Masked woodswallow is a species of bird in the family Artamidae.
Region
Australia
Typical Environment
Occupies arid and semi-arid interiors of Australia, avoiding the wetter coastal fringes. It favors open eucalypt woodlands, mulga and acacia shrublands, mallee, and lightly timbered grasslands. Birds readily use edges, clearings, and farmlands with scattered trees, and often perch on exposed branches, fence lines, and utility wires. After good rains, they may irrupt widely as insect numbers surge. They are highly mobile and may appear unpredictably across suitable open habitats.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1200 m
Climate Zone
Arid
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Masked Woodswallow often forms large, wandering flocks that follow bursts of insect activity after rain in Australia’s interior. It frequently associates with the White-browed Woodswallow, and mixed flocks may breed in the same areas during good seasons. Long, pointed wings and a slightly hooked bill suit it to agile aerial insect-hawking. They roost communally and may travel great distances nomadically.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
agile flier with rapid wingbeats and glides
Social Behavior
Often travels and forages in flocks, sometimes in large, fast-moving groups. Breeds in pairs within loose colonies when conditions are favorable, building small cup nests in trees or shrubs. Communal roosting is common outside the breeding season.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Calls are soft, nasal chattering and twittering notes given in flight and from perches. Song is modest and conversational rather than musical, with rapid, buzzy phrases.
Plumage
Smooth, slate-grey body with clean, even tones; males show a bold black facial mask bordered by a fine white line, while females are duller with a weaker mask. Tail is square with distinct white tips and the wings are long and pointed. The bill is pale blue-grey with a dark tip.
Diet
Primarily captures flying insects such as beetles, flies, and moths, hawking them on the wing with swift, agile pursuits. It also sallies from exposed perches to snatch prey above canopies or open ground. Occasionally it gleans insects from foliage or the ground when conditions favor it. Feeding intensity often increases after rainfall when insect populations boom.
Preferred Environment
Open woodlands, shrublands, and edges where airspace is clear for aerial hunting. Frequently around flowering eucalypts and along roadsides, fence lines, and paddock trees that provide vantage perches.
