Little Woodswallow
英文名：Little Woodswallow（学名：Artamus minor），是雀形目燕鵙科的鸟类。12–14厘米。喙带微蓝具黑端；羽衣呈烟巧克力褐色；翅膀/腰部/尾部深青铜灰色；尾具白色羽端。幼鸟：较淡，具纵纹与贝壳状斑。小群或群落。常活动于岩石峡谷中，沿着岩壁滑翔时在雄伟背景下显得格外娇小。在疏林中，群体紧密挤在枯枝上。夜间数百只簇拥群栖。飞行轻盈优美，带有弧线与俯冲：看起来近乎全黑；微染褐色的翼下与深色躯体的对比不如 暗燕鵙 强烈；无翼部白条纹。群体在湿地上空捕食昆虫时可能被误认为毛脚燕；亦取食花蜜。
Little Woodswallow
12-14 cm. Bill bluish with black tip; plumage smoky chocolate-brown; wings/rump/tail deep gunmetal-grey; tail tipped white. Immature: paler, streaked, scalloped. Small flocks, colonies. Often in rocky gorges, tiny against grandeur as it sails along rock faces. In woodlands, groups huddle closely along dead limbs. Clusters in roosts of hundreds at night. Flight floating, graceful with curves, dips: looks almost black; brown-washed underwing contrasts less with dark body than in Dusky Woodswallow; no white wing streak. Companies hawking insects over wetlands can be confused with martins; also takes nectar.
- Voice
- brisk 'peet, peet', somewhat like Azure Kingfisher in 3-4 evenly spaced notes, or single note followed by two quick notes; pleasing song.
- Habitat
- rocky gorges with permanent water; open scrubs; grassy woodlands with living/dead tall timber; belar; acacia scrubs with spinifex.
- Breeding
- Aug.-Jan., or after rain.
- Nest
- flimsy, of twigs, rootlets; in rock cavity, hole in tree.
- Eggs
- 3; white buff-white, spotted, blotched brown, dark grey, in zone.
- Range & Status
- widespread, patchy in n. and w. inland Aust. and islands off w. and n. coasts: most NT/Q, except Simpson Desert. In NSW, e. to c. Grafton, s. to Warrumbungle NP-Lachlan R.; casual sw. to Wentworth (NSW), w. Vic. In SA, mostly in inland rocky ranges (Everard, Flinders Ras.); occasional s. to Murray R.-Gawler Ras.-Eyre Pen. In WA, Kimberley-Pilbara s. to Lower Greenough R.-c. Southern Cross. Sedentary; part-nomadic.
- Distribution key to races
- 1. Artamus minor derbyi 2. Artamus minor minor
