Photo: T R Shankar Raman / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Brown-backed Needletail
Hirundapus giganteus
Brown-backed Needletail (Hirundapus giganteus) — Swifts of South & Southeast Asia.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Brown-backed Needletail (Hirundapus giganteus) is a member of the Apodidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 127 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Apodiformes
- Family Apodidae Swifts
- Genus Hirundapus
- Species giganteus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 127 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Apodidae
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Brown-backed Needletail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Brown-backed Needletail is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Brown-backed Needletail (Hirundapus giganteus) is a species of bird in the Apodidae family, part of the order Apodiformes. It occurs naturally across South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR widespread.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 127 g, with a wing length of about 20.3 cm and a tail of around 6.2 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 2.7 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Brown-backed Needletail?
The Brown-backed Needletail is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 127 g.
Where does the Brown-backed Needletail live?
The Brown-backed Needletail is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR widespread, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Brown-backed Needletail belong to?
The Brown-backed Needletail (Hirundapus giganteus) belongs to the Apodidae family, in the order Apodiformes.
What does the Brown-backed Needletail eat?
The Brown-backed Needletail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Brown-backed Needletail migrate?
The Brown-backed Needletail is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Brown-backed Needletail endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Brown-backed Needletail make?
1 real field recording of the Brown-backed Needletail — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Brown-backed Needletail's range?
The Brown-backed Needletail has a mapped global range of about 2.7 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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