Artamus cyanopterus
Description
Size: 170-180mm
Sexes are similar. Extensive dark brown plumage, blue-steel grey wings with a white edge. Blue-grey bill tipped black. White underwings contrast with the brown body in flight. Juveniles are similar to adults but heavily streaked grey.
Call
A strident, repeated ‘zweeet’ in flight. Some soft ‘vut-vut’ and other sounds when perching.
Distribution
Much of the eastern and southern parts of the country, plus Tasmania. Absent in arid regions.
Nesting
Dusky Woodswallows build a frail nest of sticks in a shrub, against the trunk of a tree on a horizontal branch, behind a peeling piece of bark or even in an old fence post, etc. They breed in spring.
Habits
Dusky Woodswallows are summer migrants to Baw Baw. They prefer grassy, open woodland habitat where they soar effortlessly to catch insects on the wing. They are nearly always present in small flocks and at night, Dusky Woodswallows roost communally.