Variegated Laughingthrush Trochalopteron variegatum Scientific name definitions

24–26 cm; 57–79 g. Medium-sized olive and buffy laughingthrush with whitish lower face, broad black mesial stripe and gray, black and white wings and tail. Nominate subspecies has forehead dull buff, shading to vaguely streaked pale brownish-gray on crown; upperparts ochre-tinged grayish-olive, upperwing with strong cinnamon fringes of greater coverts, black primary coverts and markings on bases of secondaries, black tertials with whitish on outer webs, pale gray and pale ochrous-gray wing fringing; blackish tail with broad grayish subterminal band and white tip; lores, spot at base of lower mandible and area around eye (except for tiny white postocular flash) blackish, shading grayer on ear-coverts; rest of submoustachial area buff, shading backwards to whitish, with whitish-tipped blackish feathers on lower ear-coverts; chin and central throat blackish, breast and belly ochrous gray-brown or buffish-gray, shading to ochrous-rufous on lower belly, thighs and vent; iris pale yellow or pale yellow-green to pale yellowish-brown or brown; bill blackish to dark brown, yellow base of lower mandible; tarsi pale reddish orange-brown or pale brown to pinkish. Sexes similar. Juvenile is slightly warmer and less distinctly patterned overall than adult. Subspecies simile differs from nominate in having uniform silvery-gray fringing on outer tail, primaries and secondaries, paler and duller forehead, grayer upperside, breast and flanks, and whiter throat side; nuristani is like last but grayer overall, with darker crown and nape.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.