Wood swallow
Wood swallows are a group of birds native to regions in Asia, Australia, New Guinea, and nearby areas in the Indian Ocean. They are known for their strong flying abilities, capable of covering thousands of miles while consuming insects mid-flight, and potentially sipping nectar with their unique brush-like tongues. There are 16 species of wood swallows, varying greatly in plumage colors including gray, brown, white, red, and black, with some exhibiting patchy, piebald patterns. Typically measuring between five to nine inches in length, wood swallows are characterized by their triangular wing shape reminiscent of the common starling.
These social birds inhabit diverse ecosystems like woodlands, grasslands, and shrublands, and exhibit various behaviors based on their environment—some are year-round residents, others migrate, and some lead a nomadic lifestyle. Wood swallows are known for their communal nesting habits, often forming loose colonies, and both parents participate in building the nest and caring for the young. Their breeding seasons vary depending on geographic location and climate. Notably, no wood swallow species is currently considered threatened, making them a stable component of their respective ecosystems.
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Wood swallow
Wood swallows are native to Asia, Australia, New Guinea, and surrounding areas in the Indian Ocean. With their strong wings, wood swallows are able to fly thousands of miles (kilometers). They can stay in the air for hours, gulping insects into their broad bills. They may also possibly sip nectar with their brush-like tongues.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Artamidae
Genus: Artamus
Species: Varies (see below)
The 16 species of wood swallows may have a variety of plumage (feathering) colors. Some are gray and brown, while others are white, red, and black. Still others are piebald, which means they are covered with patches of two different colors. Juvenile birds have speckled or spotted plumage. Wood swallows are only five to nine inches (12 to 23 centimeters) long and weigh a mere 1/2 to three ounces (14 to 73 grams). The triangular wing outline of wood swallows looks like that of the common starling of the family Sturnidae. This similarity led to the wood swallow being called "schwalbenstar," which means swallow-starling in German. The brisk "preet-preet" of wood swallows floats through their woodland, grassland, and shrubland habitats of India, southeast Asia, Melanesia, New Guinea, and Australia.
Some species of wood swallows are year-round residents, while others migrate and return to the same nests year after year. Still others are nomadic, wandering from place to place over thousands of miles (kilometers) and rarely breed in the same place two years in a row. Although they have strong flying abilities, the short legs of these birds limits them to hopping only clumsily on the ground. In general, wood swallows are social birds which nest in loose colonies. They remain in family parties even after the breeding season comes to an end. Members of a family group huddle on a roost, even in temperatures of 86 degree Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius). In cold weather clusters of as many as 200 birds may roost together.
Breeding season occurs at different times in each climate which the range of the wood swallows covers. Those species in the tropics mate during the wet season, and those in the temperate regions mate in the spring. Mating may occur anytime in the arid, inland regions. Both male and female build the cup-like nest, careful to be at least 10 feet (three meters) from their nearest neighbor. The female lays two to four eggs in the nest. The male shares with the female the task of incubating the eggs for the 12 to 16 days before they hatch. At this time, the hatchlings poke their heads and bodies from their reddish-brown-spotted, creamy white shells. The next two to three weeks are busy as both mother and father feed the young. In some species other members of a family group help care for the nestling birds. The life span of wood swallows is unknown but most likely averages between eight and 10 years. No species of wood swallow is considered threatened.
Species in this family include but are not limited to:
Ashy wood swallow Artamus fuscus
Bismark wood swallow Artamus insignis
Black-faced wood swallow Artamus cinereus
Dusky wood swallow Artamus cyanopterus
Figi wood swallow Artamus mentalis
Great wood swallow Artamus maximus
Ivory-backed wood swallow Artamus insignus
Little wood swallow Artamus minor
Masked wood swallow Artamus personatus
White-backed wood swallow Artamus monarchus
White-breasted wood swallow Artamus leucorhyncus
White-browed wood swallow Artamus superciliosus
Bibliography
“Bird - Australian Woodswallows.” OzAnimals, www.ozanimals.com/wildlife/Bird/Woodswallows.html. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.
Ramel, Gordon. “The Woodswallows (Artamus) - Artamidae Family.” Earth Life, 12 July 2023, earthlife.net/woodswallows. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.