White-breasted Woodswallow
Wurruma Swamp April 2021.
I see these small birds nearly every visit to Wurruma Swamp. A full adult is only 170-180mm in length. They always buzz by and sometimes stop to check out what I am doing.
Once comfortable with my presence they are very inquisitive and often drop in for a brief chat. This couple at Wurruma Swamp in October 2022 seemed to be having a domestic. Very funny to watch.
Wurruma Swamp, June 2023.
They dart around amongst the trees and above water in search of insects catching their prey in midflight.
The main food source is insects and Dragonflies seem to be a particular favourite. They also sometimes eat nectar.
In the rain at Wurruma Swamp, June 2023.
They are often found in groups of 10-50 taking turns to hawk for food. On this day not even the rain stopped them for hunting for a meal.
Their voice is a continuous chattering, soft twittering and mimicry.
Wurruma Swamp, December 2022.
This was a very cold morning and the birds seemed to be gathered together to keep warm. They are very communal and quite common to see in mangroves, tropical woodlands, paperbark swamps (Wurruma), and along tree lined inland rivers.
Adult bird
Pretty easy to see where this bird gets it’s name from. Both sexes look very similar.
A juvenile bird.
An immature bird has the speckled feathers and the darker uneven coloured beak.
These fast flying little birds are like a video game to try and photograph in flight.
3 birds keeping an eye on me, Mt Garnet December 2020.