Red-tailed Laughingthrush
Trochalopteron milnei
An exquisitely- and distinctively-colored laughingthrush, though often shy and unwilling to stray far from cover outside of areas where habituated to human feeding. Mostly dark, ashen gray but has silvery cheeks, an orange crown, and bright red wings and tail, which are often seen as flashes in the gloomy undergrowth of thick evergreen forest. Chatters constantly and (often frustratingly) frequently as it moves around in large flocks in hill forest and forest edge. Listen for its song, a distinctive whistled “woouuu-weee!”, sometimes followed by rising, laughing “dee-dee!” notes.
Identification
Trochalopteron milnei can reach a body length of about 26–28 cm (10–11 in) and a weight of about 66–93 g (2.3–3.3 oz). These medium-sized laughingthrushes are dull ochrous-grey, with a bright rufous-chestnut crown and a blackish face, with whitish ear-coverts. Wings and tail are crimson.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Trochalopteron milnei
- Authority
- David, A, 1874
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Leiothrichidae
- Genus
- Trochalopteron
Range and habitat
This species can be found in China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. These birds mainly inhabit the understorey of broadleaf evergreen forests,<p>They are strictly montane, usually living at an elevation of 1,800–2,500 metres (5,900–8,200 ft) above sea level.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
This species mainly feeds on insects and small arthropods (beetles, centipedes, etc.), but also on berries and fruits (especially of Saurauja species). The breeding season lasts from April to June. The nest is made by both males and females and consists of a tidy cup mainly made of grasses and bamboo leaves. It is built at about 1 m above the ground level. Females lay 2-3 eggs, that are incubated for 17–18 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and leave the nest in 14–16 days.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Small, patchily distributed bird humid forests. Entirely rufous in most of its expansive range, but at the eastern end of its distribution in Brazil it is mostly sooty-colored with rufous wings. Long-tailed profile, terrestrial habits, and small black mask should clinch identification. Found near the ground inside lowland forest and in premontane forest in the tepui region, often around treefall gaps or other areas with dense understory. Often in pairs. Vocal; two-noted song often given in duet is distinctive in habitat.
Cinnamon Bittern
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Small heron of wet and open grassy areas such as flooded meadows and paddy fields. Uniformly bright rufous upperparts of adult male unmistakable. Female and juvenile have pale streaked belly, dark streaks and spots scattered on the wings and back, and are dark brown with some rufous tones above. Females often have light spotting on the wings, potentially causing confusion with female Schrenck's Bittern, which has brighter and more solid white spots and a prominent dark crown lacking in Cinnamon. Gives dry croaking clicks.
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Brilliantly-colored tanager of Andean cloud forest in western Ecuador and western Colombia. Male is bright emerald-green with small red and white spots on sides of head. Female and immature are slightly duller and may lack head spots. Usually found in small groups that forage energetically in lower to middle levels of the forest, and often joins mixed-species flocks. Visits feeders in some areas.
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