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Laughingthrushes & Allies

The Laughingthrush family (Leiothrichidae), previously part of the Timaliidae group, represents a variety of small to medium-sized, generally brown passerine birds found mostly in tropical areas of Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Despite being weak fliers with short, rounded wings, these birds are not highly migratory and typically dwell in light woodlands and scrublands. They are often seen on the ground due to their strong legs and display minimal sexual dimorphism. Most laughingthrushes feed on insects; however, they are also known to consume berries, and larger species might eat small lizards and other vertebrates. The family was officially introduced by William Swainson in 1832, having undergone significant reclassification following a robust molecular phylogenetic study in 2018 that revealed substantial genetic divergence among various genera. Notably, the Garrulax genus was split into three separate clades based on this divergence, creating the distinct genera Garrulax, Pterorhinus, and Ianthocincla. Additionally, the genus Turdoides was divided, and species were redistributed into the revived genus Argya. Another taxonomic shift involved the relocation of crocias into the genus Laniellus. The family Leiothrichidae includes 133 species spread across 16 genera, which feature various laughingthrushes, babblers, barwings, minlas, sibias, and liocichlas, among others. These birds maintain complex relationships with other babbler families, as illustrated in a 2019 study by Tianlong Cai and colleagues.

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Categories

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Accentors
African & Green Broadbills
Albatrosses
Alcippe Fulvettas
Anhingas, Darters
Asian Barbets
Auks
Austral Storm Petrels
Australasian Babblers
Australasian Robins
Australasian Warblers
Australasian Wrens
Australo-Papuan Bellbirds
Babblers, Scimitar Babblers
Barn Owls
Bee-eaters
Birds-of-paradise
Boatbills
Bristlehead
Bulbuls
Buntings
Bushtits
Bustards
Buttonquail
Caracaras, Falcons
Cassowaries, Emu
Cettia Bush Warblers & Allies
Chats, Old World Flycatchers
Cisticolas & Allies
Cockatoos
Cormorants, Shags
Coursers, Pratincoles
Crab-plover
Cranes
Crombecs, African Warblers
Crows, Jays
Cuckoos
Cuckooshrikes
Cupwings
Dippers
Drongos
Ducks, Geese, Swans
Elachura
Fairy Flycatchers
Fairy-bluebirds
Fantails
Figbirds, Orioles, Turnagra
Finches, Euphonias
Finfoots
Flamingos
Flowerpeckers
Flufftails
Frigatebirds
Frogmouths
Gannets, Boobies
Goldcrests, Kinglets
Grassbirds & Allies
Grebes
Ground Babblers
Gulls, Terns, Skimmers
Herons, Bitterns
Honeyeaters
Honeyguides
Hoopoes
Hornbills
Hylocitrea
Ibisbill
Ibises, Spoonbills
Ifrit
Indigobirds, Whydahs
Ioras
Jacanas
Jewel-babblers, Quail-thrushes
Kingfishers
Kites, Hawks, Eagles
Larks

Laughingthrushes & Allies

Leaf Warblers & Allies
Leafbirds
Longspurs, Snow Buntings
Magpie Goose
Megapodes
Melampittas
Monarchs
Mottled Berryhunter
Nightjars
Northern Storm Petrels
Nuthatches
Old World Parrots
Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches
Ospreys
Owls
Oystercatchers
Painted-snipes
Parrotbills & Allies
Pelicans
Penduline Tits
Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels
Pheasants & Allies
Pigeons, Doves
Pittas
Ploughbill
Plovers
Rail-babbler
Rails, Crakes & Coots
Reed Warblers & Allies
Rollers
Sandpipers, Snipes
Shrikes
Sittellas
Skuas
Starlings, Rhabdornis
Stilts, Avocets
Stone-curlews, Thick-knees
Storks
Sunbirds
Swallows, Martins
Swifts
Sylviid Babblers
Thrushes
Tits, Chickadees
Treecreepers
Treeswifts
Trogons
Tropicbirds
Typical Broadbills
Vangas & Allies
Vireos, Greenlets, Shrike-babblers
Wagtails, Pipits
Wallcreeper
Waxbills, Munias & Allies
Waxwings
Weavers, Widowbirds
Whipbirds
Whistlers & Allies
White-eyes
Woodpeckers
Woodswallows, Butcherbirds & Allies
Wrens
Jayshrike

Scarlet-faced Liocichla

Liocichla ripponi

Silver-eared Laughingthrush

Trochalopteron melanostigma
A photo of a Silver-eared Mesia (Leiothrix argentauris)

Silver-eared Mesia

Leiothrix argentauris

Slender-billed Babbler

Argya longirostris

Spectacled Barwing

Actinodura ramsayi
A photo of a Spot-breasted Laughingthrush (Garrulax merulinus)

Spot-breasted Laughingthrush

Garrulax merulinus

Spotted Crocias

Laniellus albonotatus
A photo of a Spotted Laughingthrush (Ianthocincla ocellata)

Spotted Laughingthrush

Ianthocincla ocellata

Streaked Barwing

Actinodura souliei

Streak-throated Barwing

Actinodura waldeni
A photo of a Striated Babbler (Argya earlei)

Striated Babbler

Argya earlei
A photo of a Striated Laughingthrush (Grammatoptila striata)

Striated Laughingthrush

Grammatoptila striata

Striped Laughingthrush

Trochalopteron virgatum

Sumatran Laughingthrush

Garrulax bicolor

Sunda Laughingthrush

Garrulax palliatus

Vietnamese Cutia

Cutia legalleni
A photo of a White-browed Laughingthrush (Pterorhinus sannio)

White-browed Laughingthrush

Pterorhinus sannio

White-cheeked Laughingthrush

Pterorhinus vassali
A photo of a White-crested Laughingthrush (Garrulax leucolophus)

White-crested Laughingthrush

Garrulax leucolophus

White-necked Laughingthrush

Garrulax strepitans

White-throated Babbler

Argya gularis
A photo of a White-throated Laughingthrush (Pterorhinus albogularis)

White-throated Laughingthrush

Pterorhinus albogularis

Yellow-throated Laughingthrush

Pterorhinus galbanus
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Species Categories

AccentorsAfrican & Green BroadbillsAlbatrossesAlcippe FulvettasAnhingas, DartersAsian BarbetsAuksAustral Storm PetrelsAustralasian BabblersAustralasian RobinsAustralasian WarblersAustralasian WrensAustralo-Papuan BellbirdsBabblers, Scimitar BabblersBarn OwlsBee-eatersBirds-of-paradiseBoatbillsBristleheadBulbulsBuntingsBushtitsBustardsButtonquailCaracaras, FalconsCassowaries, EmuCettia Bush Warblers & AlliesChats, Old World FlycatchersCisticolas & AlliesCockatoosCormorants, ShagsCoursers, PratincolesCrab-ploverCranesCrombecs, African WarblersCrows, JaysCuckoosCuckooshrikesCupwingsDippersDrongosDucks, Geese, SwansElachuraFairy FlycatchersFairy-bluebirdsFantailsFigbirds, Orioles, TurnagraFinches, EuphoniasFinfootsFlamingosFlowerpeckersFlufftailsFrigatebirdsFrogmouthsGannets, BoobiesGoldcrests, KingletsGrassbirds & AlliesGrebesGround BabblersGulls, Terns, SkimmersHerons, BitternsHoneyeatersHoneyguidesHoopoesHornbillsHylocitreaIbisbillIbises, SpoonbillsIfritIndigobirds, WhydahsIorasJacanasJewel-babblers, Quail-thrushesKingfishersKites, Hawks, EaglesLarksLaughingthrushes & AlliesLeaf Warblers & AlliesLeafbirdsLongspurs, Snow BuntingsMagpie GooseMegapodesMelampittasMonarchsMottled BerryhunterNightjarsNorthern Storm PetrelsNuthatchesOld World ParrotsOld World Sparrows, SnowfinchesOspreysOwlsOystercatchersPainted-snipesParrotbills & AlliesPelicansPenduline TitsPetrels, Shearwaters, Diving PetrelsPheasants & AlliesPigeons, DovesPittasPloughbillPloversRail-babblerRails, Crakes & CootsReed Warblers & AlliesRollersSandpipers, SnipesShrikesSittellasSkuasStarlings, RhabdornisStilts, AvocetsStone-curlews, Thick-kneesStorksSunbirdsSwallows, MartinsSwiftsSylviid BabblersThrushesTits, ChickadeesTreecreepersTreeswiftsTrogonsTropicbirdsTypical BroadbillsVangas & AlliesVireos, Greenlets, Shrike-babblersWagtails, PipitsWallcreeperWaxbills, Munias & AlliesWaxwingsWeavers, WidowbirdsWhipbirdsWhistlers & AlliesWhite-eyesWoodpeckersWoodswallows, Butcherbirds & AlliesWrensJayshrike

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