Black-faced Woodswallow vs Masked Woodswallow

Black-faced Woodswallow

Artamus cinereus

Small36 gWoodland

The black-faced woodswallow is 18–19 cm (7.1–7.5 in) in length, and weighs 32–40 g (1.1–1.4 oz). It has a blue-grey beak with a black tip and a black face mask which extends from the base of the bill up to and around the eyes. It has ash grey plumage, which is lighter around the breast with darker wings, and silver underwings. The tail is black with a white tip. The subspecies are differentiated by black or white colouration of their tail vents. The white-vented subspecies A. c. normani and A. c. inkermani are found on the Cape York Peninsula and northern Queensland respectively.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Max Tibby · CC0

Masked Woodswallow

Artamus personatus

Small35 gWoodland

A.personatus is a common, gregarious and highly nomadic species, appearing in large flocks usually with white-browed woodswallow (Artamus superciliosus). Among the few passerines that have powder down through their plumage. Listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List. Ranging from 18–20 centimetres (7.1–7.9 in) in length with a wingspan of 32–34 centimetres (13–13 in), weighing approximately 37 grams (1.3 oz), the masked woodswallow is similar in size to the white-browed woodswallow. Sexes differ markedly in colour and also in immature plumage.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: (c) Rolf Lawrenz, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Rolf Lawrenz · cc-by

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Black-faced Woodswallow and Masked Woodswallow.