The spot-breasted laughingthrush is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is found in Yunnan, Northeast India, Laos, Myanmar, north-west Thailand, and northern Vietnam. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.
Region
Southeast Asia and southern China
Typical Environment
This species inhabits subtropical and tropical moist forests, from dense lowland evergreen to montane broadleaf and mixed bamboo thickets. It favors tangled undergrowth, forest edges, secondary growth, and scrubby hillsides near woodland. Birds often keep close to the ground or mid-understory, weaving through vines and shrubs. It occurs from northeastern India and Myanmar through Laos, northwestern Thailand, northern Vietnam, and into Yunnan in southern China.
Altitude Range
200–2400 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
Named for its laughing, bubbling chorus, the spot-breasted laughingthrush is often heard before it is seen in dense undergrowth. It forages in small, noisy parties and sometimes joins mixed-species flocks. Secretive habits and a preference for thick vegetation can make visual encounters brief.
Temperament
secretive but social
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats between cover
Social Behavior
Usually seen in pairs or small family groups that move low through dense vegetation. It may join mixed-species flocks when foraging. Nests are typically cup-shaped and placed low in shrubs or thickets, with both parents involved in care.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A loud, laughing series of bubbling chuckles and whistles, often delivered antiphonally by pairs. Groups may chorus at dawn and dusk, carrying far through forested valleys.
Plumage
Warm brown upperparts with a long, graduated tail; underparts buff to pale rufous with bold blackish spots concentrated on the breast and flanks. Face gray-brown with a paler throat and a subtle pale eye-ring; wings slightly darker with diffuse edging.
Diet
Feeds on insects and other small invertebrates gleaned from leaf litter and low foliage. Also takes berries, small fruits, and seeds when available. It probes, flips leaves, and picks prey from twigs, occasionally hopping onto low branches to glean quietly.
Preferred Environment
Forages on or near the forest floor in dense understory, bamboo clumps, and along forest edges. Frequently works along trails, stream margins, and in regenerating secondary growth where cover is thick.
