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The laughingthrushes are a family, Leiothrichidae, of
Old World The "Old World" is a term for Afro-Eurasia that originated in Europe , after Europeans became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia, which were previously thought of by the ...
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 Old World babbler family Timaliidae.


Characteristics

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 ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' is an American spy fiction television series produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television and first broadcast on NBC. The series follows secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a secret ...
. 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 A robber fly eating a hoverfly An insectivore is a carnivorous animal or plant that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which can also refer to the human practice of eating insects. The first vertebrate insectivores were ...
, although many will also take berries, and the larger species will even eat small lizards and other vertebrates.


Taxonomy

The family Leiothrichidae was introduced (as a subfamily Leiotrichanae) by the English naturalist William Swainson in 1832. A comprehensive
molecular phylogenetic Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...
study of the family published in 2018 led to substantial revision of the taxonomic classification. The laughingthrushes in the genus ''
Garrulax ''Garrulax'' is a genus of passerine birds in the laughingthrush family Leiothrichidae. Taxonomy The genus ''Garrulax'' was erected by the French naturalist René Lesson in 1831. The type species was designated in 1961 as the rufous-fronted ...
'' were found to belong to three separate clades that had diverged in the Miocene 7-9 million year ago. The genus was therefore split with ''Garrulax'' restricted to one clade and the genera '' Pterorhinus'' and ''
Ianthocincla ''Ianthocincla'' is a genus of passerine birds in the family Leiothrichidae. Taxonomy The genus ''Ianthocincla'' was erected by English ornithologist and bird artist John Gould in 1835 with the spotted laughingthrush as the type species. The nam ...
'' resurrected for the other two clades. The genus '' Turdoides'' was also split and species moved into the resurrected genus '' Argya''. In a separate change, the crocias were moved to the genus ''Laniellus'' Swainson, 1832 which has priority over ''Crocias'' Temminck, 1836. The cladogram below is based on a study of the babblers by Tianlong Cai and collaborators published in 2019. The cladogram below shows the phylogenetic relationships between the genera in the family Leiothrichidae based on a study by Alice Cibois and collaborators published in 2018.


List of genera

The family contains 133 species in 16 genera: * ''
Grammatoptila The striated laughingthrush (''Grammatoptila striatus'') is a passerine bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It was at one time placed in the genus ''Garrulax'' but following the publication of a comprehensive molecular phylogenetic study in 2018, ...
'' – striated laughingthrush * ''
Cutia :''The agoutis of the genus '' Dasyprocta'' are locally known as "cutias". See also Hutia, where the name for these rodents originated.'' The cutias are the passerine bird genus ''Cutia'' in the family Leiothrichidae. These birds are found in mon ...
'' – cutias (2 species) * ''
Laniellus ''Laniellus'' is a genus of passerine birds in the family Leiothrichidae. Taxonomy These species were both formerly placed in the genus ''Crocias'' but under the rules of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature ''Laniellus'' Swainson ...
'' – crocias (2 species) * ''
Trochalopteron ''Trochalopteron'' is a genus of passerine birds in the laughingthrush family Leiothrichidae. Taxonomy The genus ''Trochalopteron'' was introduced in 1843 by the English zoologist Edward Blyth. The name combines the Ancient Greek ''trokhalos' ...
'' – laughingthrushes (19 species) * ''
Actinodura The barwings are the genus ''Actinodura'' of passerine birds in the family Leiothrichidae. They are found in the hills of Southern Asia, from Eastern India to China and Taiwan. Species The genus contains nine species: References * Colla ...
'' – barwings and minlas (9 species) * ''
Montecincla ''Montecincla'' is a genus of passerine birds in the family Leiothrichidae. All four species in this genus are endemic to “sky islands” in the Western Ghats mountain range of southwestern India, generally above 1,200m elevation. Species The ...
'' – laughingthrushes (4 species) * ''
Minla The red-tailed minla (''Minla ignotincta'') is a passerine bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is the only species in the genus ''Minla''. It is found in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Its range includes Bangladesh, Bhutan, Ind ...
'' –
red-tailed minla The red-tailed minla (''Minla ignotincta'') is a passerine bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is the only species in the genus ''Minla''. It is found in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Its range includes Bangladesh, Bhutan, Ind ...
* '' Leioptila'' –
rufous-backed sibia The rufous-backed sibia (''Leioptila annectens'') is a passerine bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It was formerly placed in the genus '' Heterophasia'' but is now the only species in the genus ''Leioptila''. It is found from the Himalayas to ...
* '' Leiothrix'' – (2 species) * '' Liocichla'' - liocichlas (5 species) * ''
Heterophasia ''Heterophasia'', the sibias, is a bird genus in the family Leiothrichidae. Species By some, the genus is considered monotypic, including only ''H. picaoides''. However, seven species are commonly recognised: * Rufous sibia, ''Heterophasia capi ...
'' - sibias (7 species) * '' Argya'' – mainly babblers (16 species) – previous placed in ''Turdoides'' * '' Turdoides'' – babblers (19 species) * ''
Garrulax ''Garrulax'' is a genus of passerine birds in the laughingthrush family Leiothrichidae. Taxonomy The genus ''Garrulax'' was erected by the French naturalist René Lesson in 1831. The type species was designated in 1961 as the rufous-fronted ...
'' – laughingthrushes (14 species) * ''
Ianthocincla ''Ianthocincla'' is a genus of passerine birds in the family Leiothrichidae. Taxonomy The genus ''Ianthocincla'' was erected by English ornithologist and bird artist John Gould in 1835 with the spotted laughingthrush as the type species. The nam ...
'' – laughingthrushes (8 species) – previously placed in ''Garrulax'' * '' Pterorhinus'' – laughingthrushes and babaxes (23 species) – previously placed in ''Garrulax''


References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1951184 Bird families Sylvioidea