Yellow-throated Laughingthrush Pterorhinus galbanus Scientific name definitions

23–24·5 cm; 55–57 g. Superficially similar to P. gularis, but smaller and slimmer, with shorter bill, black chin, ochrous rear upperparts, no rufous on underparts, bold white tail tips. Crown and nape are pale greyish, shading on nape through paler grey to ochrous-fawn or olive-tinged pale warm brown on upperparts, wing fringes and tail, latter with broad blackish-brown tips centrally and broad blackish-brown subterminal marks and whitish tips on outer feathers; neat face mask  formed by black bristly forehead, lores, short supercilium, ear-coverts, upper submoustachial area and chin; rest of central underside maize-yellow (fading to whitish in museum specimens), most intense on throat  , but breast  shaded with greyish-olive, breast side and flanks greyish-olive, thighs pale yellow to yellowish-white (sometimes tinged as flanks), undertail-coverts white; iris brownish-yellow to orange-red, orbital skin below and behind eye blue or pale blue; bill blackish, tip sometimes whitish-horn; legs blackish-grey to pale silvery leaden. Sexes similar. Juvenile has crown blackish.

Very closely related to, and until recently treated as conspecific with, P. courtoisi, but since separation of latter (1 Collar, N. J. (2006). A partial revision of the Asian babblers (Timaliidae). Forktail 22:85–112. Close ) present species found also to possess a blue panel on ear-coverts (2 Wilkinson, R. and He, F.-Q. (2010). Yellow-throated Laughingthrush Garrulax galbanus and Blue-crowned Laughingthrush G. courtoisi—new observations and interpretations on their taxonomy. BirdingASIA 14: 73–82. Close ) and “very distinct differences” in song (3 Edwards, D.P., Borah, J. and Eaton, J.A. (2016). First description of the song of Yellow-throated Laughingthrush Garrulax (Dryonastes) galbanus, Nagaland, north-east India. BirdingASIA. 25: 87–88. Close ). Monotypic.

Mostly insects, also small seeds. Found in pairs or in small parties of up to six individuals, sometimes more (as many as 50–80 recorded), often in association with P. ruficollis. Forages mainly on ground.

Song loud and melodious, consisting of five equally spaced whistled notes lasting 1·5 seconds, each note being 0·2 seconds in length; first and fourth notes slightly tremulous and down-slurred compared with the second and fifth, that are up-slurred, piercing whistles; third note equally piercing although down-slurred; the motif could be described as brrt-peewit-peow-brrt-peewit, regularly repeated at about 5-second intervals (3 Edwards, D.P., Borah, J. and Eaton, J.A. (2016). First description of the song of Yellow-throated Laughingthrush Garrulax (Dryonastes) galbanus, Nagaland, north-east India. BirdingASIA. 25: 87–88. Close ). Also feeble chirping calls from flocks.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). In India, formerly locally not uncommon in Assam; not uncommon in Nagaland in 1990s, when regularly found on sale as food in markets. Scarce and local in Myanmar.