Blue-crowned laughingthrush facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blue-crowned laughingthrush |
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Garrulax galbanus courtoisi |
The blue-crowned laughingthrush or Courtois's laughingbird (Pterorhinus courtoisi) is a special type of bird. It belongs to a bird family called Leiothrichidae. This bird is now found only in Jiangxi, China. It is a critically endangered species, meaning it is very close to disappearing forever.
For a long time, people thought this bird was just a kind of yellow-throated laughingthrush. But the blue-crowned laughingthrush has a bright blue cap on its head, while the other bird has a pale grey one. This difference helped scientists realize it was its own unique species.
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About This Special Bird
Its Name and Family
The blue-crowned laughingthrush used to be in a group of birds called Garrulax. But in 2018, scientists studied the birds' DNA. They found that this bird was different enough to be moved to an older group called Pterorhinus.
The second part of its scientific name, courtoisi, honors a French missionary named Frédéric Courtois. He lived from 1860 to 1928.
Where It Lives and How Rare It Is
The main type of blue-crowned laughingthrush was thought to be lost for many years. But it was found again in 2000 in Wuyuan County, Jiangxi, China. Even after being rediscovered, it is still extremely rare. There are only about 200 of these birds living in the wild today.
Another type of this bird was seen in Simao, Yunnan in 1956. But no one has seen it in the wild since then.
Birds in Zoos
More than 100 blue-crowned laughingthrushes live in zoos and with private bird collectors. These birds are part of a special program to help them have babies. This way, scientists hope to increase their numbers. It's not clear if the birds in zoos are the same type as the ones found in the wild in Jiangxi.
Why It's Critically Endangered
In 2006, this bird was mistakenly listed as "least concern" by the IUCN Red List. This meant people thought it was not in danger. But scientists quickly realized this was wrong. The bird is actually very close to extinction in the wild. Because of this, its status was changed to "critically endangered" in 2007. This change helps people understand how much help this bird needs to survive.
See also
