The chestnut-capped laughingthrush, also known as the spectacled laughingthrush, is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is found in Sumatra (Indonesia) and the Thai-Malay Peninsula. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. The chestnut-hooded laughingthrush was previously considered a subspecies.
Region
Malay Peninsula and Sumatra (Sundaland)
Typical Environment
Occurs from southern Thailand through Peninsular Malaysia and on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. It inhabits subtropical to tropical moist lowland and montane forests, favoring dense undergrowth, bamboo thickets, and forest edges. The species tolerates secondary growth and selectively logged forest where sufficient cover remains. It is most frequently encountered in hill and lower montane forest but can range into lowlands where suitable thickets exist.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
Also called the spectacled laughingthrush, it gets its name from the bold white eye-rings that look like spectacles. It travels in noisy, chattering parties through dense forest undergrowth and often joins mixed-species flocks. Formerly lumped with the chestnut-hooded laughingthrush of Borneo, it is now recognized as a separate species.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Typically moves in small, noisy flocks or family groups, often accompanying mixed-species foraging parties in the midstory and undergrowth. Pairs maintain contact with constant chatter while foraging. The nest is a cup placed low in dense vegetation, and both parents likely contribute to care.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A loud, melodious chorus of chuckles, whistles, and rising laughter-like phrases delivered antiphonally within a group. Contact calls are harsh chacks and churring notes given frequently while moving through cover.
Plumage
Slaty-gray body with warmer olive-brown wings and tail, capped by a rich chestnut hood from forehead to nape. Prominent white spectacles formed by a bold eye-ring and partial supercilium contrast with darker lores and face. Underparts are gray with slightly paler throat; tail and wings may show faint rufous-brown edges.
Diet
Takes a wide range of invertebrates such as beetles, caterpillars, and spiders gleaned from leaves and twigs or picked from the ground. Also eats small fruits and berries, especially when insects are less abundant. Occasionally probes moss and bark crevices for hidden prey and will visit fruiting shrubs and small trees.
Preferred Environment
Forages in dense undergrowth, along forest edges, bamboo clumps, and along shaded trails and streams. Frequently joins mixed-species flocks to exploit disturbed foliage and insect flushes.
