Black-faced Woodswallow
A species of Wood-swallows Scientific name : Artamus cinereus Genus : Wood-swallows
Black-faced Woodswallow, A species of Wood-swallows
Botanical name: Artamus cinereus
Genus: Wood-swallows
Content
Description General Info
Photo By Jim Bendon , used under CC-BY-SA-2.0 /Cropped and compressed from original 
Description
The black-faced woodswallow is 18–19 cm (7.1–7.5 in) in length, and weighs 32–40 g (1.1–1.4 oz). It has a blue-grey beak with a black tip and a black face mask which extends from the base of the bill up to and around the eyes. It has ash grey plumage, which is lighter around the breast with darker wings, and silver underwings. The tail is black with a white tip. There are four different subspecies of back faced wood swallows. These are differentiated by black or white colouration of their tail vents. The white-vented subspecies A.c. normani and A.c.dealbatus are found on the Cape York Peninsula and northern Queensland respectively. The black-vented A.c. cinereus occurs in south west Australia, while A.c.melanops occurs in northern Australia and Lesser Sunda Islands, including Timor. The sexes are similar in colouration. Juvenile woodswallows have a brown body and wing coloration with buff streaks and a pale yellow beak. The voice is soft with chiff, chap and chattering animated calls which can include vocal mimicry. 
Size
18 cm
Nest Placement
Tree
Feeding Habits
Black-faced Woodswallow predominantly consume insects, adeptly capturing them mid-flight through soaring and diving maneuvers, or foraging on the ground. Their varied diet occasionally includes nectar, facilitated by their specialized brush-like tongues.
Habitat
The black-faced Woodswallow is typically found in a variety of open habitats including woodlands, shrublands, and grasslands across a broad geographical range. Favouring arid and semi-arid regions, this species is commonly associated with eucalypt woodlands and spinifex plains. It shows a preference for open areas and is usually absent from dense, closed forests. The black-faced Woodswallow exhibits some nomadic traits, especially in response to varying environmental conditions, but it is generally a sedentary bird. It often forms flocks, which might include other bird species like finches and sometimes the golden-shouldered parrot.
Dite type
Insectivorous
General Info
Feeding Habits
Bird food type
Behavior
They are communal breeders, with documented feeding of young by numerous birds, probably as an adaptation to an erratic climate in arid and semi-arid conditions. Woodswallows also exhibit a tendency to flock and cluster roost, during the day and night. Clustering assists with thermoregulation, wind protection, social drive and reduces predation risk. Breeding generally follows periods of rain with abundant insects, generally, they breed once a year between August and September. The sexes are similar in appearance and courtship displays consist of rotating tails and wing waving. The male and female perch a metre apart, then spread their wings while fanning and rotating the tail. Nests are built in tree hollows, crevices, forks of branches or on top of stumps. The same areas are occupied each year. Nest building takes 4–7 weeks to complete and is composed of twigs, coarse grass and lined with softer grass. The eggs are oval in shape and range from 17-22mm in size. The woodswallows eggs come in a clutch size of 3-4 eggs. , white to dull white in colouration with blotched markings which are red-brown and lavender speckling. Incubation takes 14–16 days, and chicks fledge 18 days later. The fledglings are at risk from predators such as hawks, butcher birds and kookaburras, but are kept away by alarm calls and attacking behaviour of the parents. Other birds e.g. parrots often feed close to woodswallows thereby reducing their own predation risk. As they are communal breeders, helpers can be seen feeding the young and defending against predators.
Distribution Area
This species is broadly distributed in Australia, occupying most of the continent except for the eastern margin. It is mainly sedentary, remaining in arid and semi-arid areas even during dry conditions. Although it can be partly nomadic, the woodswallow prefers open eucalypt woodlands, scrub, and spinifex in arid and semi-arid conditions. In tropical savannah, it prefers open woodlands and grasslands. Woodswallows frequently flock with finches and at times the golden-shouldered parrot.
Species Status
Not globally threatened.
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Perching birds Family
Woodswallows Genus
Wood-swallows Species
Black-faced Woodswallow 
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