ANIMAL:Black-Throated Laughing Thrush Pterorhinus chinensis
Type of Animal:
Songbird
Habitat:
Forests, primary/secondary lowland woodland, primary/secondary hill woodland, bamboo woodland, bushes, brushy forest edge, wet grassland, moist scrubland
Location(s):
SE Asia, SE China, & Hainan. Introduced in Hong Kong.
Appearance:
Sleek gray/grayish-brown/blue-gray bird w/ white cheek patches, black face/throat, blue-gray head. Hainan subspecies browner w/ no white patch & gray head.
Food/Diet:
Insects, plant material, seeds, vegetation, crustaceans, fruit
Status in Wild:
Stable
Conservation:
Breeding in zoos & wildlife centers
Lifestyle:
Flocks of 2-15 birds, usually made up of breeding pair & chicks. Often, an older clutch or 2 help raise younger siblings. Sometimes, siblings of dominant pair help rear offspring & occasionally, more than 1 male & female breed.
Additional Info:Called:
Male: Cock
Female: Hen
Young: Chick
Group: Flock
Weight:
3.17-4.58 oz
Gestation:
2 weeksLife Span:
12 years
Height:
9.06-11.81 in
Body Length:
9.06-11.81 in
Tail Length:
5.5 in
Main predators are monitor lizards, felids, bears, hornbills, civets, snakes, & crocodilians.
Females usually lay 2-4 eggs once or twice a year.
Often has rich warbling song.
Noisily flips over leaves/twigs to root out insects.
Sexually mature at a year old.
When alarmed, calls loud/harsh chatters and/or screams.
Feet come in handy for gripping food.
Chicks born featherless & blind but grow at fast rate often eating equivalent of own weight a day.
Chicks fledge at 2 weeks but stay w/ parents for several months more, sometimes a year.
Cup-shaped nests made w/ moss/dead leaves/other available materials.
Sedentary birds, often staying relatively close to birthplace.
Family members often seen preening each other.
Fun Fact(s):
Popular in cagebird/pet trade, leading to possible declines in parts of range.
Some scientists believe Hainan subspecies should be separate species called Swinhoe’s Laughing Thrush.
Get name from loud chattering calls.
