Banasura Laughingthrush Montecincla jerdoni Scientific name definitions

One of the least known bird species in peninsular India, Banasura Laughingthrush (also known as Banasura Chilappan) has a very limited distribution in southwestern India. It is one of the four Montecincla laughingthrushes, a genus endemic to the Western Ghats mountains. This species is restricted to sky islands (sholas) of subtropical montane forest that are interspersed among grassland and rocky outcrops above 1,400 meters elevation. In such areas, it is locally common and easily detected owing to its loud, fluty songs and harsh chatters. Most of its habitat lies outside the protected area network in the reserve forests that are ravaged by forest fires every year. It is suspected to be undergoing a population decline and has not been reported recently from some of the mountain ranges in Kodagu and Wayanad, where it is believed to have occurred historically. This decline, coupled with its small population size (500–2,500 mature individuals), limited distribution, and ongoing threats, has lead to its ranking as globally threatened (Endangered). Research is urgently needed to understand the life history of this species and threats it faces in the sky islands of the Western Ghats.