Artamus viridis; Print; Woodswallows are soft-plumaged; somber-coloured passerine birds in the genus Artamus. The woodswallows are either treated as a subfamily; Artaminae; in an expanded family Artamidae (also including the subfamily Cracticinae); or as the only genus in that family (with the butcherbirds; currawongs; and allies placed in a separate family; Cracticidae). The generic name; which in turn gives rise to the family name; is derived from the Ancient Greek artamos; meaning butcher or murder. The name was given due to their perceived similarity to shrikes. A former common name for the group was "swallow-starlings".; 1700-1880