Striated Laughing Thrush is a lovely brown streaked Himalayan forest bird with a jaunty crest

The Striated Laughing Thrush is a lovely brown‑streaked Himalayan forest bird with a jaunty crest. It is a shy, retiring bird of thick shrubbery, a mountain babbler‑like species with beautiful streaks and striations on its neck, cheeks and chest. In the wildfilmsindia wildlife sanctuary in Uttarakhand, it can be seen eating berries on a winter‑time shrub, looking unperturbed by filming even as snow melts and distant traffic sounds drift through the mountain air. The bird vocalises by puffing out its throat, and its mostly rust‑coloured plumage is as detailed as a painted artwork, with delicate white streaks that make it one of the most striking birds in the region.