White-crested laughingthrush

The white-crested laughingthrush is a member of the family Leiothrichidae, recently split from the Old World babbler family, Timaliidae. Its scientific name Garrulax leucolophus comes from Latin garrire "to chatter", in reference to its very vocal nature, and from Greek leukós "white" and lophos "crest". Four subspecies are identified: G. l. leucolophus or western white-crested laughingthrush, G. l. patkaicus, G. l. belangeri, and G. l. diardi or eastern white-crested laughingthrush. A former subspecies, G. l. bicolor, has been re-classified as a species of its own, the endemic Sumatran laughingthrush, on account of its lack of characteristic rufous plumage, different face pattern, and shorter tail. == About White Crested Laughingthrush ==

, Pakyong district in Sikkim, India. Like other birds in its genus, G. leucolophus has a stocky build, with strong blackish legs and bill, rounded tail, and voluminous plumage. Its body length averages 30 cm, and its tail ranges from 13 to 15 cm. It is named after its characteristic white hood and raised crest. It is also easily recognizable due to its broad and elongated black eye-mask. The nape is light gray. Juveniles can be identified by their shorter crest and tail, paler mask, brownish nape and brighter mantle. Subspecies have subtle variations in plumage: G. l. patkaicus' mantle is a darker, richer chestnut; G. l. belangeri has white extending lower onto the belly and paler underparts; G. l. diardi even more so and with a brighter upper mantle. == Habitat and distribution ==

Native range G. leucolophus has one of the widest ranges of all laughingthrushes and as such is at minimal risk of being threatened by extinction. G. l. leucolophus: N India, Nepal, Bhutan, S China (Tibet) G. l. patkaicus: NE India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, S China (Yunnan) G. l. belangeri: Myanmar, Thailand G. l. diardi: Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, S China (Yunnan) Introduced populations The white-crested laughingthrush is a popular caged bird species, and it is likely that individuals which escaped or were voluntarily released during religious practices are the cause for the expansion of G. l. diardi's range to Malaysia and Singapore in the 1970s–1980s. The exotic bird trade has brought it to the UK and US as well, but no wild populations have been reported there. Habitat G. leucolophus is commonly found in foothill forests, up to elevations of 1600m. == Behaviour ==

Vocalisation White-crested laughingthrushes are social birds, usually in flocks of 6-12 individuals (but reportedly up to 40). Since they are a highly gregarious species, most of the sounds they produce serve a social purpose, such as reminding other members of their flock of their presence and their movements, alerting them of danger or intruders, or inciting mobbing (they are known to be aggressive birds to different flocks or species). When looking for food, G. leucolophus forages on the ground, often in small parties, hopping from one place to the next and tossing the leaf litter aside with its beak to uncover invertebrates. In fact, these "helpers" are not always adults: young from the current year's previous clutch sometimes help with building the nest or feeding their siblings. == References ==