Masked Woodswallow

1. Male has a bold black facial mask with a white crescent border

2. Female is browner with a faint mask; juveniles are mottled and duller

3. Pale blue-grey bill with a black tip

These birds are primarily insectivorous, catching insects on the wing, but they also feed on nectar and sometimes fruit. Breeding usually takes place from August to December or after significant rain, when resources are abundant. Both parents build a shallow, untidy nest of twigs, usually placed 1–3 meters above the ground in dense bushes or tree stumps. The typical clutch contains 3–4 eggs, and both parents share incubation and feeding duties. Masked Woodswallows are known for their rapid breeding response to favourable conditions and may abandon colonies quickly if food becomes scarce.

Masked Woodswallows are widespread across mainland Australia, especially in the arid and semi-arid interior, but are rarely seen in the far north, southeast coastal regions, or Tasmania. They favour open woodlands, shrublands, heaths, and roadside tree belts. Their presence in any given area is unpredictable, as they move in response to changing food supplies, often appearing in large flocks that may include White-browed Woodswallows.