IDENTIFICATION

VOCALISATIONS

The most frequently heard call is a single or double-note uttered by a perched bird that, at least some of the time, appears to be acting as a sentinel for a nearby flock, ready to warn of danger.

The rarely heard song is a short, somewhat melodic series of loud notes.

Alarming birds utter an array of rattles and high-pitched notes.

DISTRIBUTION & HABITAT PREFERENCE

At the time of the first breeding survey Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush was recorded in 3.6% of squares, largely on the Tai Mo Shan massif, but with smaller concentrations around Ma On Shan, the Lam Tsuen Valley, in the northeast New Territories and in five squares on HK Island. A further spread was apparent in the first winter atlas survey during 2001-05, when it was recorded from 8.3% of squares, having spread to the northeast and east New Territories with small numbers around Tseung Kwan O in the southeast. It remained rather scarce on HK Island, however, with observations from just six scattered squares. There appears to have been rather little change in range since then, with records from 9.1% of squares in the 2016-19 breeding survey (and 8.1% in the winter survey) with the only range expansion of any significance occurring in the north New Territories, where it almost reaches the boundary with the mainland near Pak Kung Au.

The status of Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush on Lantau is unclear. It was first recorded there in 1988 when a party of three birds was seen near the Trappist Monastery. It was not recorded there again until 1999 when two were noted between Ngong Ping and Tung Chung, and not subsequently until 2020 when one was again seen there. Similarly, there is but a single observation from Cheung Chau of one bird in 2007.

The status of Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush on HK Island is also somewhat enigmatic. The first records of birds there from 1976 were known to relate to ex-captive birds from aviaries in the Zoological and Botanical Garden and were of one of the western races. Many of the reports of up to 12 birds from HK Island during 1992 to 1997 were also referable to one of the western races, with no confirmed records of P. p. picticollis from there. However three published photographs from HK Island obtained during 2018 to 2021 (eBird 2022) are all clearly referable to picticollis. The photograph above indicates that non-picticollis birds are still present, however.

Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush is largely restricted to forest in HK, and its appears to occur in the greatest numbers in more mature native forest though it is also found in plantation. Flocks do occur in closed-canopy shrubland, but perhaps only where this is adjacent to forest and during the non-breeding season. As such, it is probably the most forest-dependant of HK’s laughingthrushes.

OCCURRENCE

Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush was first recorded in HK on 26 December 1969 when a flock of ten birds was seen at Tai Po Kau; numbers there gradually increased and a slow spread commenced in the late 1970s, with a more rapid spread occurring from the early 1990s. Carey et al. (2001) documented in detail its increase and spread in the New Territories up until 1998 and discussed how another population had apparently become established on HK Island derived from ex-captive birds of one of the western races (not P. p. picticollis) from 1976.

The pattern of arrival and subsequent spread of Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush in HK did not accord with its being a natural colonist, and hence, whilst it was originally placed in Category I (then Category A) it was subsequently moved to Category IIA (then C). This remains the case today. However, whilst the origin of the HK population may not be natural, its pattern of spread clearly shows that it has significant dispersive abilities. It is also now present in the northeast New Territories very close to Shenzhen, whilst on the other side of the boundary it is present at Wutongshan. It seems very likely that it will not be long before the HK population becomes continuous with that in Guangdong Province, albeit the distribution in and around Shenzhen (eBird 2022) suggests that the population there too originates, at least in part, from ex-captive birds.

BREEDING

Though no doubt it took place before, breeding was first confirmed in HK in 1990 when one was noted carrying food on 14 April. There still appear to be no observations of nesting birds. There are at least six reports of young Chestnut-winged Cuckoos accompanying Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush flocks, suggesting that it is the primary host of the cuckoo in HK, as it is in India (Baker 1927).

BEHAVIOUR, FORAGING & DIET

Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush is almost always found in flocks varying in size from about five to at least 20 birds that move through all levels in the forest, though usually not on top of the canopy. Flocks may be fast-moving, wide-ranging and noisy but can be silent and furtive. Often a single bird appears to act as a sentinel to warn of potential threats. Flocks may be only made up of this species, but on occasion they may be joined by Black-throated Laughingthrushes or other larger flocking species such as Hair-crested Drongo and Grey Treepie. Birds tend to be shy and move off when observed, often bounding higher into the canopy then taking flight, which is rather laboured with birds landing lower than from where they take off.

Like HK’s other laughingthrushes, Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush is an insectivore-frugivore. Of ten faecal samples examined by Corlett (1998), fruit remains were found in 100% of samples and invertebrates in 70%, whilst in eight samples examined by Leven (2000), fruit remains were found in 63% and invertebrates in 88%, all of which were ants (Formicidae). It has also been observed feeding in the flowers of Bombax ceiba but it is not clear whether it was drinking nectar, eating invertebrates or both. Birds forage at different levels, on the ground in the shrub layer and in the tree canopy – higher than is usual than by other HK laughingthrushes.

RANGE & SYSTEMATICS

The range extends from Nepal and northeast India south through Myanmar to western Thailand, Laos and north Vietnam (Collar and Robson 2021). In China it is found from southeast Tibet eastwards to northern Sichuan, Shaanxi as far north Xian, Henan and Jiangsu Provinces and south to Hainan and Guangdong. It appears to be rather sparsely distributed in the western provinces but is apparently more widespread in southeast China from Guangdong to Anhui and Shanghai. In Guangdong it occurs as close to HK as Wutongshan, albeit its occurrence in the south of the province may be rather recent as it is only listed from north Guangdong by Cheng (Cheng 1987, Liu & Chen 2021, eBird 2022).

There are five subspecies, all of which occur in China: P. p. pectoralis, P. p. pingi and P. p. robini are restricted to Yunnan, P. p. semitorquatus is endemic to Hainan and the remainder of the range is occupied by P. p. picticollis (Cheng 1987, Liu and Chen 2021). Birds show features of P. p. picticollis but see ‘Distribution & Habitat Preference’.

CONSERVATION STATUS

IUCN: Least Concern. Population trend decreasing.