White-breasted woodswallow

The white-breasted woodswallow (Artamus leucorynchus) is a medium-sized passerine bird which breeds from the Andaman Islands east through Indonesia and northern Australia. The name "woodswallow" is a misnomer as they are not closely related to true swallows. Instead, they belong to the family Artamidae, which also includes butcherbirds, currawongs and the Australian magpie.

The white-breasted woodswallow's plumage is dark grey on the head and neck, with white underparts, giving the species its common and scientific names, in contrast to the related great woodswallow whose upper side is a more glossy black. The stout bill is bluish-grey with a black tip. They can also be identified by their short, black tail and grey feet. Their completely black tail makes them the only woodswallow lacking white on the tail. Males and females are identical in appearance. Juveniles have a more brownish plumage around their head and mantle that is usually heavily striated. They have a buff tint on their chest and a brownish bill with a dark tip. White-breasted woodswallows can grow to a maximum known size of 18 cm and weigh between 35 and 45 grams. The nine subspecies can be separated by small differences in color, overall size, wing length and bill size.