ianmichaelthomas
White-Browed Woodswallow
Scientific name: Artamus superciliosus
Family: Artamidae
Order: Passeriformes
The White-browed Woodswallow (Artamus superciliosus) is a moderately-sized passerine bird (perching bird) native to inland Australia. Like all woodswallows, it has a brush-tipped tongue but feeds almost exclusively on flying insects.
The White-browed Woodswallow is a grey bird with a distinctive white eyebrow. The back and wings are blue grey and the lower breast to under the tail is a rich chestnut brown. The underside of the wings and underside of the tail are pale whitish-grey, with white tail tips. Females are duller than males.
Size 20 cm
Environment open forest and woodland
Food insects, catching them on the wing or foraging in foliage
White-browed Woodswallows are highly nomadic. Pairs, small parties, and sometimes flocks of thousands wander irregularly around inland Australia, often trending north to winter in the Northern Territory and central Queensland, and south in spring to nest. Their heartland is the area centered on the Murray-Darling Basin, but they range far beyond this area, and in drought years frequently reach coastal south-east Australia. They are uncommon in Western Australia but small numbers regularly associate with flocks of the Masked Woodswallows.
Royal Melbourne Zoo, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
White-Browed Woodswallow
Scientific name: Artamus superciliosus
Family: Artamidae
Order: Passeriformes
The White-browed Woodswallow (Artamus superciliosus) is a moderately-sized passerine bird (perching bird) native to inland Australia. Like all woodswallows, it has a brush-tipped tongue but feeds almost exclusively on flying insects.
The White-browed Woodswallow is a grey bird with a distinctive white eyebrow. The back and wings are blue grey and the lower breast to under the tail is a rich chestnut brown. The underside of the wings and underside of the tail are pale whitish-grey, with white tail tips. Females are duller than males.
Size 20 cm
Environment open forest and woodland
Food insects, catching them on the wing or foraging in foliage
White-browed Woodswallows are highly nomadic. Pairs, small parties, and sometimes flocks of thousands wander irregularly around inland Australia, often trending north to winter in the Northern Territory and central Queensland, and south in spring to nest. Their heartland is the area centered on the Murray-Darling Basin, but they range far beyond this area, and in drought years frequently reach coastal south-east Australia. They are uncommon in Western Australia but small numbers regularly associate with flocks of the Masked Woodswallows.
Royal Melbourne Zoo, Parkville, Victoria, Australia