Current view: Data table and detailed info
Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A., Fishpool, L.D.C., Boesman, P. and Kirwan, G.M. 2016. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 2: Passerines. Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Red List history
| Migratory status |
not a migrant |
Forest dependency |
high |
| Land-mass type |
|
Average mass |
- |
Population justification: The species was reportedly common and widespread in 1988 but is now known few sites throughout the range where only very small numbers have been located in the wild recently. More than 45 km of transects in suitable habitat in 2013 returned only a single record of the species (Eaton et al. 2015). Trappers in West Sumatra stated in 2015 that it remained in forests three days walk from a road (Eaton et al. 2015). In 2017, surveys also failed to detect the species at several sites across Northern Sumatra (c.156 transects across Karo, Deli Serdang, Langkat, and Dairi regencies) (Harris et al. 2017). The largest extent of remaining habitat is in Aceh province, where the species is still relatively widespread though highly localised and heavily trapped (Eaton et al. 2015). Bird tours to this area have located groups by the roadside, indicating that trapping pressure is lower in this culturally separate region of Sumatra (Eaton 2014). The paucity of records from the majority of the range indicates that the species now has a small population size. It is here tentatively placed in the band 2,500-9,999 mature individuals. This equates to 3,750-14,999 individuals, rounded here to 3,500-15,000 individuals.
Trend justification: Numbers in trade had been falling coincident with a rapid increase in the price per bird from $8-15 in 2007 to $90 in 2014 (Chng et al. 2014; Harris et al. 2015), coupled with an expert review of the status of the bird in the wild concluding that it was 'Severely Declining' (Harris et al. 2015). Recent surveys and different methodologies however reveal that numbers in markets have continued to be high, highlighting the ongoing, unsustainable level of harvest (BuĊĦina et al. 2018a). In the wild the species has therefore disappeared from several sites where it was being regularly recorded only a decade ago.
Country/territory distribution
Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Sumatran Laughingthrush Garrulax bicolor. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/sumatran-laughingthrush-garrulax-bicolor on 05/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 05/12/2024.
