The Banasura laughingthrush is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is found in shola habitat in a small section of the Western Ghats in southwestern Karnataka and northern Kerala. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the black-chinned laughingthrush.
Region
Western Ghats (Kerala–Karnataka)
Typical Environment
Occurs patchily in the shola–grassland mosaic of the northern Western Ghats, particularly the Banasura and Brahmagiri ranges of northern Kerala and adjoining southwestern Karnataka. It favors dense undergrowth along forest edges, ravines, and secondary growth near intact shola. Birds also use thickets, bamboo brakes, and hedgerows adjacent to montane evergreen forest. It can persist in lightly disturbed habitat provided dense cover remains, but avoids open grassland away from shrub patches.
Altitude Range
900–2000 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This shy laughingthrush is confined to the Banasura–Brahmagiri highlands of the northern Western Ghats, where it inhabits shola forest and adjacent thickets. It was recently split from the black-chinned laughingthrush complex and placed in the genus Montecincla. Its presence is a good indicator of intact montane evergreen habitat, and it is threatened by shola fragmentation, fires, and plantation expansion.
A Banasura laughingthrush in Chembra, Kerala
Temperament
shy and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually seen in pairs or small family parties moving through dense understory. Nests are cup-shaped and placed low in shrubs or small trees within thick cover. Pairs maintain small territories and may join loose mixed flocks outside the breeding season.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A loud, musical series of ringing whistles and chuckling phrases delivered in bursts from cover. Pairs often duet, with one bird answering the other in a slightly different pitch.
Plumage
Warm brown upperparts with a contrasting grey head and nape; underparts greyish with rufous-brown flanks and vent. The chin and upper throat are dark, bordered by a pale whitish malar stripe. Tail is brown with rufous tones and subtly darker subterminal shading.
Diet
Takes a mix of insects such as beetles, caterpillars, and orthopterans, as well as spiders and small snails. Supplements animal prey with berries and other soft fruits when available. Forages by gleaning from foliage, probing mossy branches, and flicking leaf litter along shaded trails and thickets.
Preferred Environment
Feeds within dense shola undergrowth, edges, and regenerating scrub near evergreen forest. Often forages a meter or two above ground but will also drop to the forest floor in shaded, moist spots.
