White-throated Needletail
Hirundapus caudacutus
LCLeast Concern
- Family
- Swifts (Apodidae)
- Order
- Apodiformes
Overview
The white-throated needletail (Hirundapus caudacutus), also known as the needle-tailed swift or spine-tailed swift, is a large swift in the genus Hirundapus. It is reputed to reach speeds of up to 170 km/h (110 mph) in horizontal flight, but this is unverified because the methods used to measure its speed have not been published.
75 km/h (47 mph) is more likely, but this is still at least 100 times the bird's length per second.
They build their nests in rock crevices in cliffs or hollow trees.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: White-throated needletail
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
