White-breasted woodswallow
| White-breasted woodswallow | |
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A. leucorynchus
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| Artamus leucorynchus (Linnaeus, 1771)
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The white-breasted woodswallow (Artamus leucorynchus) is a small passerine bird which breeds from the Andaman Islands east through Indonesia and northern Australia.[1] The name "woodswallow" is a misnomer as they are not closely related to true swallows. Instead, they belong to the family Artamidae, which also includes butcherbirds, currawongs and the Australian magpie.
The species was first described by Linnaeus in 1771, its specific epithet derived from the Ancient Greek words leucos 'white', and rhynchos 'bill'.[2]
Description
This woodswallow's soft-plumage is charcoal grey apart from the white underparts that give the species its English and scientific names, in contrast to the related great woodswallow whose upper side is a more glossy black.[3] Despite its brush-tipped tongue, usually associated with nectar feeders, it catches insects on the wing.
Natural history
The white-breasted woodswallow has large, pointed wings and is very agile in powered and gliding flight. This is a nomadic species, following the best conditions for flying insects, and often roosting in large flocks. The nest is a small structure built in the hollow formed by a broken branch, or in a forked branch. The normal clutch is three eggs.
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Three chicks in a nest, Central Coast, NSW, Australia
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Sherwood Arboretum, SE Queensland, Australia
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White-breasted woodswallow
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Front aspect
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Coates, Brian J.; The Birds of Papua New Guinea Including the Bismarck Archipelago and Bougainville: Volume 2 - Passerines; pp. 373-375. ISBN 0959025715
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Artamus leucorynchus. |
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Wikispecies has information related to: Artamus leucorynchus |
- ABID images
- White-breasted woodswallow videos, photos, and sounds on the Internet Bird Collection
- IUCN Red List least concern species
- Commons category link is locally defined
- Artamus
- Birds of Southeast Asia
- Birds of Asia
- Birds of Brunei
- Birds of India
- Birds of Indonesia
- Birds of Malaysia
- Birds of Myanmar
- Birds of New Caledonia
- Birds of Palau
- Birds of Papua New Guinea
- Birds of the Philippines
- Birds of South Korea
- Birds of Vanuatu
- Birds of Western Australia
- Birds of Australia
- Birds of Tasmania
- Animals described in 1771
