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22

White-breasted Woodswallow

(Artamus leucorynchus)
Alternate name(s): "White-rumped Woodswallow"
Size: 16-18 cm
Weight: 35-45 g

Similar
species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See White-breasted Woodswallow at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

Race "leucopygialis"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Close-up frontal view of a White-breasted Woodswallow looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Windorah, QLD, September 2022]

Close-up frontal/ventral view of White-breasted Woodswallows
[Pilliga lagoon, near Pilliga, NSW, April 2021]

Close-up frontal/ventral view of White-breasted Woodswallows
[Pilliga lagoon, near Pilliga, NSW, April 2021]

Frontal/ventral view of White-breasted Woodswallows in a huddle
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Port Douglas, QLD, May 2022]

Close-up near-frontal view of a White-breasted Woodswallow
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, May 2017]

Close-up near-frontal/ventral view of a White-breasted Woodswallow
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, September 2011]

Near-frontal/ventral view of a White-breasted Woodswallow (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Near Lyndhurst, SA, October 2016]

Near-lateral view of a White-breasted Woodswallow (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Brunswick Heads, NSW, Jnauary 2019]

Near-lateral view of a White-breasted Woodswallow stretching a wing
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, May 2017]

Lateral view of a White-breasted Woodswallow (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Brunswick Heads, NSW, Jnauary 2019]

Lateral view of a White-breasted Woodswallow (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Wynnum, QLD, December 2017]

Lateral view of a White-breasted Woodswallow (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near St. George, QLD, September 2017]

Near-dorsal view of a White-breasted Woodswallow (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Town of 1770, QLD, September 2017]

Dorsal view of a White-breasted Woodswallow
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, September 2010]

Dorsal view of a White-breasted Woodswallow (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Sandy Camp Road Wetlands, Lytton, QLD, August 2017]

Frontal/ventral view of a White-breasted Woodswallow in flight
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, August 2010]

Lateral view of a White-breasted Woodswallow in flight (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, July 2014]

Lateral view of a White-breasted Woodswallow in a steep bank (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, July 2014]

Lateral/ventral view of a White-breasted Woodswallow in flight
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, August 2010]

Ventral view of a White-breasted Woodswallow in flight
[Yarrie Lake, NSW, December 2013]

This White-breasted Woodswallow was observed carrying something rather big
[Pilliga, NSW, May 2019]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Frontal/ventral view of two immature White-breasted Woodswallows
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, October 2010]

Near-lateral/ventral view of immature White-breasted Woodswallows
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, October 2010]

Immature White-breasted Woodswallows spreading their wings
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, October 2010]

Frontal view of an adult White-breasted Woodswallow, right, with a dorsal view of an immature bird on the left - note the rufous edges of the juvenile coverts and tertial flight feathers (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Port Douglas, QLD, May 2022]

Frontal view of a juvenile White-breasted Woodswallow
[Pilliga, NSW, December 2020]

Frontal view of juvenile White-breasted Woodswallows (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Wynnum, QLD, December 2017]

Near-lateral view of a juvenile White-breasted Woodswallow; note the scalloping on the wing (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Wynnum, QLD, December 2017]

Dorsal view of a juvenile White-breasted Woodswallow
[Pilliga, NSW, December 2020]

Ventral view of a White-breasted Woodswallow with three fledglings (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)

White-breasted Woodswallow with a begging fledgling (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Near Lyndhurst, SA, October 2016]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Aug - Jan Eggs: 3 - 4 Incubation period: ? Fledging age: ?

Given the right conditions (e.g. absence of frost), White-breasted Woodswallows can breed any time of the year.

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Basket Material: Twigs, rootlets, dry grass Height above ground: 4 - 30 m

White-breasted Woodswallows are known to sometimes put their own little stick nest inside a recycled mud nest.

"Conventional" White-breasted Woodswallow nest in a natural setting, in a fork of a small or broken branch off the main trunk of a tree
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, December 2011]

White-breasted Woodswallow nest (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Sandy Camp Road Wetlands, Lytton, QLD, November 2018]

White-breasted Woodswallow on its nest (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Kingaroy, QLD, October 2015]

White-breasted Woodswallow nest in a hollow dead branch
[Pillia, NSW, December 2020]

White-breasted Woodswallow owners of the nest above, one of which is carrying nesting material
[Pillia, NSW, December 2020]

White-breasted Woodswallow returning to its nest with food; the bird nested weeks later, so this meal must have been for itself
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, November 2011]

Next the White-breasted Woodswallow sat down gingerly on its nest again...
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, November 2011]

... while making sure that that human observer was no threat
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, November 2011]

Here the same White-breasted Woodswallow seen nesting a month later
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, December 2011]

A few weeks later, this White-breasted Woodswallow chick was seen leaving the nest, first cautious...
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, January 2012]

...then a bit more curious; the White-breasted Woodswallow chick is still only about 20 cm from its nest at this point
(photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, January 2012]

The White-breasted Woodswallow nests shown above were built as is "typical" of the species; but they are also opportunistic - in this case "recycling" a Magpie-lark nest
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, October 2013]

The same White-breasted Woodswallow as shown above, now sitting on the recycled Magpie-lark nest
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, October 2013]

The next breeding season, a pair of White-breasted Woodswallows in the same area were using a recycled Australian Magpie nest, a massive stick nest which is very different from a mud nest; two near-fledging age chicks can be seen in the nest
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, January 2015]

White-breasted Woodswallow near its "avant garde" nest (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Nightcliff, Darwin, NT, November 2020]

White-breasted Woodswallow at its "avant garde" nest (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Nightcliff, Darwin, NT, November 2020]

Additional information

It is known that White-breasted Woodswallows will re-use nests of other species, in particular old mud nest built by Magpie-larks. This behaviour has also been reported to us by A. Morris. We have compiled some more information on the (re-)use of mud nests.

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 23 x 17 mm Colour: Light-brown, with tiny mid-brown speckles Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal Mobility: Sedentary Elementary unit: Flock

As shown above, White-breasted Woodswallows have been found by us to re-use Magpie-lark mud nests. This behaviour was also observed by A. Morris.

As also shown below, White-breasted Woodswallows are very sociable. They are well-known for their habit of huddling up tightly.

The greatest White-breasted Woodswallow huddle ever? (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, July 2019]

White-breasted Woodswallows huddling (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Buffalo Creek, Darwin, NT, July 2020]

Mob of White-breasted Woodswallows in a huddle (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Sandy Creek, Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, July 2019]

Family of White-breasted Woodswallows huddled together on a dead branch (photo courtesyof V. Jericho)
[Carawine Gorge, WA, July 2013]

White-breasted Woodswallows huddling even while preening
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, October 2013]

White-breasted Woodswallows sharing some TLC; this type of behaviour is part of a bonding ritual(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near St. George, QLD, September 2017]

White-breasted Woodswallows are very combative birds that will try to keep raptors out of their territory and away from their nest. We have seen them attack raptors preying on birds, such as e.g. Australian Hobbies.

When a White-breasted Woodswallow fans its tail as indicated here it is usually upset
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, November 2012]

White-breasted Woodswallows will not shy away from hustling raptors as large and powerful as a Brown Falcon or even bigger (see below)
[April 2012]

White-breasted Woodswallow harassing a Whistling Kite (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, July 2018]

White-breasted Woodswallow harassing a Grey Goshawk (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, August 2017]

Wedge-tailed Eagle in flight (click on image to see what it had to put up with) - the little speck is a White-breasted Woodswallow; note that these photos were taken with 15x magnification (f=500 mm)!)
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, January 2008]

Food, Diet

Adults: Small insects Dependents: As adults Water intake: Daily(?)

Like all members of the Artamus family known to us, hunt small insects which they usually devour in-flight.

White-breasted Woodswallow with its prey, a bee (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Sandy Camp Road Wetlands, Lytton, QLD, August 2017]

Family of White-breasted Woodswallows; on the right an adult feeding a dependent juvenile a fly (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Camooweal Caves, QLD, September 2019]

White-breasted Woodswallows, one of which has caught an insect (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)

These White-breasted Woodswallows were either after nectar or after insects in the flowers of this Woolibutt tree
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Bird billabong, near Arnhem Highway, NT, July 2018]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

wbrstsw_20180120.m4a leucopygialis
(NW NSW)
Contact calls + begging calls (juvenile) © MD
wbrstsw_20200114.m4a leucopygialis
(NW NSW)
Various © MD
wbrstsw_20180120_2.m4a leucopygialis
(NW NSW)
Begging calls (juvenile) © MD
wbrstsw_20180120_3.m4a leucopygialis
(NW NSW)
Begging calls (juvenile) © MD
wbrstsw_20180105.m4a leucopygialis
(NW NSW)
Begging calls (fledgling) © MD
wbrstsw_20180105_2.m4a leucopygialis
(NW NSW)
Begging calls & being fed (fledgling) © MD

More White-breasted Woodswallow sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site?
If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.