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Birds
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White-crested
Laughingthrush
Garrulax
leucolophus
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 Appearance
One of the larger babblers, the white-crested
laughingthrush has an erectile crest on its white head,
a white throat and breast and characteristic black masklike
markings on its head. There are several races within the
range, which may differ slightly in the shade of the darker
areas of plumage. Size: 30.5 cm (12 in) |
Description
Like most laughingthrushes, they are
sociable birds, which move in small flocks, foraging in
the undergrowth and on the ground. The laughingthrushes
seem to prefer densely vegetated areas, and birds in the
flock communicate by chattering calls, often followed by
wild, cackling sounds, which resemble laughter and are the
origin of the common name. |
Regions
Himalayas, S.W. China, S.E. Asia,
W. Sumatra in forest |
Diet
Insects, berries and seeds are their
main foods, but they take nectar and small reptiles as well.
Large items of prey are held down with the foot while being
torn to pieces with the bill. |
Breeding
The nest is well hidden in a low tree
or bush. It is cup shaped and made of grass, bamboo leaves,
roots and moss, all bound together with tendrils of vine
and lined with rootlets. The female lays 3 to 6 eggs, usually
4, and both parents incubate the clutch for about 14 days.
The chestnut-winged cuckoo, Clamator coromandus, is known
to lay its eggs in the nest of the white-crested laughingthrush,
making it an unwitting foster parent. |
Status
Wildlife Protection of Thailand, Wildlife
Preservation and Protection Act 1992 |
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