Golden-winged Laughingthrush

The golden-winged laughingthrush (Trochalopteron ngoclinhense) is a species of bird in the laughingthrush family Leiothrichidae. The species is most closely related to the chestnut-crowned laughingthrush and has sometimes been lumped with it. The species is restricted to the southern Annamite Range in western Vietnam and southern Laos. It was discovered in 1996, and remains poorly studied due to its small, remote population and shy nature. (Wikipedia, general species account).

It lives in primary montane rainforest. The species is threatened with extinction due to habitat loss caused by deforestation. Discovery and taxonomy The golden-winged laughingthrush was first discovered by science in 1996. Conservationists were attempting to identify priority areas of biodiversity in Vietnam as part of an effort to improve the network of protected spaces. The relative isolation of the Mount Ngọc Linh and the lack of scientific study in the area led to a survey being conducted as part of a joint project between BirdLife International and Vietnam's Forest Inventory and Planning Institute (FIPI).