Woodswallows, Bellmagpies, and Allies
Great Woodswallow
Artamus maximus
- Family
- Woodswallows, Bellmagpies, and Allies (Artamidae)
- Order
- Passeriformes
Overview
The great woodswallow (Artamus maximus), also known as the greater woodswallow, giant woodswallow or New Guinea woodswallow, is a species of bird in the family Artamidae. As its name implies, it is the largest member of the genus Artamus, averaging 20 centimetres (7.87 in) in length and 61 grams (2.2 oz) in mass. The great woodswallow is very similar in appearance to the more widespread white-breasted woodswallow, but it can be distinguished by its darker black upper side plumage and by the presence of a semi-oval black patch below the throat.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Mountains of New Guinea.
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Countries
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Great woodswallow
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
