Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush Ianthocincla konkakinhensis Scientific name definitions

24 cm. Forehead, crown and nape are grey with broad black tips, becoming mostly black on hindcrown and nape; mantle and upperwing-coverts olive-buff, becoming warmer on scapulars to rump but all with heavy black scaling , uppertail-coverts rufous-brown, tail yellow-tinged rufous-brown with broad black subterminal band and white tips; primary coverts blackish, outer primaries fringed bluish-white, grading to olive-brown on inner primaries, and secondaries and tertials very broadly tipped black with pronounced white terminal fringes; lores and cheek buff, postocular supercilium grey, ear-coverts rufous-chestnut, black submoustachial stripe merging with black on throat side; chin and throat off-white, faintly buff-tinged and with irregular faint blackish conical or anchor-shaped marks that extend more heavily onto olive-buff neck side and breast side, mid-breast grey-washed buff, belly and flanks pale buffy rufous with vague sparse black bars, becoming plainer and more rufescent on vent; iris brown to dark brown; upper mandible dark horn, lower mandible pale horn; legs flesh-horn. Distinguished from G. rufogularis by having all tail feathers tipped white, bluish-grey remiges with no black band, black-streaked grey forecrown and grey supercilium, and rich buff lower belly and vent, also all-chestnut ear-coverts, off-white throat, and extensive black tips on scapulars and tertials. Sexes similar. Juvenile has only little grey on rear supercilum.

C highlands of Vietnam, and recently recorded in SE Laos (Xe Xap National Biodiversity Area) (1 Mahood, S.P., Edwards, D.P., Ansell, S.A. and Craik, R. (2012). An accessible site for Vietnam’s Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush Garrulax konkakinhensis. BirdingASIA 17: 104–105. Close ).

Broadleaf forest (including the bamboos Arundinaria and Schizostachyum), forest edge, secondary growth; recorded at 1350–1750 m.

Resident.

Presumably invertebrates and some vegetable matter. Occurs singly, in pairs or in small (perhaps family) groups. Forages in understorey. Can be very skulking.

Song a sweet Turdus-like rambling series of fairly well-spaced and stressed notes, and some mimicry, lasting c. 4–6 seconds; very different from that of G. rufogularis. Calls include low grumbling “rrreeek, rrreeek, rrreeek…”.

Mar–Apr. No other information.

VULNERABLE. The species occurs in three protected areas: Dong Ampham National Biodiversity Conservation Area, in Laos, and Ngoc Linh and Kon Ka Kinh Nature Reserves, in Vietnam. Its occurrence in logged forest and secondary habitats suggests that, unlike G. rufogularis, it is not a species requiring closed primary forest.