Chestnut-hooded Laughingthrush

Overview

The chestnut-hooded laughingthrush (Pterorhinus treacheri) is a species of bird in the laughingthrush family Leiothrichidae endemic to Borneo. It was originally described in 1879 and restored to full species status in 2007 after previously being considered a subspecies of the chestnut-capped laughingthrush. The species is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, though its population is thought to be declining due to habitat destruction.

Identification

• 22–24 cm long with a chestnut brown head and chin, and slaty-grey upperparts featuring a long white wing patch.
• Dull yellowish-brown throat, breast, and upper belly with purer grey flanks and reddish-brown vent, lower belly, and thighs.
• A yellow half eye-ring behind and below the eye, a blackish tail tip, dull orange to yellowish-brown bill, and yellowish legs.
• Song includes a fluty, high-pitched 'chu-wu, chwi-wi-wi-wi-wiee-wiu-wu' or a rising and falling 'wiu-wu-wu-wi-wi-wee-wu', alongside harsh 'churr' calls.

Habitat

Found in the north-central mountain ranges and the Meratus Mountains in southeastern Borneo, this species inhabits evergreen montane and hill forest, forest edges, secondary forest, disturbed vegetation, and cultivated areas. It primarily occurs at elevations of 600–2,800 m, though it may occasionally be seen as low as 200 m or as high as 3,350 m.

Diet

An omnivore that feeds on arthropods such as grasshoppers, ants, and moths, as well as various fruits and flowers. It forages in small groups by hopping up slanting branches in a woodpecker-like manner, clinging to vertical surfaces like tree fern trunks, or foraging on the ground with its tail held up.

Did you know?

The bird's scientific name, Pterorhinus treacheri, honours William Hood Treacher, a British colonial administrator who served as the Governor of the British colony of North Borneo.