The Species: Laughingthrush

A prized songbird with heavily restricted range

Scientific name	Garrulax ngoclinhensis
Conservation status	not listed
Status in Vietnam	not listed
Endemism	Vietnam

Various species of laughingthrush are found throughout the Greater Annamites, and as the name suggests, are easily recognised by their distinctive call. In 1998, a new species of laughingthrush - the golden-winged laughingthrush was discovered on the slopes of Ngoc Linh Mountain (the tallest mountain in the Annamites) in Kon Tum and Quang Nam provinces.

Potentially threatened
This species appears to be one of a number of inhabitants, particularly birds, completely restricted to the high Kon Tum Plateau. Because of its distinct call, the laughingthrush is highly prized as a songbird and is frequently caught and kept captive in decorative cages. This attraction, combined with its heavily restricted range due to habitat loss and disturbance, means that this species could be significantly threatened.