai Van Dieu, 54, from Huong Dai Village in Vu Quang Commune, spotted the bird on October 11. Recognising it as a rare species, he caught it and alerted local authorities.
Vu Quang Commune Police and forest rangers examined the bird and confirmed it was a silver pheasant, classified as a Group IIB protected forest animal under Vietnamese regulations.
The bird was transferred the same day to Vu Quang National Park for care and rehabilitation before being released into the wild.
The silver pheasant (Lophura nycthemera) inhabits evergreen forests, mixed woodlands, bamboo forests and lowland hills, typically living in pairs or small groups.
Young males and females have brown plumage with black markings. As they mature, females retain their brown colouring, while males develop distinctive white plumage and long tails.
The species measures between 50 and 125cm in length and is listed in Vietnam's Red Data Book and the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List.
