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Black-faced Laughingthrush Trochalopteron affine Scientific name definitions

Nigel Collar and Craig Robson
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated January 1, 2007

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Originally Appeared in

HBW Alive

Field Identification

24–26 cm; 52–85 g. Fairly large, dark brownish laughingthrush, scaled above and streaked below pale grey, with blackish-brown head and short rounded white submoustachial patch. Nominate race has crown dark brown, paler on nape, and rufescent mid-brown on mantle, shading to rufescent olive on upperparts with vague grey subterminal smudges and neat narrow dark scale-shaped tips; rump and uppertail-coverts dull pale chestnut; primary coverts black, flight-feathers fringed pale grey with broad golden-olive wing flash, tail dull golden-olive basally, grey distally; side of face (supercilium and rear lateral crownstripe, lores, cheek and ear-coverts) blackish, with white vertical patch behind ear-coverts and bolder creamy-white drop-shaped upper submoustachial and malar patch; chin blackish, throat to lower submoustachial area and breast brownish-tan with buffier centres and greyish edges (creating indistinct streaks), shading on belly, flanks and vent to buffy olive; iris brown or olive-khaki; bill horn-black; legs pinkish-brown or horn-brown. Sexes similar. Juvenile is browner-crowned than adult, with no white neck patch, and more uniform brown body plumage. Race bethelae tends to be blacker-headed, browner-backed, with richer brownish-tan breast and more ochrous flanks and vent than nominate; oustaleti is like previous, but with darker grey streaking below and darker, more uniform underparts overall (pattern slightly more scaly); saturatum is very like last but darker and duller overall, more extensively blackish on head (black extending farther onto throat), white submoustachial and neck patch less extensive, outer fringes of secondaries duller; muliense has slightly greyer-tinged crown and greyer, floury wash on underparts, pattern scalier; blythii is like last, but browner on mantle, back, neck and underparts, with outer fringes of secondaries dull moss-green.

Systematics History

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Has been considered conspecific with T. morrisonianum, but basis for such treatment weak. Six subspecies recognized.

Subspecies

SUBSPECIES

Trochalopteron affine affine Scientific name definitions

Trochalopteron affine affine
T. a. affine

Distribution

W and C Nepal and adjacent S Tibet.

SUBSPECIES

Trochalopteron affine bethelae Scientific name definitions

Distribution

E Nepal E to Bhutan and NE India (Arunachal Pradesh) and adjacent S and SE Tibet.

SUBSPECIES

Trochalopteron affine oustaleti Scientific name definitions

Distribution

N Myanmar and S China (NW Yunnan and adjacent SE Tibet).

SUBSPECIES

Trochalopteron affine muliense Scientific name definitions

Distribution

SW Sichuan (Muli region) S to NW Yunnan (Lijiang Range), in S China.
SUBSPECIES

Trochalopteron affine blythii Scientific name definitions

Trochalopteron affine blythii
T. a. blythii

Distribution

(1)S Gansu S to SW Sichuan (N of Muli region), in SC China.
SUBSPECIES

Trochalopteron affine saturatum Scientific name definitions

Distribution

C and SE Yunnan and extreme NW Vietnam (NW Tonkin).

Distribution

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.

Habitat

High-altitude habitats, including bushy undergrowth in broadleaf evergreen, coniferous and mixed forest, scrub oak and bamboo in mixed oak and conifer, birch and fir or rhododendron forest, juniper and stunted rhododendron, conifer and birch thickets, bamboo, dwarf rhododendron and shrubbery above timber-line. Found at 2350–4600 m (mainly above 2300 m), some descending locally in winter as low as 1630 m; in China, locally down to 1500 m during breeding and as low as 500 m in winter; in Bhutan possibly breeds only above 3000 m, and in winter apparently absent above 3200 m and found down to 1800 m (occasionally 1300 m).

Movement

Resident; post-breeding altitudinal displacements at least in Bhutan, where occurs at lower levels Dec–Feb, and in China.

Diet and Foraging

Insects, including beetles (Coleoptera); also berries and fruits, including wild strawberries (Fragaria), crabapples (Malus) and ginseng (Heptapleurum), and seeds, including those of brambles (Rubus), aromatic wintergreens (Gaultheria) and viburnums (Viburnum). Noted also as feeding on a vervain (Clerodendron). Found in pairs during breeding season; otherwise in small parties, although up to 30 recorded together, and may associate with other species, including Fulvetta vinipectus, in bird waves. Forages on or near ground, and sometimes as high as crowns of small trees.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Song consists of repeated loud, shrill, rather high-pitched, quickish phrases, e.g. “wiee-chiweeoo”, “wiee-chweeiu” and “wiee-weeoo-wi” (“wiee” shriller, higher, rising), repeated every c. 7 seconds; those of race bethelae said to be richly modulated, strident, whistled “fúúweéóo-whéóóóúwhéét!” etc., may start with few higher, tinkly notes, e.g. “tertwinkit-tutur-whéóóóúwhéét!”. Calls include continuous, rather high rattling, and low conversational chuckles, have been transcribed also as gruff low rattles that often begin or end in harsh metallic upslurs, e.g. “trrrrt, trrt, trrrrt-krvit!, trrrrt”, wheezy, thin purrs and whines, and mewing. Very noisy when excited.

Breeding

Apr–Aug. Nest a large but neat cup, externally made of moss and fine twigs, internally of dry rhododendron leaves, root fibres and a few grass blades, lined with fungus rhizomorphs, root fibres and birch-bark paper, placed 1–2·5 m above ground in bush (e.g. rhododendron or viburnum). Clutch 2–3 eggs, blue to slightly greenish-blue with a few blackish-brown to purplish-black spots, blotches and scrawls; in captivity, incubation period 14–15 days, fledging period 14–16 days (sometimes to 21 days).

Conservation Status

Conservation status on Birdlife LC Least Concern
Not globally threatened. Common in Nepal, including Langtang National Park. Abundant in alpine and temperate zones in Bhutan. Common in India, where present in Buxa Tiger Reserve (West Bengal) and in and/or near Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary (Arunachal Pradesh). Locally common in SE Asian range. Generally uncommon in China.
Distribution of the Black-faced Laughingthrush - Range Map
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  • Migration
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Distribution of the Black-faced Laughingthrush

eBird and Macaulay Library

Recommended Citation

Collar, N. and C. Robson (2020). Black-faced Laughingthrush (Trochalopteron affine), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.blflau1.01
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