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| The Symphony of Laughter in Hill Forests – The Chestnut-Crowned Laughingthrush |
| The Chestnut-Crowned Laughingthrush is a beautifully patterned but shy Laughingthrush of the Central Himalayas. Note black neck spots and golden wing and tail panels. Western Chestnut-Crowned birds have soft orange crowns, while eastern Black-Eared individuals have dark faces and grey-streaked crowns. The Chestnut-Crowned Laughingthrush is undoubtedly an attractive bird to spot, with its distinct chestnut cap covering its head and contrasting boldly against its pale greyish-white face. The rest of its body presents a blend of olive and brown hues, with subtle streaks and spotting that serve as perfect camouflage amidst the dense vegetation it inhabits. One of the most striking features of the Chestnut-Crowned Laughingthrush lies in its remarkable vocal abilities. Known for its melodious and far-reaching calls, this bird often engages in complex duets with others in its social group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. …. ……. . .. … …… ………………………. ………….. ……………….. .. …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. … …. ………… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. ……………. …… …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. .. ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. …………. The Chestnut-Crowned Laughingthrush is a medium-sized, olive-grey laughingthrush with chestnut crown, black throat, heavy black scaling on mantle and light black scaling on breast, golden-olive wing fringing. It is a medium sized bird reaching a length of only up to 24 to 26 cms in length and weighing 65 to 90 gms. The Nominate Race has crown and nape Chestnut with indistinct pale shaft streaks, mantle and neck side olive-grey with bold black semi-circular markings, back to rump and tail plain olive-grey; greater upperwing-coverts broadly tipped chestnut, rufous patch at base of outer secondaries, silvery-yellowish fringes on outer primaries; lores blackish, ear-coverts pale chestnut with blackish streaks and very narrow pale scaling, submoustachial area, chin and throat blackish; underparts buffy olive-grey, slight rufous stain on central upper breast, and sparse and irregular small blackish semi-circles on breast and upper flanks, lower flanks and vent darker, dirtier olive-grey; iris grey or greyish-hazel to dark greyish-brown, sometimes pale yellow; bill blackish-brown to black; legs brownish-flesh to horn-brown. Both the Sexes are similar. Juvenile is duller on crown than adult, with warmer-tinged upperparts and no dark scaling. There are Three subspecies in Two subspecies groups that are recognized based on marked differences in colouration particularly on Crown, underside and back. The Race Nigrimentum found in Eastern Nepal East to Bhutan and North East India has crown dark grey with broad black streaks, chestnut only on nape, otherwise like previous but much richer rufous throughout underparts and on back and scapular. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. …. ……. . .. … …… ………………………. ………….. ……………….. .. …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. … …. ………… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. ……………. …… …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. .. ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. …………. The Chestnut-Crowned Laughingthrush is found in Bhutan, China, India, and Nepal. It is found in understorey, dense undergrowth and bamboo in broadleaf evergreen, pine and mixed forests, dwarf rhododendron, brambles and barberry scrub in gulleys and bordering cultivation, also scrub and grass near forest. It is found from 1100 up to 3500 mtrs. Resident; minor altitudinal displacements, where lowest elevations reached Nov to Feb, followed by gradual upslope movement Mar to May. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. …. ……. . .. … …… ………………………. ………….. ……………….. .. …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. … …. ………… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. ……………. …… …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. .. ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. …………. It eats Insects, including beetles, flies and ants and their larvae and pupae, snails, leeches. It also eats berries, seeds, laurel flowers and other vegetable matter. It eats mostly animal matter in spring and summer and vegetable matter in winter including certain vervains and ginsengs. It is found in small groups in company with other laughingthrushes. Forages in small groups in the dense undergrowth of hill and mountain forests in parties of 4 to 8 individuals, sometimes in larger groups up to 30, outside breeding season; occasionally in company with other Laughingthrushes. Forages in low cover or on ground, where it digs and rummages among leaf litter; sometimes at medium heights in Lichen-covered and moss-covered trees, less often high up in trees. Rather shy, but confiding near human habitation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. …. ……. . .. … …… ………………………. ………….. ……………….. .. …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. … …. ………… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. ……………. …… …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. .. ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. …………. Songs of Nominate Race described as quick, clear, wiry, emphatic, and consisting of 1 to 2 strongly upslurred and then downslurred, connected notes, usually with second note much longer and higher, fuwéerwhééyér and fwhééoo-whééét!, of Sub-Species Nigrimentum a loud, high, far-carrying, slightly rising wi-eeoo or wieeoo (also as fu-wéééeyúr and more even fuúwéééer); answering notes of presumed females include peevish fwééér-fúrt-fúrt (first note prolonged and steeply rising, rest shorter, falling off), nominate also a fuwéééér-furt. Calls include irregularly uttered low, grunting, sputtering, churring gnrsh, gnrsh , or similar but drier, flat, rasping, krssh; a higher-intensity series of short, metallic, grating, upslurred krrrreep!, krrrreep!; in chorus, above notes are mixed with occasional high short squeals. ………… ………… ….. ………………….. … ………… ….. ………. …… ………….. ………… ………… …. … … …… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………………….. … ………… ….. ………. …… ………….. ………… ………… …. … ……………. …… ……………. ………… ….. ……………………………. …. ….. …… ………….. ………… ………… . Description Credit Birds of the World (The Cornell Lab), Oiseaux, Birda, Animalia, Nepal Desk, Ogaclicks, Birds of India | Bird World, Bird Count India & Wiki. |
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