White-crested Laughingthrush (Garrulax leucolophus)
Order: PASSERIFORMES
Family: TIMALIIDAE Babblers
Scientific name: Garrulax leucolophus
English name: White-crested Laughingthrush
Characteristic: Size 30 cm. An insectivorous bird of slender body and having a relatively long tail. Upperpart is brown, darkening toward the tail. Neck, breast and bell are contrasting white. A distinct dark eye band runs from the bill base to the ear region. Greyish patch can be clearly seen on the nape. The most conspicuous part is the white bushy crest which can puff up occasionally.
Distribution: South Asia, from the Himalayas, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Indo-China. In Thailand, it can be found almost throughout the country, except in the south.
Habitat: Dry evergreen forest, dipterocarp forest and bamboo forest.
Habit: Keeps in large noisy flocks outside the breeding season; they hop both among branches or on ground. While foraging, individuals will utter loud calls after one another, and move continuously under the thick undergrowth. Diet consists of insects, worms and ripe fruits. It breeds between March-May, when a female lays 3-5 eggs that needed to be incubated for 11-12 days.
Status: A resident bird. Usually observed in the dry evergreen forest; they are more heard than seen.
