The snowy-cheeked laughingthrush, also known as Sukatschev's laughingthrush, is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is endemic to northern China where its natural habitat is temperate forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Region
Northern China, East Asia
Typical Environment
The snowy-cheeked laughingthrush inhabits temperate broadleaf and mixed forests with dense shrub layers. It favors thickets, forest edges, ravines, and secondary growth where cover is plentiful. Populations are patchy due to habitat fragmentation, occurring in mountainous areas with intact understory. It generally avoids open habitats and highly disturbed areas, remaining close to forest cover.
Altitude Range
600–2400 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called Sukatschev's laughingthrush, this species belongs to the babbler family Leiothrichidae and is confined to northern China. It keeps to dense undergrowth, where it is more often heard than seen, delivering a series of laughing, chattering notes. Habitat loss and fragmentation of temperate forests are the main threats to its survival.
Temperament
shy and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually seen in pairs or small family parties, keeping to dense understory. It nests low in shrubs or small trees, building a cup-shaped nest. Pairs are likely monogamous, and family groups may remain together outside the breeding season.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A loud, varied series of chattering, chuckling, and laughing phrases typical of laughingthrushes. Calls include sharp scolds and whistles used to maintain contact in dense cover.
Plumage
Warm brown upperparts and wings with a contrasting snowy-white cheek patch and throat, bordered by darker lores and malar area. Underparts are paler brown to buff with subtle mottling. Tail is long and graduated, often showing slightly rufous tones toward the edges.
Diet
An opportunistic omnivore that forages for insects, beetles, caterpillars, and other small invertebrates. It also consumes berries, small fruits, and seeds, especially in colder months. Foraging often involves flipping leaf litter and probing among roots and low shrubs.
Preferred Environment
Feeds on or near the ground within dense thickets, forest edges, and along shaded trails and ravines. It stays close to cover, occasionally moving into secondary growth and scrubby clearings adjacent to forest.
