Variegated Laughingthrush

About the 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.

The variegated laughingthrush is a medium-sized laughingthrush typically 24-26 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... Wikipedia →