Orange-breasted Laughingthrush

The orange-breasted laughingthrush (Garrulax annamensis) is a passerine bird in the family Leiothrichidae. Until recently it was regarded as a subspecies of the spot-breasted laughingthrush (S. merulina) but has now been split as a separate species. The two have traditionally been placed in the genus Garrulax. It is a medium-sized bird with a strong bill and legs and a fairly long tail. It is 24–25 cm long with a bill length of 25–27 mm, a wing length of 83–92 mm and a tail length of 88–100 mm. It is mostly plain brown apart from an orange stripe over the eye, a black throat and an orange breast with black streaks. It has a loud, melodious song. The spot-breasted laughingthrush is similar but has a pale throat and breast with dark spots and a pale stripe above the eye. It is endemic to Vietnam where it occurs in the Da Lat Plateau in southern Annam. It inhabits montane forest between 915 and 1510 m above sea-level and can survive in degraded habitats such as secondary forest and cultivated land close to forested areas. It is most often seen in pairs. Although it only has a small range, it appears to be tolerant of habitat degradation and is classed as Least Concern by BirdLife International.