Black-throated laughingthrush

Garrulax chinensis

Photo by Darren Whifflepeg (Flickr)

Common name:
black-throated laughingthrush (en); zaragateiro-de-garganta-preta (pt); garrulaxe à joues blanches (fr); charlatán golinegro (es); weißohrhäherling (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Timaliidae

Range:
This species is found in southern China, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, northern Thailand and into parts of Cambodia.

Size:
These birds are 25 cm long and weigh 90-130 g.

Habitat:
The black-throated laughingthrush is found in tropical and sub-tropical moist forests, and also in wet grasslands and moist scrublands.

Diet:
They feed on insects, crustaceans and various seeds.

Breeding:
These birds nest in a cup made of mosses, dead leaves, and other plant materials. The female lays 2-4 glossy blue eggs, which are incubated for 14 days. The chicks fledge 13-16 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as fairly common. The population is suspected to be declining due to ongoing habitat destruction and fragmentation, but the black-throated laughing thrush is not considered threatened at present.