The brown-cheeked laughingthrush is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is found in south-western China and north-eastern India.
Region
Eastern Himalayas and Southwest China
Typical Environment
Occurs in south-western China (including Yunnan, Sichuan, and southeastern Tibet) and adjacent north-eastern India (notably Arunachal Pradesh). It occupies dense montane evergreen and mixed forests, rhododendron thickets, and bamboo undergrowth. Often found along forest edges, clearings, and secondary growth, where cover is abundant. In winter it may descend slightly to lower elevations but generally remains within upland habitats.
Altitude Range
1500–3600 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
The brown-cheeked laughingthrush is a shy but vocal understory bird of montane forests, where its loud, laughing choruses often reveal its presence before the bird is seen. It forages in small, noisy groups, flicking through leaf litter and low shrubs for insects and berries. Its distribution spans the Eastern Himalayas into southwestern China, with several subspecies varying subtly in tone and pattern.
Temperament
social and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Typically found in pairs or small family parties that skulk through dense undergrowth while keeping contact with chatters and laughs. Nests are cup-shaped and placed low in shrubs or dense tangles. Breeding pairs are territorial but may join loose mixed flocks outside the breeding season.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Rich, bubbling series of whistles and chuckles that rise and fall in tempo, often delivered antiphonally by a pair. Calls include harsh scolds and rapid, laughing cackles that carry through the forest.
Plumage
Warm brown and olive overall with a contrasting brown cheek patch, greyish crown and nape, and a paler throat. Upperparts are olive-brown with subtle rufous edging on the wings and tail; underparts are buffy to greyish with fine mottling or scaling. The tail is long and graduated, often showing darker subterminal tones.
Diet
Takes insects and other arthropods gleaned from leaf litter, moss, and low foliage. Supplements animal prey with berries, small fruits, and occasionally seeds. May probe rotting logs and bamboo clumps for hidden invertebrates.
Preferred Environment
Feeds primarily in dense understory of montane forest, rhododendron and bamboo thickets, and along forest margins. Often forages near the ground, hopping and flicking leaves in shaded, cluttered microhabitats.
