The Nilgiri laughingthrush is a species of laughingthrush endemic to the high elevation areas of the Nilgiris and adjoining hill ranges in Peninsular India. The mostly rufous underparts, olive brown upperparts, a prominent white eyebrow and a black throat make it unmistakable. It is easily detected by its loud series of nasal call notes and can be hard to spot when it is hidden away inside a patch of dense vegetation. The species has a confusing taxonomic history, leading to a range of names. In the past the species was considered to have two subspecies, the nominate form in the Nilgiris and jerdoni with a grey upper breast and found in the Brahmagiris of Coorg and Banasura range of Wayanad. They are omnivorous, feeding on a range of insects, berries and nectar.
Region
Western Ghats, southern India
Typical Environment
Confined to high-elevation shola forests and adjoining thickets on the Nilgiri plateau. It favors dense, tangled undergrowth, forest edges, and riparian thickets within the shola–grassland mosaic. Birds may also forage along hedgerows and the margins of plantations where native scrub persists. Territories are small and closely tied to continuous native understory cover. Fragmentation limits movement between habitat patches and constrains dispersal.
Altitude Range
1200–2600 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Nilgiri laughingthrush is a skulking, understory specialist of the high Nilgiri Hills in India, often heard before it is seen. Its taxonomy was recently revised, and populations once treated as subspecies (such as jerdoni) are now split as separate species. It gives loud, nasal chattering calls and often moves in small, tight-knit family parties. Habitat fragmentation in the shola–grassland mosaic is its primary threat.
Nilgiri laughingthrush
Typical habitat in the Nilgiris
Temperament
secretive yet vocally conspicuous
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually seen in pairs or small family groups that keep close contact with calls while moving through dense cover. Nests are cup-shaped and placed low in shrubs or thickets. Breeding coincides with the pre-monsoon to early monsoon period, and both parents attend the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A loud series of nasal, chattering laughs and scolds, often delivered antiphonally by members of a pair. Calls carry far through the forest and are given frequently during foraging, making the species easier to detect than to see.
