Variegated laughingthrush
The variegated laughingthrush (Trochalopteron variegatum) is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is endemic to the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent, primarily the low-to-mid altitudes of the Himalayas. It ranges across Bhutan, India, Nepal and Tibet.
| Variegated laughingthrush | |
|---|---|
 | |
| T. v. variegatum from Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary, Uttarakhand, India. | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Leiothrichidae |
| Genus: | Trochalopteron |
| Species: | T. variegatum |
| Binomial name | |
| Trochalopteron variegatum (Vigors, 1831) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Garrulax variegatus | |
Description
The variegated laughingthrush is a medium-sized laughingthrush typically 24-16 centimeters in length and weighs 57-79 grams. Both subspecies have a black stripe down the center of the throat and are overall olive and buffy in appearance. The large tail has a gray subterminal band with a white tip. The color of the outer rectrices vary based on the subspecies. T. v. variegatum has distinctive yellow primary and secondary feathers with cinnamon-tipped greater coverts and black primary coverts. T. v. variegatum has yellow outer rectrices. The area around the beak is black up until the eye, which is broken with a white eye-ring. Buff area at the base of the mandible fades to whitish. The T. v. variegatum subspecies has buff forehead with a brownish gray crown.
T. v. simile is similar to T. v. variegatum except it has gray primary and secondary feathers along with gray outer rectrices. The area around the lower mandible is whiter in this subspecies and the buff on the forehead is more dull.[2]
Gallery
Illustration by J. Gould and W. Hart
At Kullu - Manali District of Himachal Pradesh, India
At Kullu - Manali District of Himachal Pradesh, India
References
- BirdLife International (2016). "Trochalopteron variegatum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22715741A94466825. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22715741A94466825.en. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
- Collar, Nigel; Robson, Craig (2020). Del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew; Sargatal, Jordi; Christie, David; De Juana, Eduardo (eds.). "Variegated Laughingthrush (Trochalopteron variegatum)". www.hbw.com. doi:10.2173/bow.varlau1.01. S2CID 242532307. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
- BirdLife International 2004. Garrulax variegatus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 25 July 2007.