Male dark gray above, dark orange-brown below, with dark gray face and throat and white eyebrow.
Not listed
Endemic to Australia
Indigenous: Dhaluraa
At a glance
FamilyWoodswallows, Bellmagpies, and Allies
SizeSmall
RarityCommon
HabitatThey inhabit margins of rainforests, woodlands, inland/coastal scrubs, golf courses, vineyards, suburban streets and arid areas of Australia.
Best timeMost reliable in Victoria from October to November.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Peter Boesman
Range map
Range map
200approx hotspots
53993approx records
4states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
Female similar in pattern but less richly colored. Whitish underwings contrast powerfully with dark underparts in flight.
Behavior
Often forages very high up in enormous flocks, sometimes mixed in with Masked Woodswallows.
Gallery
Regional timing
Queensland
New South Wales
South Australia
Northern Territory
Victoria
Western Australia
Australian Capital Territory
Tasmania
Commonly confused with
Masked WoodswallowArtamus personatusMale dark gray above, pale below, with a black face and throat and very pale underwings. Female with fainter mask and slight rusty wash to breast.→Black-faced WoodswallowArtamus cinereusGray above, paler gray below, with a black between eye and bill. Tail black with white tip broken by black at the center. Pale underwings contrast with gray belly in flight.→White-breasted WoodswallowArtamus leucorynchusBlackish head and upperparts contrast strongly with stark white underparts and rump. Juvenile upperparts paler grayish, less contrasting.→