The red-tailed laughingthrush (Trochalopteron milnei) is a species of bird in the laughingthrush family Leiothrichidae. It is found in the montane forests of Myanmar, Laos, southern China and central Vietnam
The red-tailed laughingthrush was formally described in 1874 by the French Catholic priest and naturalist Armand David under the current binomial name Trochalopteron milnei. He had discovered the species in west Fujian province, China.[1] [2] The genus name combines the Ancient Greek trokhalos meaning "round" or "bowed" with pteron meaning "wing". The specific epithet milnei was chosen to honour the French zoologist Alphonse Milne-Edwards.[3]
Four subspecies are recognised:[4]
The red-tailed laughingthrush has an overall length of about and a weight of about . It is dull ochrous-grey, with a bright rufous-chestnut crown and a blackish face, with whitish ear-coverts. Wings and tail are crimson. The sexes are similar.[5]
This species can be found in China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.[6] These birds mainly inhabit the understorey of broadleaf evergreen forests,[5]
They are strictly montane, usually living at an elevation of 1800- above sea level.[7]
This species mainly feeds on insects and small arthropods (beetles, centipedes, etc.), but also on berries and fruits (especially of Saurauia species).[5]
The breeding season lasts from April to June. The nest is made by both sexes and consists of a tidy cup mainly made of grasses and bamboo leaves. It is built up to above the ground level. The clutch of 2-3 eggs are incubated for 17–18 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and leave the nest when aged 14–16 days.[5]