Black-Throated Laughing Thrush

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 weeks 

Life 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.
Black-throated laughingthrush, stock photo

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