Red-tailed Laughingthrush Trochalopteron milnei Scientific name definitions

26–28 cm; 66–93 g. Medium-sized dull ochrous-grey laughingthrush with bright rufous-chestnut crown, blackish face, whitish ear-coverts and crimson wings and tail . Nominate race has crown to nape bright rufous-chestnut, shading abruptly to ochre-stained mid-grey neck side, mantle and back with wide dark scaling, darker and plainer ochrous on rump and uppertail-coverts; upperwing fringes extensively crimson, tail duller greyish-crimson; face (lores to above eye and upper submous­tachial area) blackish, ear-coverts whitish; chin and upper throat blackish, shading to grey-scaled olive on lower throat and breast and plain greyish-olive on lower underparts; iris crimson to hazel or dark brown, orbital skin grey; bill black; legs black or dark purplish-grey. Sexes similar. Juvenile is like adult. Race <em>sharpei</em> is like nominate, but ear-coverts silvery; sinianum is slightly paler-crowned, more silvery-eared and blacker-throated, with breast and underparts much greyer; vitryi is like last, but breast extensively scaled blackish, birds in C Annam and adjacent S Laos having paler throat and breast with more pronounced scalloping.

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.

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.

Insects, including beetles (Coleoptera), also small centipedes (Chilopoda); also berries and fruits of Saurauja (Theaceae). Forages in pairs or in small parties of 2–4 individuals, rarely quite large parties; usually 2–5 m above ground, sometimes lower, or on ground itself. Often very skulking in dense vegetation.

Sings with clear loud whistled phrases, e.g. “uuu-weeoo”, “eeoo-wee” or shorter “uuuwi” (all rising at start), or “uuuu-hiu-hiu” and “uuuu-hiu-hiu-hiu”, with slightly rising introduction and faster, soft laughter at end.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Nominate race apparently rather uncommon and restricted in range; intensive search in 2015 using infrared-triggered cameras failed to find any individual, suggesting that this subspecies may be either critically endangered or functionally extinct (3 He, F.-Q., Cheng, S.-L., Melville, D.S., Lin, J.-S., Lin, Z., Jiang, H.-D., Guo, H.-X., Cheng, L. and Yuan, R.B. (2016). On the endangerment of Garrulax milnei milnei. Chinese J. Zool.. 51(3): 492–496. Close ). Species in general considered local and uncommon to rare in China; recently recorded in Diding Nature Reserve, in Guangxi, but at best uncommon there. Scarce to uncommon in SE Asian part of range. In Laos, historically common on Bolavens Plateau above 800 m but very rare in Tranninh; currently common in Dong Hua Sao National Biodiversity Conservation Area (NBCA) above 1100 m, present (common above 1000 m) in Nakai-Nam Theun NBCA, and present and probably common in Xe Sap proposed protected area. In Vietnam, locally common in Fan Si Pan National Park and present in Na Hang and Vu Quang Nature Reserves.