Photo: Tom Tarrant / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Masked Woodswallow
Artamus personatus
Masked Woodswallow (Artamus personatus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Masked Woodswallow (Artamus personatus) is a member of the Artamidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 34.6 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Artamidae Woodswallows, Butcherbirds & Allies
- Genus Artamus
- Species personatus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 34.6 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Artamidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Masked Woodswallow is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Masked Woodswallow is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Masked Woodswallow (Artamus personatus) belongs to the Artamidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU Australia (except n Cape York Pen. and Tasmania).
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 34.6 g, with a wing length of about 12.1 cm and a tail of around 7.2 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 7.5 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Masked Woodswallow?
The Masked Woodswallow is a small bird that weighs around 34.6 g.
Where does the Masked Woodswallow live?
The Masked Woodswallow is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU Australia (except n Cape York Pen. and Tasmania), where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Masked Woodswallow belong to?
The Masked Woodswallow (Artamus personatus) belongs to the Artamidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Masked Woodswallow eat?
The Masked Woodswallow is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Masked Woodswallow migrate?
The Masked Woodswallow is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Masked Woodswallow endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Masked Woodswallow make?
1 real field recording of the Masked Woodswallow — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Masked Woodswallow's range?
The Masked Woodswallow has a mapped global range of about 7.5 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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