Variegated Laughingthrush (Trochalopteron variegatum)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Variegated Laughingthrush

Trochalopteron variegatum (Vigors, 1831)

≈24 cmLength64 gWeight

This olive-brown laughingthrush has a single black stripe down the center of the throat and a white tail tip.

Busiest months: March · Most records: India, China, Nepal

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

  1. A single black stripe down the center of the throat
  2. Olive overall with buff tones
  3. Large tail with a gray subterminal band and white tip
  4. Black around the bill extending to the eye; white eye-ring

Where and when it's recorded

Variegated Laughingthrush has been recorded at 12 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 4 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Munsyari – Bheema WodeyarIndia183 records
  2. Langtang National Park - Syabru to Lama HotelNepal24 records
  3. GyirongChina23 records
More places
  1. Annapurna Conservation Area - Ghode Pani and PoonhillNepal22 records
  2. Talhaar Ridge - Margalla HillsPakistan21 records
  3. Gyirong – Jifu VillageChina21 records
  4. ZhangmuChina13 records
  5. SattalIndia12 records
  6. PangotIndia7 records
  7. Gyirong – Holy Lake & Mountain PassChina6 records

Countries and regions with the most records

IndiaChinaNepalPakistan

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 variegated laughingthrush (Trochalopteron variegatum) is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is endemic to the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent, primarily the low-to-mid altitudes of the Himalayas. It ranges across Bhutan, India, Nepal and Tibet.

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

Questions

How big is the Variegated Laughingthrush?

The Variegated Laughingthrush is about ≈24 cm long and weighs around 64 g.

Where does the Variegated Laughingthrush live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic: south-central. It is most often recorded in India, China and Nepal.

When is the best time to see the Variegated Laughingthrush?

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

Is the Variegated Laughingthrush endangered?

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

What does the Variegated Laughingthrush eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Variegated Laughingthrush in?

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

At a glance

Length
≈24 cm
Weight
64 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
103 mm
Tail
124 mm
Bill
22 mm
Tarsus
36 mm

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

Range

Palearctic: south-central

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Laughingthrushes & Allies Leiothrichidae
Genus
Trochalopteron

Other birds in the genus Trochalopteron

Variegated Laughingthrush

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

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