The
Formosan laughing thrush has a body length of 28cm and a wing
length of 9-11cm. Both males and females have the same plumage:
olive, grayish-brown crowns; feathers with brownish-black edges
that look like fish scales; olive green backs; and dark gray
flight feathers that are golden yellow at the tips and on the
outer edges of their bases. The bird's two most outstanding
characteristics are its white supercilium and mandibular line.
Formosan laughing thrushes also have dark, chestnut colored
faces, necks, throats, chests, and lower tail coverts; olive
brown abdomens; light brown beaks; and dark, flesh colored legs
and feet.
Behavior:
Formosan
laughing thrushes have thick, mellow, and full voices and are
often found singing duets in pairs. Their diet consists primarily
of insects and seeds, though as a "companion" of the
Cinaceous rosefinch, they also enjoy scavenging around in rubbish
piles. The Formosan laughing thrush is characterized as a brilliantly
colored bird with two supercilium-one located above the eye
and the other just below-glittering beautifully in the sun while
the bird is in flight. Unafraid of humans, Formosan laughing
thrushes live primarily on open ground, in shrubs, by trailsides,
on mountain roads, and near mountain cabins, and are often seen
hopping around on the ground. They are often mistaken by people
to be squirrels because of their large body build, and unless
disturbed or scared, they usually do not fly, preferring to
remain on the ground most of the time. When they are seen gliding
from tree to tree with their tail feathers spread open, however,
they are graceful beyond compare, and are probably the most
beautiful of all high-altitude flying birds.
Habitat:
Formosan
laughing thrushes are endemic to Taiwan and usually found in
mountain areas at altitudes of 2300-3500m. Unlike other birds
from the Timaliidae family, Formosan laughing thrushes live
at very high elevations, though in the winter, they will descend
to areas located at altitudes of 1000m.
