The black laughingthrush is a species of bird in the family Timaliidae. It is found in highland forests in the Thai-Malay Peninsula and on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Until recently, it usually included the bare-headed laughingthrush as a subspecies.
Region
Sundaland (Thai–Malay Peninsula and Sumatra)
Typical Environment
Inhabits montane and upper hill evergreen forests, including mossy forest and dense bamboo or rattan thickets. Prefers shaded, humid understory and forest edges along ridgelines and steep gullies. It forages close to the ground or in lower mid-story, often in dense vegetation. The species is generally local but can be fairly common where suitable habitat remains.
Altitude Range
800–2200 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
A secretive montane laughingthrush of Sundaland, it keeps to dense undergrowth and is often detected by its loud, chuckling choruses. It occurs in the Thai–Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. It formerly included the bare-headed laughingthrush as a subspecies, but that taxon is now treated as a separate species.
Temperament
shy and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats through dense cover
Social Behavior
Usually in pairs or small family groups and sometimes joins mixed-species flocks in the understory. Nests are thought to be cup-shaped and placed low in dense vegetation. Likely monogamous, with both adults participating in care of the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocal and far-carrying, delivering rich chuckles, whistles, and laughing phrases often in antiphonal duets. Chorus-like outbursts are common at dawn and from concealed perches.
Plumage
Mostly uniform sooty-black to blackish plumage with slightly browner wings and tail; feathers appear soft and plain without strong patterning.
Diet
Takes a mix of insects and other small invertebrates such as beetles, caterpillars, and spiders, along with fruits and berries when available. Gleans from foliage, probes mossy trunks and bamboo, and occasionally scratches in leaf litter. Opportunistic and will exploit small arthropod swarms or fruiting shrubs.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in dense understory and lower mid-story of moist montane forest, especially along trails, forest edges, and bamboo tangles. Avoids open habitats and rarely ventures far from heavy cover.
