During our three weeks of birding in Singapore in March we were surprised that we did not encounter White-crested Laughingthrush – Garrulax leucolophus more often. The habitat often appeared to be ideal, but they were not as common as we had expected. The White-crested Laughingthrush is actually an introduced species and our first encounter was in the Southern Ridges. We had taken a trail down from the main path in Kent Park to a shelter to discover several bird species in the area including the White-crested Laughingthrush.

The first place we noticed the White-crested Laughingthrush was on the shelter roof. The bird was really throwing the leaves around in all directions and after taking a few photos we sat and watched their antics around the shelter. The shelter was in a small clearing and we were alone in the area apart from the birds.

White-crested Laughingthrush on the shelter roof

The White-crested Laughingthrush on the ground hopped about throwing leaves around too. They were searching for food and there was a family group of eight birds. They reminded us of our Grey-crowned Babblers at home in Broome! They also move around in groups of eight and bounce around among the vegetation.

White-crested Laughingthrush in the leaf litter

We also had good views of a White-crested Laughingthrush on the railing around the small clearing near the shelter.

White-crested Laughingthrush

As is often the case, we soon discovered the White-crested Laughingthrush were not alone in this clearing. We had Common Flamebacks and Greater Racket-tailed Drongos to keep us company while we had our lunch in the forest.

If you are heading to Singapore in search of White-crested Laughingthrush it appears that Kent Ridge Park is one of the more reliable places to go looking for them.

Written by Clare M
Clare and her husband, Grant, have lived permanently in Broome, Western Australia since 1999 after living in various outback locations around Western Australia and Darwin. She has lived in the Middle East and the United States and traveled extensively in Europe. She monitors Pied Oystercatchers breeding along a 23km stretch of Broome's coastline by bicycle and on foot. She chooses not to participate in social media, but rather wander off into the bush for peace and tranquility. Thankfully she can write posts in advance and get away from technology!