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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Artamidae
  4. ›
  5. Artamus
  6. ›
  7. Masked Woodswallow
Masked Woodswallow
Photo · (c) Lachlan Copeland, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

BirdUp · Species

Masked Woodswallow

Artamus personatus(Gould, 1841)

Updated 21 March 2026

Origin: Endemic
Order
PASSERIFORMES
Family
Artamidae
Genus
Artamus

At a glance

The Masked Woodswallow is a small bird, about 18–20 cm long, endemic to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
18–20 cm
Origin
Endemic
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Endemic
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Masked Woodswallow look like?

The Masked Woodswallow is a small bird, about 18–20 cm long and weighing 26–44 g.

Masked woodswallow is a species of bird in the family Artamidae.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
18–20 cm
Weight
25.5–44 g
Wingspan
32 cm

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Masked Woodswallow?

The Masked Woodswallow is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

05 · Behaviour

Habits and haunts

What does a Masked Woodswallow eat?

The Masked Woodswallow feeds on nectar/pollen and terrestrial invertebrates, usually foraging in flocks.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

6 photos

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Masked Woodswallow live in Australia?

The Masked Woodswallow is endemic to Australia, recorded across 85 of Australia’s bioregions.

BreedingAustralia (except north Cape York Pen. and Tasmania)

Non-breedingPartial migrant to north

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Resident
  • Breeding

8 regions recorded