White-throated Needletail
Photo: JJ Harrison · CC BY-SA 4.0

Swifts

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

Last updated September 29, 2026.