Silver-backed Needletail

The Silver-backed Needletail is a species of swift in the Apodidae family. It is found in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Singapore, Republic of India, Thailand, and Vietnam. It is a vagrant to Christmas Island. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

The Silver-backed Needletail is classified as Least Concern. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

The Silver-backed Needletail (Hirundapus cochinchinensis) is a species of swift in the Apodidae family. It is found in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Singapore, Republic of India, Thailand, and Vietnam. It is a vagrant to Christmas Island. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. References - * BirdLife International 2004. Hirundapus cochinchinensis. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 24 July 2007. More

Silver-backed Needletail Hirundapus cochinchinensis Silver-backed Needletail Photographer : More

Silver-backed Needletail (Hirundapus cochinchinensis) is a bird in hills of north east India and the western ghats. More

The Silver-backed Needletail is a large (20 cm) swift with blackish brown wings, upper tail, breast and belly, white undertail coverts, a grayish throat and a whitish saddle on the back and rump. The tail is short and squarish. The Taiwan race formosanus was previously assigned as a subspecies of the White-throated Needletail H. caudacutus, but has recently been shown to be virtually identical to the nominate race of the Silver-backed Needletail (H. More

* Silver-backed Needletail, Hirundapus cochinchinensis * Brown-backed Needletail, Hirundapus giganteus * Purple Needletail, Hirundapus celebensis * Band-rumped Swift, Chaetura spinicauda * Lesser Antillean Swift, Chaetura martinica * Gray-rumped Swift, Chaetura cinereiventris * Pale-rumped Swift, Chaetura egregia * Chimney Swift, Chaetura pelagica * Vaux's Swift, Chaetura vauxi More

Silver-backed Needletail in Tai Lam Country Park this morning (16th Apr 09). Attachment Needletail.JPG (118.76 KB) 16/04/2009 18:36 Needletail. More

Silver-backed Needletail is the more likely. The size estimation (only c. 1.5 times the size of Glossy Swiftlet) supports this view. Nevertheless, as stated by the observer, the identification remains in doubt. Committee members resolved to agree with the observers conclusion despite the under estimated size calculation (1.5 times the size of Glossy Swiftlet is significantly too small for any Hirundapus) and accept this bird as either Silver-backed or Brown-backed Needletail. More