Brown-backed Needletail

These birds have very short legs which they use only mainly for clinging to vertical surfaces. They never settle voluntarily on the ground and spend most of their lives in the air, living on the insects they catch in their beaks.

The Brown-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 Brown-backed Needletail is a very large swift, and at 23cm is bigger than the Alpine Swift and the White-throated Needletail. It has a similar build to the latter species, with a heavy barrel-like body. They are dark brown except for a white undertail, which extends on to the flanks. The Hirundapus needletailed swifts get their name from the spiny end to the tail, which is not forked as in the Apus typical swifts. More

Brown-backed Needletail Hirundapus giganteus indicus - Adult in flight Brown-backed Needletail Photographer : More

For the purposes of our bird news services, Brown-backed Needletail is classed as Ungraded: species which are unlikely to appear as wild birds in Britain or Ireland hide section Most recent photos of Brown-backed Needletail (1) Kaeng Krachen, Central Region, Thailand Kaeng Krachen, Central Region, Thailand28/02/2009 Kaeng Krachen, Central Region, Thailand 28/02/2009 View all pictures of Brown-backed Needletail View all pictures of Brown-backed Needletail show section External Links (0) We currently have no More

Brown-backed Needletail (Hirundapus giganteus) is a resident bird in the hills of north east India. More

Brown-backed Needletail (unusually with an all-white tail) in flight photographer: Mike Prince | shooting date: 20 Nov 2006 | location: Mount Harriet National Park | country: India Slideshow off | 3s | 5s | 10s | 20s Gallery Index Birding Top 500 Counter www.bubo. More

At Mae Wong National Park, Thailand, two Brown-backed Needletails came zooming past right over our heads at full speed. The wooshing sound and the speed they had made them look like two mini jetfigthers on mission. More

Brown-backed Needletail is larger than both White-throated and Silver-backed Needletail, although White-throated Needletail averages longer winged (Chantler & Driessens 1995, Grimmett et al. 1998, Robson 2000). Committee members struggled with this case because it relies heavily on birds seen only in flight, size, and characters generally difficult to judge (such as the rounded tail and wing shape). More