Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush (Pterorhinus ruficeps)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush

Pterorhinus ruficeps (Gould, 1863)

≈28 cmLength98 gWeight

This laughingthrush is endemic to Taiwan (China) and was formerly treated as the same species as White-throated Laughingthrush.

Busiest months: May and December · Most records: China

Looks like White-throated Laughingthrush

Least Concern

How to identify

Similar species

White-throated Laughingthrush
White-throated Laughingthrush

Formerly treated as the same species, the two are now separate; this species occurs only in Taiwan (China).

Where and when it's recorded

Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush has been recorded at 9 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Dasyueshan IBA – Dasyueshan Forest-Road 23.5KTaiwan (China)261 records
  2. Nantou – Meifeng Highland Experimental Farm of NTUTaiwan (China)41 records
  3. Dasyueshan IBA – Xiaoxueshan Lodge (50K)Taiwan (China)32 records
More places
  1. Taipei – Xindian SikanshuiTaiwan (China)10 records
  2. Nantou – Xitou Nature Education AreaTaiwan (China)10 records
  3. Dasyueshan IBA – Hengliu Creek (15K)Taiwan (China)6 records
  4. Taipei – WulaiTaiwan (China)4 records
  5. Yushan NP – TatakaTaiwan (China)1 record
  6. Hualien River Estuary IBATaiwan (China)1 record

Countries and regions with the most records

China

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

Questions

How big is the Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush?

The Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush is about ≈28 cm long and weighs around 98 g.

Where does the Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush live?

Its breeding range: Oriental: Taiwan (China). It is most often recorded in China.

When is the best time to see the Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush?

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

Is the Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush as Least Concern.

What does the Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush in?

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

At a glance

Length
≈28 cm
Weight
98 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
124 mm
Tail
131 mm
Bill
25 mm
Tarsus
43 mm

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

Range

Oriental: Taiwan (China)

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 sannioMasked LaughingthrushMasked LaughingthrushPterorhinus perspicillatus
Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush

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

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