NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Giant Laughingthrush
Ianthocincla maxima (J. Verreaux, 1871)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The giant laughingthrush (Ianthocincla maxima) is a bird species in the family Leiothrichidae. It is found in central China and far northern India and Myanmar. Its natural habitat is temperate forests.
The giant laughingthrush was at one time placed in the genus Garrulax but following the publication of a comprehensive molecular phylogenetic study in 2018, it was moved to the resurrected genus Ianthocincla. The female birds often lay between 1 and 3 blue colored eggs which are bred by both parents for a period of 2 weeks. They can be distinguished by their sweet, melodious and bold sound.
Wikipedia contributors, Giant laughingthrush; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T07:43:36.969050+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Ianthocincla maxima (J. Verreaux, 1871)
- Name authority
- (J. Verreaux, 1871)
- Common name
- Giant Laughingthrush
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Leiothrichidae
- Genus
- Ianthocincla
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderPasseriformes
- familyLeiothrichidae Swainson, 1832
- genusIanthocincla Gould, 1835
- speciesIanthocincla maxima (J. Verreaux, 1871)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Ianthocincla. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| White-speckled LaughingthrushIanthocincla bieti Oustalet, 1897 | LeiothrichidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Chestnut-eared LaughingthrushIanthocincla konkakinhensis (J. C. Eames & C. Eames, 2001) | LeiothrichidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Rufous-chinned LaughingthrushIanthocincla rufogularis Gould, 1835 | LeiothrichidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Snowy-cheeked LaughingthrushIanthocincla sukatschewi (Berezowski & Bianchi, 1891) | LeiothrichidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Garrulax maximus (J. Verreaux, 1871) (J. Verreaux, 1871) | synonym |
| Pterorhinus maximus J. Verreaux, 1871 J. Verreaux, 1871 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=1282090 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:PRW3X. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.