Published in HBW Volume 14 on page 286.
Original HBW caption:
Woodswallows form a very uniform family, with only one genus, Artamus, generally accepted. All eleven species have a squat silhouette, a short tail and long pointed wings, short legs, a broad-based, conical bill, and a brush-like tongue. In nine species, the sexes are similar. The plumage is generally bicoloured, in combinations of white, brown, grey and black. In some species, like the Ashy Woodswallow, the contrast between darker head and wings and lighter underparts is relatively muted; in others, the contrast is much bolder. Throughout its range, which extends from the Indian Subcontinent eastwards to south-east China and South-east Asia, the Ashy Woodswallow is the only representative of the family.