Little Woodswallow
Artamus minor· 燕鵙科(1 photos)
Photographed In:
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
