Assam Laughingthrush (Trochalopteron chrysopterum) [XC426962]
by Peter Boesman from Shilong - Cherrapunjee rd, Meghalaya, India (call, song, song and call)
Assam Laughingthrush (Trochalopteron chrysopterum) [XC507996]
by Greg Irving from Mount Victoria, Myanmar (song)
Until recently, this species and Silver-eared Laughingthrush (Trochalopteron melanostigma), Malay Laughingthrush (Trochalopteron peninsulae) and sometimes Golden-winged Laughingthrush (Trochalopteron ngoclinhense) were regarded as conspecific with Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush (Trochalopteron erythrocephalum). Upon subdivision, subspecies woodi was initially retained in Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush (Trochalopteron erythrocephalum), at which time subspecies ailaoshanense had yet to be discovered. A report of hybrid between ailaoshanense and subspecies connectens of Silver-eared Laughingthrush (Trochalopteron melanostigma) calls into question the recent taxonomic split of Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush (Trochalopteron erythrocephalum). Also, birds recorded in north-eastern Myanmar provisionally placed in nominate subspecies of Silver-eared Laughingthrush (Trochalopteron melanostigma), but could belong to subspecies woodi of present species. Further research is required.
The following 5 subspecies are recognised:
chrysopterum (Gould, 1835) - Meghalaya, in north-eastern India.
godwini Harington, 1914 - Southern Assam (northern Cachar), Nagaland and northern Manipur, in north-eastern India.
erythrolaemum Hume, 1881 - South-eastern Manipur and Mizoram (India) and western and south-western Myanmar.
woodi Baker, ECS, 1914 - Northern Myanmar and southern China (north-western and western Yunnan).
ailaoshanense (Yang Lan, 2002) - Ailao Shan region of central Yunnan, in southern China.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet