Fiji Woodswallow
Artamus mentalis
A thick-bodied, highly aerobatic bird, white below and dark above with a dark chin and white cheek. Often perches on wires. Bill pale bluish with a dark tip. No similar species within its range. Found in open or forest-edge habitats. Common call is a rapid metallic “wit-wit-wit.”
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Artamus mentalis
- Authority
- Jardine, 1845
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Artamidae
- Genus
- Artamus
Range and habitat
The Fiji woodswallow is endemic to the major islands of Fiji, namely Viti Levu, Vanua Levu and Taveuni. It is absent from the fourth largest island, Kadavu, but is present on smaller Gau in the Lomaiviti Archipelago. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forests and savannahs, but it has adjusted to human-altered habitats and also lives in cultivated areas; there are even urban populations in Suva and Nadi. In Viti Levu it is found in the highlands, but not on the highlands of Taveuni.<p>Unlike the nomadic populations of Australian white-breasted woodswallows, the Fiji woodswallow is sedentary. Family groups will occupy a tree in which they roost and nest in over several years. It is thought that this is because the climatic conditions in Fiji are less extreme.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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