ashy woodswallow

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PAKHI DEKHUN PAKHI CHINUN # 432 (Observe the Bird and recognize)..ASHY WOODSWALLOW..[From a Photograph of Mr.HARISH VENKATARAMAN ] ... WATERCOLOUR ...A4...2014... The ashy woodswallow (Artamus fuscus) sometimes also called the ashy swallow-shrike is a woodswallow which is found in south Asia. Like other woodswallows, it has a short curve bill and a short square tail and long wings. It is usually seen perched in groups, high on powerlines, tall bare trees and most often in areas with a predominance of tall palm trees. This stocky woodswallow has an ashy grey upperparts with a darker head and a narrow pale band on the rump. The underside is pinkish grey and the short slaty black tail is tipped in white. The finch-like bill is silvery. In flight the long wing looks very broad at the base giving it a very triangular outline. Males and females are indistinguishable in the field, however an old report suggests that the sexes differ in the colour of the inside of the mouth. The usual clutch consists of 2–3 greenish white eggs with brown spots. Both parents take part in nest building, incubation and feeding the young. The woodswallows, Artamidae, are among the few perching birds that have special feathers called powder down that break up into fine dust that is spread by the birds onto their body when preening. Although mainly feeding on insects, they may take nectar from flowers of trees such as Erythrina. They have been recorded feeding on toxic butterflies of the family Danaiidae such as Euploea core which are avoided by other birds. [INFO : WIKIPEDIA]