Leiothrichidae – Turdoides Babblers, Laughingthrushes, Barwings & Sibias

Steak-throated Barwing Actinodura waldeni ©Craig Brelsford Website

The laughingthrushes are a family of Old World passerine birds. They are diverse in size and coloration. These are birds of tropical areas, with the greatest variety in Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. The entire family used to be included in the Timaliidae.

They are small to medium-sized birds. They have strong legs, and many are quite terrestrial. They typically have generalised bills, similar to those of a thrush. Most have predominantly brown plumage, with minimal difference between the sexes, but many more brightly coloured species also exist.

This group is not strongly migratory, and most species have short rounded wings, and a weak flight. They live in lightly wooded or scrubland environments, ranging from swamp to near-desert. They are primarily insectivorous, although many will also take berries, and the larger species will even eat small lizards and other vertebrates.

Species List

There are some 133 Laughingthrushes and allied species; they are:

Capuchin Babbler Phyllanthus atripennis

White-throated Mountain Babbler Kupeornis gilberti Red-collared Babbler Kupeornis rufocinctus
Chapin’s Babbler Kupeornis chapini

Spiny Babbler Turdoides nipalensis
Iraq Babbler Turdoides altirostris
Common Babbler Turdoides caudata
Afghan Babbler Turdoides huttoni
Striated Babbler Turdoides earlei
White-throated Babbler Turdoides gularis
Slender-billed Babbler Turdoides longirostris
Large Grey Babbler Turdoides malcolmi
Arabian Babbler Turdoides squamiceps
Fulvous Babbler Turdoides fulva
Scaly Chatterer Turdoides aylmeri
Rufous Chatterer Turdoides rubiginosa
Rufous Babbler Turdoides subrufa
Jungle Babbler Turdoides striata
Orange-billed Babbler Turdoides rufescens
Yellow-billed Babbler Turdoides affinis
Black-faced Babbler Turdoides melanops
Black-lored Babbler Turdoides sharpei
Dusky Babbler Turdoides tenebrosa
Blackcap Babbler Turdoides reinwardtii
Brown Babbler Turdoides plebejus
White-headed Babbler Turdoides leucocephala
Arrow-marked Babbler Turdoides jardineii
Scaly Babbler Turdoides squamulata
White-rumped Babbler Turdoides leucopygia
Hartlaub’s Babbler Turdoides hartlaubii
Hinde’s Babbler Turdoides hindei
Northern Pied Babbler Turdoides hypoleuca
Southern Pied Babbler Turdoides bicolor
Bare-cheeked Babbler Turdoides gymnogenys

Chinese Babax Babax lanceolatus
Mount Victoria Babax Babax woodi
Giant Babax Babax waddelli
Tibetan Babax Babax koslowi

Chinese Hwamei Garrulax canorus
Taiwan Hwamei Garrulax taewanus
White-crested Laughingthrush Garrulax leucolophus
Sumatran Laughingthrush Garrulax bicolor
White-necked Laughingthrush Garrulax strepitans
Cambodian Laughingthrush Garrulax ferrarius
Black-hooded Laughingthrush Garrulax milleti
Grey Laughingthrush Garrulax maesi
Rufous-cheeked Laughingthrush Garrulax castanotis Snowy-cheeked Laughingthrush Garrulax sukatschewi
Moustached Laughingthrush Garrulax cineraceus
Rufous-chinned Laughingthrush Garrulax rufogularis
Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush Garrulax konkakinhensis
Barred Laughingthrush Garrulax lunulatus
White-speckled Laughingthrush Garrulax bieti
Giant Laughingthrush Garrulax maximus
Spotted Laughingthrush Garrulax ocellatus
Ashy-headed Laughingthrush Garrulax cinereifrons
Sunda Laughingthrush Garrulax palliatus
Rufous-fronted Laughingthrush Garrulax rufifrons
Masked Laughingthrush Garrulax perspicillatus
White-throated Laughingthrush Garrulax albogularis
Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush Garrulax ruficeps
Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush Garrulax monileger
Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush Garrulax pectoralis
Chestnut-backed Laughingthrush Garrulax nuchalis
Black-throated Laughingthrush Garrulax chinensis
White-cheeked Laughingthrush Garrulax vassali
Rufous-necked Laughingthrush Garrulax ruficollis
Yellow-throated Laughingthrush Garrulax galbanus
Blue-crowned Laughingthrush Garrulax courtoisi
Wynaad Laughingthrush Garrulax delesserti
Rufous-vented Laughingthrush Garrulax gularis
Plain Laughingthrush Garrulax davidi
Grey-sided Laughingthrush Garrulax caerulatus
Rusty Laughingthrush Garrulax poecilorhynchus
Buffy Laughingthrush Garrulax berthemyi
White-browed Laughingthrush Garrulax sannio
Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush Garrulax mitratus
Chestnut-hooded Laughingthrush Garrulax treacheri
Spot-breasted Laughingthrush Garrulax merulinus
Orange-breasted Laughingthrush Garrulax annamensis
Striated Laughingthrush Garrulax striatus
Black Laughingthrush Garrulax lugubris
Bare-headed Laughingthrush Garrulax calvus

Black-chinned Laughingthrush Trochalopteron cachinnans
Kerala Laughingthrush Trochalopteron fairbanki
Streaked Laughingthrush Trochalopteron lineatum
Bhutan Laughingthrush Trochalopteron imbricatum
Striped Laughingthrush Trochalopteron virgatum
Brown-capped Laughingthrush Trochalopteron austeni
Blue-winged Laughingthrush Trochalopteron squamatum
Scaly Laughingthrush Trochalopteron subunicolor
Elliot’s Laughingthrush Trochalopteron elliotii
Brown-cheeked Laughingthrush Trochalopteron henrici
Black-faced Laughingthrush Trochalopteron affine
White-whiskered Laughingthrush Trochalopteron morrisonianum
Variegated Laughingthrush Trochalopteron variegatum
Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush Trochalopteron erythrocephalum
Assam Laughingthrush Trochalopteron chrysopterum
Silver-eared Laughingthrush Trochalopteron melanostigma
Golden-winged Laughingthrush Trochalopteron ngoclinhense
Malayan Laughingthrush Trochalopteron peninsulae
Collared Laughingthrush Trochalopteron yersini
Red-winged Laughingthrush Trochalopteron formosum
Red-tailed Laughingthrush Trochalopteron milnei

Himalayan Cutia Cutia nipalensis
Vietnamese Cutia Cutia legalleni

Blue-winged Minla Minla cyanouroptera
Bar-throated Minla Minla strigula
Red-tailed Minla Minla ignotincta

Red-faced Liocichla Liocichla phoenicea
Scarlet-faced Liocichla Liocichla ripponi
Emei Shan Liocichla Liocichla omeiensis
Bugun Liocichla Liocichla bugunorum
Steere’s Liocichla Liocichla steerii

Rusty-fronted Barwing Actinodura egertoni Spectacled Barwing Actinodura ramsayi
Black-crowned Barwing Actinodura sodangorum
Hoary-throated Barwing Actinodura nipalensis
Streak-throated Barwing Actinodura waldeni
Streaked Barwing Actinodura souliei
Taiwan Barwing Actinodura morrisoniana

Silver-eared Mesia Leiothrix argentauris
Red-billed Leiothrix Leiothrix lutea

Grey-crowned Crocias Crocias langbianis
Spotted Crocias Crocias albonotatus

Rufous-backed Sibia Heterophasia annectans
Rufous Sibia Heterophasia capistrata
Grey Sibia Heterophasia gracilis
Dark-backed Sibia Heterophasia melanoleuca
Black-headed Sibia Heterophasia desgodinsi
White-eared Sibia Heterophasia auricularis
Beautiful Sibia Heterophasia pulchella
Long-tailed Sibia Heterophasia picaoides

Species Links
  • Capuchin Babbler Phyllanthus atripennis

    Species Account
    The capuchin babbler (Phyllanthus atripennis) is a species of bird in the Leiothrichidae family.

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