Masked Laughingthrush (Pterorhinus perspicillatus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Masked Laughingthrush

Pterorhinus perspicillatus (Gmelin, JF, 1789)

28 cmLength118 gWeight

This bird has black on the forehead and around the eyes like a mask, and often flies through forest in flocks of several birds.

Busiest months: April and November · Most records: China, Vietnam, Japan

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

  1. Black on the forehead and around the eyes, forming a mask
  2. Gray-brown back and wings
  3. Yellowish-brown undertail-coverts

Voice

High-pitched, loud, grating “piew piew piew” calls, mixed with chattering.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: April and November · Most records: China, Vietnam, Japan

Masked Laughingthrush has been recorded at 460 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 5 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Mai Po Nature ReserveHong Kong (China)3,345 records
  2. Po ToiHong Kong (China)1,407 records
  3. Long ValleyHong Kong (China)1,355 records
More places
  1. Lam Tsuen ValleyHong Kong (China)1,099 records
  2. Mai Po NR – #8b ReedbedHong Kong (China)871 records
  3. Pat Heung Catchwater, Tai LamHong Kong (China)566 records
  4. Nam Sang Wai WetlandHong Kong (China)508 records
  5. San TinHong Kong (China)503 records
  6. Shek Kong Airfield RoadHong Kong (China)479 records
  7. Kowloon ParkHong Kong (China)442 records

Countries and regions with the most records

ChinaVietnamJapanSingaporeSwitzerland

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 masked laughingthrush (Pterorhinus perspicillatus) is a species of laughingthrush found in China, Vietnam, Hong Kong (China) and Macau (China). It is often seen in small noisy flocks of seven. Its Chinese name qī zǐ-mèi (Chinese: 七姊妹 ) means 'seven brothers and sisters'.

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

Questions

How big is the Masked Laughingthrush?

The Masked Laughingthrush is about 28 cm long and weighs around 118 g.

Where does the Masked Laughingthrush live?

Its breeding range: Oriental: central, eastern China to central Vietnam. It is most often recorded in China, Vietnam and Japan.

When is the best time to see the Masked Laughingthrush?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in April and November (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Masked Laughingthrush endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Masked Laughingthrush as Least Concern.

What does the Masked Laughingthrush eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Masked Laughingthrush in?

It belongs to the family Laughingthrushes & Allies (Leiothrichidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length
28 cm
Weight
118 g
Habitat
Shrubland
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
124 mm
Tail
147 mm
Bill
29 mm
Tarsus
42 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Oriental: central, eastern China to central Vietnam

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Laughingthrushes & Allies Leiothrichidae
Genus
Pterorhinus

Other birds in the genus Pterorhinus

Wayanad LaughingthrushWayanad LaughingthrushPterorhinus delessertiRufous-vented LaughingthrushRufous-vented LaughingthrushPterorhinus gularisWhite-cheeked LaughingthrushWhite-cheeked LaughingthrushPterorhinus vassaliYellow-throated LaughingthrushYellow-throated LaughingthrushPterorhinus galbanusBlue-crowned LaughingthrushBlue-crowned LaughingthrushPterorhinus courtoisiChestnut-capped LaughingthrushChestnut-capped LaughingthrushPterorhinus mitratusChestnut-hooded LaughingthrushChestnut-hooded LaughingthrushPterorhinus treacheriRufous-necked LaughingthrushRufous-necked LaughingthrushPterorhinus ruficollisChestnut-backed LaughingthrushChestnut-backed LaughingthrushPterorhinus nuchalisBlack-throated LaughingthrushBlack-throated LaughingthrushPterorhinus chinensisWhite-browed LaughingthrushWhite-browed LaughingthrushPterorhinus sannioGreater Necklaced LaughingthrushGreater Necklaced LaughingthrushPterorhinus pectoralis
Masked Laughingthrush

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Charles Lam. ↗

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