SINGING BEHAVIOR OF WHITE-CRESTED LAUGHINGTHRUSH (Garrulax leucolophus)
Keywords:
White-crested Laughingthrush, singing behavior, vocal communication, displayAbstract
The White-crested Laughingthrush’s behavior and vocal communication were observed and recorded within Chiang Mai province from August 2005 to March 2006. Four vocal structures were identified as follows: short sounds, phrases, sentences, and subsongs. Short sounds consisted of three functions: a resting, feeding, and flying alert call, an excited call, and an invitation call. Phrases were commonly found in the terminal parts of sentences or subsongs. Birds raised their heads up with wings folded and moved their tails forward following the phrase’s rhythm. Sentences often were begun by 1 to 4 birds while others in the flock followed in a chorus. The functions of the sentences’structure were found to be for alarm, excitment, contact, and mobbing. Subsongs consisted of 2functions, contact and mobbing. Contact subsongs were used to keep the group in contact when moving and feeding. Mobbing subsongs were used to attack common enemies or other flocks in the feeding areas. The syntax of the mobbing subsongs was clear with rapid notes in the initial part and a long series of short harmonics in the terminal part of the subsongs.
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