Golden-winged Laughingthrush
Trochalopteron ngoclinhense
The Golden-winged Laughingthrush (Trochalopteron ngoclinhense) is a legendary laughingthrush found only in Vietnam, weighing about 77 g. The golden-winged laughingthrush is a species of bird in the laughingthrush family Leiothrichidae.
About the Golden-winged Laughingthrush
The golden-winged laughingthrush is a species of bird in the laughingthrush family Leiothrichidae. The species is most closely related to the chestnut-crowned laughingthrush and has sometimes been lumped with it. The species is restricted to the southern Annamite Range in western Vietnam and southern Laos. It was discovered in 1996, and remains poorly studied due to its small, remote population and shy nature. It lives in primary montane rainforest. The species is threatened with extinction due to habitat loss caused by deforestation.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The golden-winged laughingthrush is a medium-sized songbird, 27 cm (11 in) in length. The plumage is predominately grey with scaling on the breast. The forehead is light grey and the crown is chestnut coloured, and the face is dark grey. On the wings the greater coverts are chestnut, primary coverts are black, and the flight feathers are golden yellow. These brightly coloured wings are typical of Trochalopteron and are used for signaling by species in the genus. The tail is mostly slaty-grey with the outer feathers being golden-ochre in colour.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: February, March, with peak activity in March. It is a passage migrant species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Golden-winged Laughingthrush?
- The golden-winged laughingthrush is a medium-sized songbird, 27 cm (11 in) in length. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Golden-winged Laughingthrush?
- The Golden-winged Laughingthrush is a medium sized bird weighing about 77 g.
- Where can you see a Golden-winged Laughingthrush?
- The Golden-winged Laughingthrush is endemic to Vietnam, which is the only country where it occurs.
- What birds look similar to a Golden-winged Laughingthrush?
- The Golden-winged Laughingthrush is most easily confused with the Collared Laughingthrush, the Brown-capped Laughingthrush and the Red-winged Laughingthrush.
- Is the Golden-winged Laughingthrush endangered?
- The Golden-winged Laughingthrush is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Golden-winged Laughingthrush for real
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