Alternative names: Melodious Laughingthrush; Chinese Thrush; Spectacled Jay-Thrush
- Garrulax canorus
Identification
21 - 24cm. A plain medium-sized laughingtrhush:
- Upperparts are olive, greyish brown with a buff crown and nape which are streaked with dark brown
- Flight feathers are dark brown
- Tail is dark brown with olive bars and base.
- Underparts are a yellowish brown with a grey belly
- Bold white eyering and postocular stripe
Distribution
China, northern Indochina and Hainan. Introduced to Hawaii (where it is widespread) and Singapore (where it is rare).
Common in most of its range.
Taxonomy
Two subspecies recognized:
- G. c. canorus in most of its range
- G. c. owstoni endemic to Hainan
Formerly considered conspecific with Taiwan Hwamei as Hwamei.
According to the reorganisation of the genus Garrulax, this species is now also placed in the genus Leucodioptron and called Leucodioptron canorum then.
Habitat
Shrublands, open woodland, thickets, scrub, bamboo, reeds, tall grass and gardens. Up to 1800m.
Behaviour
Feeds on insects, also on fruit, seeds and sometimes maize or other grain.
Forages on the ground singly, in pairs or small groups.
Breeding season from March to August. The nest is a large cup, made of leaves, grasses, stems, ferns, creepers, roots and tendrils. It's placed in grass, in a bush or a small tree from the ground up to 2m. Lays 2 - 5 eggs.
Resident species.
References
- Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2007. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 12: Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553422
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Chinese Hwamei. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 2 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Chinese_Hwamei
