Chinese Hwamei

How to identify

Field marks

1. White eye-ring extends behind the eye into a supercilium
2. Rufous-brown overall, with dingy gray in the center of the belly
3. Fine dark streaks on the crown, neck and throat
4. Grayish upper mandible and yellow lower mandible

Male, female and young

Sexes almost identical; the female has less metallic gloss and a slimmer neck; juveniles have fewer stripes and no barring on the tail.

Voice

Clear, varied whistles, usually starting slowly, then gradually rising in pitch and volume; also mimics other birds.

Similar species

Taiwan Hwamei

Taiwan Hwamei is grayer, has more streaks and lacks a white supercilium on the head.

Where and when it's recorded

Chinese Hwamei has been recorded at 116 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 5 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

1. Kinmen – Botanical GardenChina1,176 records
2. Kinmen – Doumen Hiking TrailChina1,172 records
3. Kinmen – Lake Ci WusatouChina776 records

Countries and regions with the most records

ChinaJapanSingaporeThailandIndonesia

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The Chinese hwamei or melodious laughingthrush (Garrulax canorus) is a passerine bird of eastern Asia in the laughingthrush family Leiothrichidae. The name "hwamei" comes from its Chinese name huà méi, which means "painted eyebrow", referring to the distinctive marking around the bird's eyes. The species is a popular cagebird because of its attractive song.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions