The Chinese hwamei or melodious laughingthrush (Garrulax canorus) is a
cagebird
because of its attractive song.
Taxonomy
The Chinese hwamei was
type locality as Bengal and China but this has been restricted to Amoy (now Xiamen) in Fujian, China.[5] The specific epithet is Latin meaning "melodious" (from canere "to sing").[6] The Chinese hwamei is now one of 14 laughingthrushes placed in the genus Garrulax that was introduced in 1831 by René Lesson.[7]
Two subspecies are recognised: G. c. canorus, native to mainland Asia, and G. c. owstoni of Hainan Island. The Taiwan hwamei (Leucodioptron taewanum) was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the Chinese hwamei but has recently been split as a separate species.[7] This was based on a study comparing the DNA sequence of the mitochondrialcytochrome bgene which suggested that the two species diverged about 1.5 million years ago with the two Chinese hwamei subspecies diverging about 600,000 years ago.[8]
The Chinese hwamei was introduced to Taiwan in large numbers in the 1980s and hybridization with the native Taiwan hwamei is occurring which may threaten the genetic uniqueness of the latter form.[9]
It is 21 to 25 cm long with broad, rounded wings and a fan-shaped tail. The plumage is mostly reddish-brown with dark streaks on the crown, back and throat. There is a white ring around the eye which extends backwards as a white stripe. The bill and feet are yellowish. Birds on Hainan Island (L. c. owstoni) are paler below and more olive-coloured above. The Taiwan hwamei is greyer and more streaked and lacks the white markings on the head.
The
song
is a loud, clear, varied whistling with regular repetition and imitations of other birds. The call is a rasping whistle or rattle.
Distribution and habitat
The nominate subspecies G. c. canorus occurs across south-eastern and central China and in northern and central Vietnam and Laos. The race G. c. owstoni is found on Hainan.
, parks and gardens up to 1800
metres above sea level. It is common in much of its range and is not considered a threatened species.
Behaviour
It is a skulking bird which is often very difficult to see. It typically feeds on the ground among leaf litter, foraging for insects and fruit. It usually occurs in pairs or in small groups.
The breeding season lasts from May to July. A large cup-shaped
MacKinnon, John & Phillipps, Karen (2000) A Field Guide to the Birds of China, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Pratt, H. Douglas; Bruner, Philip L. & Berrett, Delwyn G. (1987), A Field Guide to the Birds of Hawaii and the Tropical Pacific, Princeton University Press, Chichester.
Robson, Craig (2002) A Field Guide to the Birds of South-East Asia, New Holland Publishers (UK) Ltd., London.
