Kerala Laughingthrush

Kerala Laughingthrush  Garrulaxfairbankii

Etymology:

• Garrulax : Latin word garrulous –babbling, chattering; ax – inclining towards
• Fairbankii : Named after American missionary Revd Samuel Bacon Fairbank (1822–1898) 

Vernacular Names :Hindi: Gappu, Sans: Bhasmkanthvakkar, Mar: Keraligappu, Mal: Chiluchilappan

Distribution in India: Resident of Ghats in Kerala and Tamilnadu in India.

Description: Size of 19-20 cm.It is a small laughingthrush,dull olive-brown above with white supercilium, grey-streaked whitish breast and rufous-chestnut lower underparts. The nominate race has dark brown crown, upperparts shading from brown-tinged dark olive on nape to ochre-tinged dark olive on rump, with upperwing and tail olive-brown. It has a white supercilium, pale greyish-brown lores and short postocular eyestripe. The ear-­coverts, lower face, neck side and breast side are pale grey. It is grey-streaked from whitish chin to mid-breast and rufous-chestnut underparts. The iris is crimson or reddish-brown; bill is dull black or horn-brown and legs plumbeous brown. Both the sexes are similar.

Habitat: It is found in thickets lining streams through tea and cardamom plantations, scrub and secondary forest, gardens and edges of broadleaf evergreen forest. It is found from 800 to 2135 m.

Food habits : It eats insects, berries and fruits. It forages in parties in undergrowth and low bushes, occasionally descending to ground to search among leaf litter.

Breeding habits: They breed in Dec–Jun. The Nest is built by both sexes. The nest is a cup made of coarse grasses, moss and bracken leaves, lined with fine grasses, placed above ground in bush or among tall branches. They lay aclutch of 2 eggs. The incubation is done by both sexes. The nestlings are fed by both sexes.