Photo: Aviceda / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-faced Woodswallow
Artamus cinereus
Black-faced Woodswallow (Artamus cinereus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 8 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Black-faced Woodswallow (Artamus cinereus) is a member of the Artamidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 35.6 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 cinereus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 35.6 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Artamidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black-faced 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 Black-faced Woodswallow is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Black-faced Woodswallow (Artamus cinereus) is a member of the Artamidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU e Lesser Sundas, Australia and sc New Guinea.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 35.6 g, with a wing length of about 12 cm and a tail of around 6.8 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 7.4 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-faced Woodswallow?
The Black-faced Woodswallow is a small bird that weighs around 35.6 g.
Where does the Black-faced Woodswallow live?
The Black-faced Woodswallow is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU e Lesser Sundas, Australia and sc New Guinea, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Black-faced Woodswallow belong to?
The Black-faced Woodswallow (Artamus cinereus) belongs to the Artamidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Black-faced Woodswallow eat?
The Black-faced Woodswallow is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Black-faced Woodswallow migrate?
The Black-faced Woodswallow is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Black-faced 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 Black-faced Woodswallow make?
1 real field recording of the Black-faced Woodswallow — including its alarm call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Black-faced Woodswallow's range?
The Black-faced Woodswallow has a mapped global range of about 7.4 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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