Irfan Choo is sharing with us images he took of a pair of White-breasted Woodswallows (Artamus leucorynchus) mating high up on a horizontal cable perch in Selangor, Malaysia (left).
White-breasted Woodswallow is found in Southeast Asia and Australasia, but not in Singapore. This is a small, agile flyer, with large pointed wings, often soaring/gliding in the air. In flight it is easily recognised from its broad pointed wings and short tail, that gives it a triangular shape. The bluish bill and white underparts and underwings against a charcoal black head are diagnostic.
This is an insectivorous bird, catching insects on the wing.
A nomadic species, the bird often roosts in large flocks.
Its nest is a shallow, bowl-shaped structure made of roots, grasses and twigs, lined with fine grasses. This is built in a tree fork, hollow stump or even inside an abandoned nest of a Magpie-lark. Both sexes participate in nest building, incubation and looking after the chicks.
Input and images courtesy of Irfan Choo – www.irfanchoo.com
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