Ashy Woodswallow
Artamus fuscus
The Ashy Woodswallow (Artamus fuscus) is a uncommon woodswallows, bellmagpies, and alli found in 13 countries, weighing about 40 g. The ashy woodswallow, sometimes also called the ashy swallow-shrike, is a woodswallow which is found in south Asia.
About the Ashy Woodswallow
The ashy woodswallow, sometimes also called the ashy swallow-shrike, is a woodswallow which is found in south Asia. Like other woodswallows, it has a short curved bill, a short square tail and long wings. It is usually seen perched in groups, high on powerlines, tall bare trees and most often in areas with a predominance of tall palm trees.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
This stocky woodswallow has an ashy grey upperparts with a darker head and a narrow pale band on the rump. The underside is pinkish grey and the short slaty black tail is tipped in white. The finch-like bill is silvery. In flight the long wing looks very broad at the base giving it a very triangular outline. The first primary is very short. The legs are short and the birds usually perch on high vantage points from which they make aerial sallies. There are no geographic variations in plumage and no subspecies have been designated.
What the Ashy Woodswallow sounds like
Where it lives
When to see it
The Ashy Woodswallow can be seen all year round, with peak activity in February. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify an Ashy Woodswallow?
- This stocky woodswallow has an ashy grey upperparts with a darker head and a narrow pale band on the rump. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is an Ashy Woodswallow?
- The Ashy Woodswallow is a small sized bird weighing about 40 g.
- Where can you see an Ashy Woodswallow?
- The Ashy Woodswallow occurs in 13 countries, including India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Cambodia.
- What does an Ashy Woodswallow sound like?
- You can listen to a field recording of the Ashy Woodswallow on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to an Ashy Woodswallow?
- The Ashy Woodswallow is most easily confused with the Dusky Woodswallow, the Black-faced Woodswallow and the White-browed Woodswallow.
- Is the Ashy Woodswallow endangered?
- The Ashy Woodswallow is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Ashy Woodswallow for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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