White-crested Laughingthrush (Garrulax leucolophus) is a member of the Leiothrichidae family. This bird is mostly found in forests and scrub from the Himalayan foothills to Indochina. The broad-leaf evergreen forest and mixed deciduous forest, are disturbed, secondary, and regenerating forests. However, the white-crested laughingthrush is not indigenous to Singapore.
A charismatic “cute”-looking bird, usually moving in flocks ranging from pairs to noisy gangs of eight, has mostly chestnut-brown upper parts, a white head, and a breast with a protuberant white crest that sometimes appears a dirty grey due to the accumulation of dust, as well as a broad black stripe running from the lores across the eye to the ear coverts.
The bird was formerly included as the Sumatran Laughingthrush as a subspecies, but nothing like that species. The plumage of the white-crested laughingthrush is rufescent-brown and white, and the black mask is relatively broad. In Thailand, it is introduced as a caged bird and somehow escapes from a sustainable population. Moreover, it has become well established since 1995, and its population has increased, which can be commonly encountered in many locations.
This species has an extremely large range and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion, hence not under threat or least concern. However, the population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction and fragmentation.
Somewhere between March and August, White-crested Laughing Thrushes form close bonds during the breeding season. The bird habitually builds a wide, shallow nest at least six feet off the ground, normally constructed of bamboo leaves. The birds lay 3–5 eggs and incubate for a short period of 15 days, letting White-crested Laughing Thrushes generally produce at least two clutches of young each year. In order to be successful, the parents must enlist support.
The White-crested Laughing Thrushes rely on older offspring, those hatched earlier in the season to support feed and defend the youngest members of the family. White-crested Laughing Thrushes are noisy, social birds who sporadically burst into loud calls that sound just like laughter. White-crested Laughing Thrushes are an incredibly social species native to the teak and bamboo-covered foothills of the Himalayan Mountains.
