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Woodswallows, Butcherbirds & Allies

The Artamidae family, known for its 24 species of birds, including woodswallows, currawongs, and the Australian magpie, is a group of passerine birds widespread in Australia, Indo-Pacific, and Southern Asia. Initially, Artamidae only included woodswallows, but expanded in 1994 to encompass the related Cracticidae; however, some sources still consider them separate. These birds exhibit a wide range of feeding habits, from the nectar-sucking woodswallows to the predation habits of the pied currawong. Introduced in 1825 by Nicholas Aylward Vigors, Artamids belong to the superfamily Malaconotoidea and are believed to have lived in Australasia for millions of years. Artamids vary in size, habitat preference, and social behavior, some being solitary and others living in flocks. Their diet is omnivorous, and they feature notable feeding strategies, such as vertical feeding zones. Artamids are also recognized for their singing ability, especially the butcherbird, currawong, and magpie. Morphologically, they vary in size and have robust beaks and anisodactyl foot arrangements, suitable for perching. Powder down feathers and a lack of pronounced sexual dimorphism in plumage are other characteristics. The largest threats they face are habitat destruction and predation from introduced species like cats. The family includes six genera, divided into three subfamilies, with notable members like the mountain peltops, Australian magpie, and a variety of woodswallows. A fossil species, Kurrartapu, also belongs to this family, dating back to the Early Miocene.

Regions

Categories

All
Accentors
African & Green Broadbills
Albatrosses
Alcippe Fulvettas
Anhingas, Darters
Asian Barbets
Auks
Austral Storm Petrels
Australasian Babblers
Australasian Robins
Australasian Warblers
Australasian Wrens
Australo-Papuan Bellbirds
Babblers, Scimitar Babblers
Barn Owls
Bee-eaters
Birds-of-paradise
Boatbills
Bristlehead
Bulbuls
Buntings
Bushtits
Bustards
Buttonquail
Caracaras, Falcons
Cassowaries, Emu
Cettia Bush Warblers & Allies
Chats, Old World Flycatchers
Cisticolas & Allies
Cockatoos
Cormorants, Shags
Coursers, Pratincoles
Crab-plover
Cranes
Crombecs, African Warblers
Crows, Jays
Cuckoos
Cuckooshrikes
Cupwings
Dippers
Drongos
Ducks, Geese, Swans
Elachura
Fairy Flycatchers
Fairy-bluebirds
Fantails
Figbirds, Orioles, Turnagra
Finches, Euphonias
Finfoots
Flamingos
Flowerpeckers
Flufftails
Frigatebirds
Frogmouths
Gannets, Boobies
Goldcrests, Kinglets
Grassbirds & Allies
Grebes
Ground Babblers
Gulls, Terns, Skimmers
Herons, Bitterns
Honeyeaters
Honeyguides
Hoopoes
Hornbills
Hylocitrea
Ibisbill
Ibises, Spoonbills
Ifrit
Indigobirds, Whydahs
Ioras
Jacanas
Jewel-babblers, Quail-thrushes
Kingfishers
Kites, Hawks, Eagles
Larks
Laughingthrushes & Allies
Leaf Warblers & Allies
Leafbirds
Longspurs, Snow Buntings
Magpie Goose
Megapodes
Melampittas
Monarchs
Mottled Berryhunter
Nightjars
Northern Storm Petrels
Nuthatches
Old World Parrots
Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches
Ospreys
Owls
Oystercatchers
Painted-snipes
Parrotbills & Allies
Pelicans
Penduline Tits
Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels
Pheasants & Allies
Pigeons, Doves
Pittas
Ploughbill
Plovers
Rail-babbler
Rails, Crakes & Coots
Reed Warblers & Allies
Rollers
Sandpipers, Snipes
Shrikes
Sittellas
Skuas
Starlings, Rhabdornis
Stilts, Avocets
Stone-curlews, Thick-knees
Storks
Sunbirds
Swallows, Martins
Swifts
Sylviid Babblers
Thrushes
Tits, Chickadees
Treecreepers
Treeswifts
Trogons
Tropicbirds
Typical Broadbills
Vangas & Allies
Vireos, Greenlets, Shrike-babblers
Wagtails, Pipits
Wallcreeper
Waxbills, Munias & Allies
Waxwings
Weavers, Widowbirds
Whipbirds
Whistlers & Allies
White-eyes
Woodpeckers

Woodswallows, Butcherbirds & Allies

Wrens
Jayshrike
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Species Categories

AccentorsAfrican & Green BroadbillsAlbatrossesAlcippe FulvettasAnhingas, DartersAsian BarbetsAuksAustral Storm PetrelsAustralasian BabblersAustralasian RobinsAustralasian WarblersAustralasian WrensAustralo-Papuan BellbirdsBabblers, Scimitar BabblersBarn OwlsBee-eatersBirds-of-paradiseBoatbillsBristleheadBulbulsBuntingsBushtitsBustardsButtonquailCaracaras, FalconsCassowaries, EmuCettia Bush Warblers & AlliesChats, Old World FlycatchersCisticolas & AlliesCockatoosCormorants, ShagsCoursers, PratincolesCrab-ploverCranesCrombecs, African WarblersCrows, JaysCuckoosCuckooshrikesCupwingsDippersDrongosDucks, Geese, SwansElachuraFairy FlycatchersFairy-bluebirdsFantailsFigbirds, Orioles, TurnagraFinches, EuphoniasFinfootsFlamingosFlowerpeckersFlufftailsFrigatebirdsFrogmouthsGannets, BoobiesGoldcrests, KingletsGrassbirds & AlliesGrebesGround BabblersGulls, Terns, SkimmersHerons, BitternsHoneyeatersHoneyguidesHoopoesHornbillsHylocitreaIbisbillIbises, SpoonbillsIfritIndigobirds, WhydahsIorasJacanasJewel-babblers, Quail-thrushesKingfishersKites, Hawks, EaglesLarksLaughingthrushes & AlliesLeaf Warblers & AlliesLeafbirdsLongspurs, Snow BuntingsMagpie GooseMegapodesMelampittasMonarchsMottled BerryhunterNightjarsNorthern Storm PetrelsNuthatchesOld World ParrotsOld World Sparrows, SnowfinchesOspreysOwlsOystercatchersPainted-snipesParrotbills & AlliesPelicansPenduline TitsPetrels, Shearwaters, Diving PetrelsPheasants & AlliesPigeons, DovesPittasPloughbillPloversRail-babblerRails, Crakes & CootsReed Warblers & AlliesRollersSandpipers, SnipesShrikesSittellasSkuasStarlings, RhabdornisStilts, AvocetsStone-curlews, Thick-kneesStorksSunbirdsSwallows, MartinsSwiftsSylviid BabblersThrushesTits, ChickadeesTreecreepersTreeswiftsTrogonsTropicbirdsTypical BroadbillsVangas & AlliesVireos, Greenlets, Shrike-babblersWagtails, PipitsWallcreeperWaxbills, Munias & AlliesWaxwingsWeavers, WidowbirdsWhipbirdsWhistlers & AlliesWhite-eyesWoodpeckersWoodswallows, Butcherbirds & AlliesWrensJayshrike

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