Banasura laughingthrush

The Banasura laughingthrush (Montecincla jerdoni) is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is found in shola habitat in a small section of the Western Ghats in southwestern Karnataka and northern Kerala. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the black-chinned laughingthrush.

The Banasura laughingthrush is a medium-sized songbird, ranging between 203 and 230 cm in length, and between 36 and 52 g in mass. Adults have a black face and throat; white supercilia; a gray breast, cheeks, and back; an ochre belly; and olive back, wings, and tail. Additionally, adults have a black bill, crimson irises, and brownish legs. It is distinguished from the Nilgiri laughingthrush by its gray breast, and from the Palani and Ashambu laughingthrushes by its black chin. The sexes are indistinguishable in plumage.

While the Banasura laughingthrush is extremely similar in appearance to other species within Montecincla, it is the only species of its genus found within its range, making identification straightforward.