On the morning of 22 April 2015, a pair of White-crested Laughingthrushes (Garrulax leucolophus) was perched high at the apex of a prominent branch (above).
“They appeared highly agitated as they were well aware of the presence of other laughingthrushes in the vicinity. In between listening to the ‘unwelcome visitors’ singing, they also sang out loud and proud, accompanied by frantic flapping of their wings. Sensing the tension in the air, I realised that this was possibly a scenario of territorial demarcation and defence.
“A brief video clip of this acoustic encounter may be previewed here:
“Another laughingthrush was following this vocal pair closely and may probably be their offspring, attentively learning the ropes on utilising vocalisation to settle territorial disputes.”
Dr. Leong Tzi Ming
Singapore
18th December 2015
