Orange-breasted laughingthrush
The orange-breasted laughingthrush (Garrulax annamensis) is a passerine bird in the family Leiothrichidae. Until recently it was regarded as a subspecies of the spot-breasted laughingthrush (S. merulina) but has now been split as a separate species. The two have traditionally been placed in the genus Garrulax.
| Orange-breasted laughingthrush | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Leiothrichidae |
| Genus: | Garrulax |
| Species: | G. annamensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Garrulax annamensis | |
It is a medium-sized bird with a strong bill and legs and a fairly long tail. It is 24–25 cm long with a bill length of 25–27 mm, a wing length of 83–92 mm and a tail length of 88–100 mm. It is mostly plain brown apart from an orange stripe over the eye, a black throat and an orange breast with black streaks. It has a loud, melodious song. The spot-breasted laughingthrush is similar but has a pale throat and breast with dark spots and a pale stripe above the eye.
It is endemic to Vietnam where it occurs in the Da Lat Plateau in southern Annam. It inhabits montane forest between 915 and 1510 m above sea-level and can survive in degraded habitats such as secondary forest and cultivated land close to forested areas. It is most often seen in pairs. Although it only has a small range, it appears to be tolerant of habitat degradation and is classed as Least Concern by BirdLife International.
References
- BirdLife International (2012). "Garrulax annamensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- BirdLife International (2008) Species factsheet: Garrulax annamensis. Retrieved 31 October 2008.
- Collar, N. J. (2006) A partial revision of the Asian babblers (Timaliidae), Forktail, 22: 85-112.
- Robson, Craig (2002) A Field Guide to the Birds of South-east Asia, New Holland, London.