Bare-headed laughingthrush

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Bare-headed laughingthrush
0A2A1562 Bare-headed Laughingthrush.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Timaliidae
Genus: Melanocichla
Species:
M. calva
Binomial name
Melanocichla calva
(Sharpe, 1888)
Melanocichla calva map.svg
Synonyms
  • Allocotops calvus Sharpe, 1888
  • Garrulax calvus(Sharpe, 1888)
  • Garrulax lugubris calvus(Sharpe, 1888)
  • Melanocichla lugubris calvus(Sharpe, 1888)

The bare-headed laughingthrush (Melanocichla calva) is a species of bird in the Old World babbler family Timaliidae. It is endemic to highland forests at elevations of 750–1,800 m (2,460–5,910 ft) in the mountain ranges of north-central Borneo, along with some outlying peaks. It is 25–26 cm (9.8–10.2 in) long, with both sexes similar in appearance. The head is brownish to greenish yellow and featherless. The area along the lower mandible has a bluish tinge. The rest of the body is dull blackish-brown tinged with grey. Juveniles have more feathers on the head, extending from the forehead to the crown .

Contents

Described by the British ornithologist Richard Bowdler Sharpe in 1888, the bare-headed laughingthrush was then treated as a subspecies of the black laughingthrush from 1935 to 2006, when it was restored to full species status. It feeds on insects such as crickets, cicadas, and ants in dense columns of vegetation formed by vines growing around trees. Although it is classified as being of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, it is threatened by habitat destruction and fragmentation and its population is thought to be decreasing.

Taxonomy and systematics

The bare-headed laughingthrush was described as Allocotops calvus by the British ornithologist Richard Bowdler Sharpe in 1888 on the basis of specimens collected from Mount Kinabalu, Borneo. [2] It was subsequently considered a subspecies of the black laughingthrush (Melanocichla lugubris) by the English zoologist Frederick Nutter Chasen in 1935 and moved into Melanocichla as Melanocichla lugubris calvus. [3] In 1946, the French-American ornithologist Jean Delacour synonymised Melanocichla with Garrulax . [4] In 2006, the British ornithologist Nigel Collar again raised the bare-headed laughingthrush to species status on the basis of differences in appearance. [5] The Spanish ornithologist Josep del Hoyo and colleagues split Garrulax into 11 different genera in 2007, placing the bare-headed and black laughingthrushes in a resurrected Melanocichla. [6]

The name of the genus, Melanocichla, is derived from the Ancient Greek melas, meaning black, and kikhlē, meaning thrush. The specific name calva is from the Neo-Latin calvus, meaning bald. [7] Bare-headed laughingthrush is the official common name designated by the International Ornithologists' Union. [8] Other common names for the species include bare-headed babbler [9] and Bornean bald laughingthrush. [10]

The bare-headed laughingthrush is one of 57 species in the Old World babbler family Timaliidae, [8] a diverse group of birds whose members are found in tropical forests in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast and East Asia, and Indonesia. [11] A 2019 phylogeny by Tianlong Cai and colleagues found the bare-headed laughingthrush to be most closely related to the black laughingthrush. These two species were further sister (most closely related) to the genus Pomatorhinus . The following cladogram shows the relationships within these two genera according to the 2019 phylogeny: [lower-alpha 1] [12]

Melanocichla

Bare-headed laughingthrush (Melanocichla calva)

Black laughingthrush (Melanocichla lugubris)

Pomatorhinus

Coral-billed scimitar babbler (Pomatorhinus ferruginosus)

Red-billed scimitar babbler (Pomatorhinus ochraceiceps)

Slender-billed scimitar babbler (Pomatorhinus superciliaris)

Streak-breasted scimitar babbler (Pomatorhinus ruficollis)

Taiwan scimitar babbler (Pomatorhinus musicus)

White-browed scimitar babbler (Pomatorhinus schisticeps)

Javan scimitar babbler (Pomatorhinus montanus)

Sri Lanka scimitar babbler (Pomatorhinus melanurus)

Indian scimitar babbler (Pomatorhinus horsfieldii)

Description

Illustration of adult and juvenile bare-headed laughingthrushes by John Gerrard Keulemans AllocotopsCalvusKeulemans.jpg
Illustration of adult and juvenile bare-headed laughingthrushes by John Gerrard Keulemans

The bare-headed laughingthrush is 25–26 cm (9.8–10.2 in) long, with both sexes similar in appearance. It has a featherless brownish to greenish yellow head, with the submoustachial region (area along the lower jaw) having a bluish tinge. The rest of the body is dull blackish-brown with a grey tinge. The bill is orange-red, occasionally with a paler tip, while the iris is dark chestnut-brown. The legs are olive-brown with yellow feet. Juveniles have feathers on the forehead up to the crown , with bare skin behind the eye. It is similar to the black laughingthrush, but differs in its bare head, brownish coloration, and slightly shorter bill, wing and tail. [13] [14]

Vocalisations

The vocalisations of the bare-headed laughingthrush are similar to those of the black laughingthrush. The song is a series of 3–22 deep, resonant ooh or hoo notes given at a frequency of 0.5 kHz. When the song is given in a duet, the ooh notes (thought to be given by males) are accompanied by loud, "comical" yow-yow or woh-woh notes or a loud, grating, mewing weeah (both thought to be given by females). [13] The latter calls are sometimes given alongside both the ooh and yow-yow notes. Other calls include a harsh, petulant queer-queer-hoop-hoop-hoop and a solitary bleat given as a contact call. [13] [14]

Distribution and habitat

Endemic to Borneo, the bare-headed laughingthrush is found in the north-central mountain ranges from Mount Kinabalu to Mount Dulit, along with outlying peaks in extreme eastern Brunei, Kalimantan (the Indonesian part of Borneo), and the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak. [1] [14] [15] It is a montane species, inhabiting broadleaf evergreen forest, secondary forest, and disturbed habitats at elevations of 750–1,800 m (2,460–5,910 ft). [13] [14] It is not migratory. [1]

Behaviour and ecology

Bare-headed laughingthrushes are usually seen in pairs or small flocks, sometimes as a part of mixed-species foraging flocks. They are less active than other species of laughingthrush. [14] The generation length of the species is 4.7 years. [1]

The species feeds on insects like crickets, cicadas, and ants. It creeps about in the lower storey or midstorey of the forest in a lethargic manner, foraging in dense columns of vegetation formed by vines growing around tree trunks. It free-falls through the vines in pursuit of falling insects, sometimes grabbing at perches. It will also occasionally hang upside down like a tit. Ants are gleaned from (plucked from the surface of) bamboo twigs, while larger insects are gleaned from bamboo leaves. [13] [14]

Juveniles have been observed in July and possibly in August. Evidence from the use of playback (recorded birdsong) suggests that flocks are territorial. [13]

Status

The bare-headed laughingthrush is classified as being of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature due to a sufficiently large range and population and a lack of significant population decline. However, it is locally common to uncommon and its population is currently thought to be decreasing. [1] It is threatened by habitat destruction and fragmentation, [1] but its mountainous habitat may give it some level of protection. [15] Although it has not been recorded being sold in markets, it may also be threatened by hunting for the cage-bird trade, which is known to affect other species of laughingthrushes in Indonesia. [15]

Notes

  1. The study treated the bare-headed and black laughingthrushes as a part of Garrulax . [12]

Related Research Articles

<i>Garrulax</i> Genus of birds

Garrulax is a genus of passerine birds in the laughingthrush family Leiothrichidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashy-headed laughingthrush</span> Species of bird

The ashy-headed laughingthrush is a member of the family Leiothrichidae. The laughingthrushes are a large family of Old World passerine birds characterised by soft fluffy plumage. These are birds of tropical areas, with the greatest variety in southeast Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-crested laughingthrush</span> Species of bird

The white-crested laughingthrush is a member of the family Leiothrichidae. It is a highly social and vocal bird found in forest and scrub from the Himalayan foothills to Southeast Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nilgiri laughingthrush</span> Species of bird

The Nilgiri laughingthrush is a species of laughingthrush endemic to the high elevation areas of the Nilgiris and adjoining hill ranges in Peninsular India. The mostly rufous underparts, olive brown upperparts, a prominent white eyebrow and a black throat make it unmistakable. It is easily detected by its loud series of nasal call notes and can be hard to spot when it is hidden away inside a patch of dense vegetation. The species has a confusing taxonomic history, leading to a range of names. In the past the species was considered to have two subspecies, the nominate form in the Nilgiris and jerdoni with a grey upper breast and found in the Brahmagiris of Coorg and Banasura range of Wayanad. They are omnivorous, feeding on a range of insects, berries and nectar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crimson-headed partridge</span> Species of bird

The crimson-headed partridge is a species of bird in the pheasant, partridge, and francolin family Phasianidae. Described by the British ornithologist Richard Bowdler Sharpe in 1879, it is the only species in the genus Haematortyx. It is endemic to Borneo, where it inhabits lower montane forest in the northern and central parts of the island. It is mainly found at elevations of 1,000–1,700 m (3,300–5,600 ft), but can be seen as low as 185 m (607 ft) and as high as 3,050 m (10,010 ft). Adult males have a striking appearance, with a dark blackish body and crimson red heads, necks, breasts, and undertail coverts. Females have a similar pattern, but with duller brownish-black colouration, orangish-red heads and breasts, and a brownish-black bill instead of a yellowish one. Juveniles are duller and have the crimson restricted to the top of the head.

<i>Turdoides</i> Genus of birds in the family Leiothrichidae

Turdoides is a genus of passerine birds in the laughingthrush family Leiothrichidae. The species are distributed across Africa and southern Asia and are typically fairly large, long-tailed birds which forage in noisy groups. The majority of species have drab brown or grey-brown plumage. Several species that were included in Turdoides in the past have been reassigned to Argya following a 2018 study that found multiple clades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese babax</span> Species of bird

The Chinese babax is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is found in China, Hong Kong, India, and Myanmar. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitehead's broadbill</span> Species of bird endemic to Borneo

Whitehead's broadbill is a species of bird in the family Calyptomenidae. It is endemic to the mountain ranges of north-central Borneo, where it mainly inhabits montane forests and forest edges at elevations of 900–1,700 m (3,000–5,600 ft). It is 24–27 cm (9.4–10.6 in) long, with males weighing 142–171 g (5.0–6.0 oz) and females weighing 150–163 g (5.3–5.7 oz). Males are vivid green and have a black throat patch, black spots on the ear-coverts and back of the neck, and black markings and streaking all over the body. The tails and flight feathers are also blackish. Females are smaller and lack the black markings on the head and underparts. Juveniles look similar to adults but have fewer black markings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-throated laughingthrush</span> Species of bird

The black-throated laughingthrush is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is found in Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. It occurs as an introduced species in Hong Kong. Based on a combination of strong morphological and genetic evidence, the subspecies on Hainan Island is treated as a distinct species by some authors, Swinhoe's laughingthrush.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wayanad laughingthrush</span> Species of bird

The Wayanad laughingthrush is a species of laughingthrush in the family Leiothrichidae. It is endemic to the Western Ghats south of Goa in India. These laughingthrushes move in groups in dense forests, producing loud calls but tend to be hard to spot in the undergrowth. They have brown upperparts, a white throat, a broad black mask through the eye and a heavy bill with pale yellow on the lower mandible. Despite the name, derived from the Wayanad region, this species has a wider range than the four other south Indian species of laughingthrush that are restricted to the higher elevation hills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chestnut-eared laughingthrush</span> Species of bird

The chestnut-eared laughingthrush is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is found in Vietnam and possibly Laos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black laughingthrush</span> Species of bird

The black laughingthrush is a species of bird in the family Timaliidae. It is found in highland forests in the Thai-Malay Peninsula and on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Until recently, it usually included the bare-headed laughingthrush as a subspecies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rufous-necked laughingthrush</span> Species of bird

The rufous-necked laughingthrush is a bird species in the laughingthrush family, Leiothrichidae. It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar and Nepal, where its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest. Little study was done on this species due to its abundance and lack of interest in its conservation.

<i>Argya</i> Genus of birds in the family Leiothrichidae

Argya is a genus of passerine birds in the laughingthrush family Leiothrichidae. The species are distributed across Africa and southern Asia and are typically fairly large, long-tailed birds that forage in noisy groups. Members of this genus were formerly placed in the genera Turdoides and Garrulax.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buffy laughingthrush</span> Bird in the family Leiothrichidae from China

The buffy laughingthrush, also known as the chestnut-winged laughingthrush is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is found in the Chinese mainland. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the rusty laughingthrush, P. poecilorhynchus; a species restricted to Taiwan following the split. Compared to the rusty laughingthrush, the buffy laughingthrush has paler grey underparts, more contrasting rufous wings, broader white tips to the tail, and distinct black lores.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chestnut-hooded laughingthrush</span> Species of bird endemic to Borneo

The chestnut-hooded laughingthrush is a species of bird in the laughingthrush family Leiothrichidae endemic to Borneo. Described by the British ornithologist Richard Bowdler Sharpe as a distinct species in 1879, it was subsequently considered a subspecies of the chestnut-capped laughingthrush until 2007, when it was again raised to species status by the ornithologists Nigel Collar and Craig Robson. It is 22–24 cm (8.7–9.4 in) long, with a chestnut brown head and chin, with grey feathering on the top of the head. The upperparts and the side of the neck are slaty-grey, with a long white wing patch. The throat, breast, and upper belly are dull yellowish-brown, with purer grey flanks and a reddish-brown vent, lower belly, and thighs. It has a yellow half eye-ring behind and below the eye, while the tail has a blackish tip. Both sexes look similar, while juveniles are duller than adults.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laughingthrushes</span> Family of birds

The laughingthrushes are a family, Leiothrichidae, of Old World passerine birds. The family contains 133 species which are divided into 16 genera. They are diverse in size and coloration. These are birds of tropical areas, with the greatest variety in Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. The entire family used to be included in the Old World babbler family Timaliidae.

<i>Ianthocincla</i> Genus of birds in the family Leiothrichidae

Ianthocincla is a genus of passerine birds in the family Leiothrichidae.

<i>Pterorhinus</i> Genus of birds in the family Leiothrichidae

Pterorhinus is a genus of passerine birds in the laughingthrush family Leiothrichidae.

<i>Melanocichla</i> Genus of birds

Melanocichla is a genus of birds in the Old World babbler family Timaliidae.

References

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